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Real Salt Lake-Timbers Preview

The Portland Timbers fell one point shy of the playoffs last season, and Real Salt Lake may take some enjoyment from it.

The Timbers could be looking for a measure of revenge as they try to beat Salt Lake at home for the first time in four years Saturday night in the season opener for both clubs.

Portland went 12-9-13 to finish sixth in the Western Conference in 2014, and its failure to reach the postseason could be traced to a scoreless draw against RSL in the season's penultimate game Oct. 17 as Nick Rimando saved all six shots by the Timbers.

They haven't managed to get a shot past him in each of the last three home meetings, and they're 0-2-3 since winning the first ever matchup on April 30, 2011.

Portland only scored five goals in six preseason games, but coach Caleb Porter feels last weekend's 1-0 win over Stabaek of Norway can be a building block for the season.

"I thought it was our best performance of the preseason, overall, in terms of balance on both sides of the ball," Porter said. "I thought moving back to 4-3-3 and the lineup we played to start the game with more true wingers gave us a little bit more penetration."

The Timbers may need it as they open without star captain Will Johnson and midfielder Diego Valeri. Johnson is still recovering from a broken leg suffered in September, while Valeri tore an ACL in a 2-0 season-ending win over Dallas on Oct. 25.

That will put added pressure on Darlington Nagbe, whose only goal of 2014 came on the last day of the season following a career-high nine during the previous year.

The midfielder hasn't scored in the last six meetings with Salt Lake, which went 15-8-11 last season before being ousted by Los Angeles in the West semifinals.

Like Porter, RSL coach Jeff Cassar feels a 4-3-3 formation is ideal, especially after going 4-0 to win the Desert Diamond Cup preseason tournament in Arizona.

"This is a formation, I think we're going to continually get better throughout the year," Cassar told the team's official website. "We're going to get better and better and more efficient. As we get more comfortable and better in the system, I think we're going to be a very, very dangerous team.

"It's a high-possession offense, but it's with a little more intent getting forward. A lot of them change a bit, but it's a lot of the same philosophies."

The personnel is also the same with Rimando back in net, Kyle Beckerman leading the midfield and Javier Morales providing the creativity behind forward Alvaro Saborio.

Saborio had eight goals in 16 games last season and has six in eight career matchups with Portland.

He'll find himself matched up with a familiar face as RSL faces Nat Borchers for the first time since trading him to the Timbers in the offseason. Borchers spent seven seasons in Salt Lake, helping it to two MLS Cup appearances and one championship.

His 205 games are tied with Beckerman for second in franchise history, 20 behind Rimando.

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