Bob Bradley wants Los Angeles FC to finish the regular season in style against Portland Timbers in order to head into the playoffs on a high.
LAFC won the Supporters' Shield last season but have endured a more ordinary campaign in 2020, missing MVP Carlos Vela for much of the year.
Bradley's side have still made the postseason, however, occupying sixth place heading into Decision Day with a home first-round tie still potentially on the line.
After losing to San Jose Earthquakes in midweek, the LAFC coach is keen to ensure his team get back on track before the knockout games arrive.
"We've really got to try to hit the playoffs with confidence, with sharpness and with a mentality that we're a team that's going to fight every game, play our football, compete, and try to move and get ourselves to a final and win an MLS Cup," Bradley said.
Opponents Portland also lost last time out to Colorado Rapids.
Coach Gio Savarese chose to rotate his team - with Diego Valeri on the bench - despite still having the opportunity to finish on top of the West.
But with the playoffs the priority, the Timbers boss was hopeful they could benefit in the long term by granting opportunities to fringe men.
"We tried to make some rotations in order to make sure that we utilise the players in the best possible way," Savarese said.
"It's also good for some players to get minutes, because we're going to need everybody.
"Now we will prepare for LAFC, which is our final match and another difficult game that we have to try to give everything we have in order to get three points."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Los Angeles FC - Jesus Murillo
Murillo has impressed Bradley since coming into the LAFC team and the coach will now hope his defence can start to come together. They conceded three goals in each of their playoff games last year and it cost them dear. Murillo needs to make a difference over the coming weeks.
Portland Timbers - Diego Valeri
Resting 34-year-old Valeri against the Rapids made sense, but Savarese now must strike a balance between keeping his captain fresh and ensuring he is in form heading into the postseason. His role in Sunday's game will be interesting to observe.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- Los Angeles FC are unbeaten in their past six meetings with the Timbers (W3 D3) after losing the first contest between the sides in May 2018. Both teams have scored in six of the seven meetings, with a scoreless draw in July 2018 the only time either team have kept a clean sheet.
- LAFC have lost eight of their 16 matches since the MLS regular season resumed in August (W7 D1), twice as many as they lost in the entire 34-match 2019 season (four). LAFC have been good at home, though, winning six of their past seven at Banc of California Stadium, including the previous three in a row.
- The Timbers' 1-0 defeat to Colorado Rapids on Wednesday put a dent in their hopes of being the top seed in the West this year. The Timbers have had the best record in the conference twice before (2013 and 2017), but their two MLS Cup Final appearances came in years in which they were third (2015 - won MLS Cup) and fifth (2018 - lost MLS Cup).
- Diego Rossi enters Decision Day with 14 goals, three more than any other player. If he holds on, this would be the second straight season an LAFC player wins the Golden Boot (Carlos Vela - 34 goals in 2019), the first time a team would have a Golden Boot winner in two straight seasons since MLS began handing out the award in 2005.
- No team have outperformed their xG as much as Portland (+13.3) this season. The Timbers have outperformed their xG against by 5.9 as well, the seventh-best in MLS. Overall, Portland's actual goal difference (+11) is nearly 20 better than the Expected Goal metrics predict (-8.1).
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