Technically, if the Portland Timbers play Sporting Kansas City to a draw with goals scored in a regulation 90 minutes on Thursday, they'll move on.
But Portland won't be playing it safe in the second leg of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Championship at Children's Mercy Park (9:30 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, TSN2, TVAS2). They're going for an outright win.
"We know that Kansas City is a difficult team, especially at home," Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese said, in a story reported by The Oregonian's Jamie Goldberg. "We expect them to bring the intensity even higher. We just have to go there and try to get a good result, try to get a win. In our minds, we're going to try to get a win. That's the most important part. That's how we're going to play in Kansas City."
Although the teams are deadlocked following a 0-0 draw at Providence Park on Sunday, Portland midfielder Diego Valeri believed the attacking intent showed by the Timbers, which included a shot off the post and six saves made by Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia, shows they can continue to push for goals on the road in the second leg.
"[In the first leg of the series], we probably dominated most of the time in the game, which is a good thing. We can do it on the road too. It will be like a final," Valeri said.
You can read more on Portland's mindset and preparations for Thursday's showdown at The Oregonian.
