The Portland Timbers will face FC Dallas in their final match of the regular season, but not even a win will guarantee Portland a spot in the playoffs. They'll be looking to the lowly Colorado Rapids to secure at least a point against the Vancouver Whitecaps, who also play Saturday. The MLS Cup stands as the sole obtainable trophy for the Timbers after being eliminated from CONCACAF Champions League contention earlier this week.

The lineup that Coach Caleb Porter will field on Saturday will surely be filled with the regular first team players, but the players themselves may not be at full strength. Porter used a handful of first choice guys in their CCL match against CD Olimpia, including Liam Ridgewell and Rodney Wallace, but was forced to sub on more starters than he had hoped when the Timbers went down 2-0 in just four minutes. Diego Valeri came on at halftime for Kalif Alhassan, while Fanendo Adi and Darlington Nagbe came on in the 71st minute to try and salvage the night for the Timbers, however unsuccessful.

Ridgewell is an obvious choice to get another 90 minutes against Dallas, but his center back partner as of late, Norberto Paparatto, will be sitting out the final game due to yellow card accumulation. Porter will most likely start Pa Kah in place of Paparatto. Kah and Paparatto have split most of the time at center back this season. Jorge Villafana also started and played the full 90 against CD Olimpia, and will likely start against Dallas with Alvas Powell.

Portland's attack has been their saving grace this season thanks to the addition of Fanendo Adi who has given the Timbers a big target striker to boss around defenses with. Adi is Porter's preferred striker in most cases, and will likely get the start against Dallas. Adi, who signed as a DP with the Timbers during the season, is currently second on the team in goals with nine. Valeri tops the charts with 11 goals and also boasts 14 assists, his best marks in his two years in MLS. Adi and Valeri will likely be paired with Darlington Nagbe and another winger up top, but it's anyone's guess as to who that winger will be. Rodney Wallace has been occupying that spot since his return from an ACL injury, but after putting in over 70 minutes in Honduras, may not get the start.

FC Dallas have already secured a spot in the playoffs and are now fighting for seeding. Dallas can finish no higher than third, but no lower than fourth where they currently sit. A win would propel them above Real Salt Lake, which in turn would steer them clear of the play-in game of the playoffs. Dallas currently leads the season series between themselves and Portland, winning one and tying one. Dallas, who have scored two goals in both games against the Timbers this season have numerous attacking options going forward. Whether the veteran Blas Perez gets the start, or rookie Tesho Akindele, the Timbers slow defense will be heavily tested.

Fabian Castillo is finally back at full strength and has found his early season form. The speedy midfielder loves to get in the attack, but can also backtrack and play defense with the rest of the team. The defense for Dallas has been stellar in their past two games. They gave up just one goal to the LA Galaxy, and were able to shutout the Colorado Rapids in Colorado. However, it's been a mixed bag of defenders as only two started in both of those games, Zach Lloyd and Matt Hedges. Both Hedges and Lloyd lead FC Dallas defenders in clean sheets this year with six. Hedges will certainly be keeping an eye out for Adi, who matches him in both size and strength.

Even if the Timbers win, they still may not make the playoffs. If Cascadian rivals, Vancouver Whitecaps get a win against Colorado, they'll take the fifth and final spot in the playoffs. Both players and coaches promised at least one trophy at the beginning of the season, and this is their last hope. Fans are not happy with the front office, coaching, and players.

The Timbers need to make the playoffs to avoid some serious backlash this offseason. Timbers fans have one last regular season game until they can put this year behind them and build on the problems that need fixing. The game will be one of the most watched games this season, and you can catch it on www.mlssoccer.com as the inline of the week.

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About the author
Joe Wielgus
Portland Timbers beat writer for VAVEL USA. Portland Timbers, AS Monaco FC, and Milwaukee Bavarians supporter