With two games to go in their regular season, the Portland Timbers have given themselves an opportunity.
Sunday's 1-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps vaulted Portland up to the top of the Western Conference table with 38 points and 1.81 points per game. While winning the Supporters' Shield at this point is all but impossible, the Timbers now have their sights on maintaining the coveted No. 1 seed in the West with two games left on their schedule.
"The most important thing is that we got the three points today, that we put in a good performance, that we sacrificed in the moments we needed to defend, and we did very well when we had to go forward," Timbers head coach Gio Savarese said on his postgame video call. "So a good match to earn three points.
"Now we're on top of the table, but we still have two more games. We have to stay focused on the important part of these two matches that are going to be difficult, manage the group in the best possible way to get points that we need and it feels good to have won today because of the type of performance the guys were able to put in. So I'm extremely proud of them for the work they put in, the guys that came in the second half, they also came in to make sure to work to get this very good result for us."
For Savarese, one of the most encouraging aspects of Sunday's performance was how his team closed out the game.
In their last stretch of matches, it's something that had been issue, as Portland saw two consecutive 1-0 lead evaporate in games against LAFC and the Seattle Sounders, yielding stoppage-time equalizers and dropping points.
This time, against a desperate Whitecaps team fighting for their playoff lives, the Timbers managed to see out the clean sheet and ensure that Yimmi Chara's 61st-minute volley would stand as the game-winner. It's not insignificant as the team gets ready for the playoffs, Saverese said.
Watch: Yimmi Chara scores game-winner vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
"It was important for us to make sure that we finished strong," he said. "That's one thing I thought today was very good, because the games against LAFC and Seattle unfortunately we gave up points that we felt that we earned them. But today we made sure we protected the 1-0, we protected the result, we protected the three points. The guys did a fantastic job to play a full match and in a very mature performance from everyone who stepped on the field, and the guys on the bench who were ready to give everything for the team."
If they hope to hold onto the No. 1 seed, they'll need results at home against the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday and at LAFC on Decision Day presented by AT&T.
While it was a crucial three points, it wasn't all positives for Portland coming off Sunday's victory.
The Timbers saw Polish forward Jaroslaw Niezgoda stretchered off the field in second-half stoppage time after he went down with an apparent leg injury following a collision with a Whitecaps defender. Savarese said he doesn't yet know the exact severity, but indicated that the fear is Niezgoda's injury could be long term.
That would mean the loss of another key contributor in a season that has already seen the Timbers lose star midfielder Sebastian Blanco to a torn ACL. Niezgoda had seven goals and an assist in 16 appearances coming into Sunday.
"Not good. We'll see," Savarese said of Niezgoda's early prognosis. "We'll find out a little bit more later. But as of now it's not very positive. We'll see."
"We've had many moments like that this year, and it's very unfortunate. You feel for the players, so it makes it a little bit difficult to enjoy as much as you can this moment, even though the sacrifice of the players was very important. I'm so proud of them and there's a feeling of reward from what we got from the match. But nevertheless, it's difficult to feel happy when one of your players is going through a difficult moment right now. We'll know more later, but as of now it doesn't look very good."
