Almost three months have passed since the Portland Timbers hoisted the MLS Cup at Mapfre Stadium with a win over the Columbus Crew.
When the 2016 Major League Soccer season opens on Sunday, the two sides will meet in one of the marquee fixtures of the 10-game slate at Providence Park in Portland.
During an offseason in which many clubs across the United States and Canada adjusted their rosters in an attempt to make 2016 a more prosperous year than 2015, the two participants from December's final only made minor alterations.
The most important of those moves came at left-back for Portland as the Timbers brought in Chris Klute through a trade with Columbus to replace Jorge Villafana, who left for Santos Laguna in Liga MX in the days following the MLS Cup.