It’s been a long time since the Portland Timbers have traveled to the East Coast. When the pandemic was in full swing last year, MLS scheduled the season so that clubs would play mostly regional opponents. Before this season, most teams hadn’t played an opponent on the opposite coast since the MLS is Back tournament last summer.
Now the Timbers are set for their first match against an Eastern Conference opponent since that return tournament in 2020 — and it’s a tough one. The Philadelphia Union aren’t quite the same squad as last year: They’re 3-2-2 to start the year and lost several key players this offseason, but that doesn’t change the fact that this Jim Curtin-led squad can be dangerous.