Real Salt Lake continue a short Pacific Northwest series on Saturday when they face Portland Timbers at Providence Park.
Saturday's match against the reigning MLS Cup champions comes off the back of a 2-1 win over the Timbers' biggest rivals, Seattle Sounders — a win that put the team in a good position to carry some momentum forward.
But concerns about defense and attack — owing in part to early season injuries to Javier Morales and Jamison Olave — are bigger talking points than the last match or last season.