SCOUTING REPORT: ATLANTA UNITED VS. PORTLAND

Portland manager: Giovanni Savarese

Portland on road: 0-1-0

Atlanta United at home: 1-0-1

Portland goals for/against: 4/5

Portland expected goals for/against: 3.0/3.9

Atlanta United goals for/against: 6/2

Atlanta United expected goals for/ against: 4.1/2.7

PORTLAND KEY PLAYERS

Zac Mcgraw: One goal

Juan Mosquera: One goal, one assist

ATLANTA UNITED KEY PLAYERS

Thiago Almada: 2 goals, 2 assists

Caleb Wiley: 2 goals, 1 assist

Matheus Rossetto: 1 goal

Luiz Araujo: 1 goal

Giorgos Giakoumakis

TALKING POINTS 1. Will Atlanta United keep improving?

Manager Gonzalo Pineda’s team keeps getting better from week to week. It posted its first shutout last Saturday in a win against Charlotte. It also scored a season-high in goals.

2. Who will start? Neither Giakoumakis nor Derrick Etienne have started. Neither will be available next week at Columbus because they’ve been called to their respective national teams. Will Pineda keep going with what’s working and start Wiley and Miguel Berry this week, knowing they likely will start next week, or give Giakoumakis and Etienne their first starts and risk disrupting chemistry?

3. Will Portland play a low block?

The Timbers will go without several key players because of injuries. Pineda said he doesn’t assume what the Timbers will play defensively at Mercedes-benz Stadium, though it is what most opponents do. If Portland does sit deep, can Atlanta United break it down?

INJURY REPORTS

Atlanta United Questionable: Machop Chol (hamstring) and Tyler Wolff (shoulder)

Out: Ozzie Alonso (recovery from torn ACL), Rossetto (hamstring)

Portland Out:

Felipe Mora (left knee), Sebastian Blanco (left knee), David Ayala (right knee), Dairon Asprilla (right knee), Tega Ikoba (right knee), Yimmi Chara (right hamstring), Cristhian Paredes (right hamstring) and Evander (hip)

WHAT WAS SAID

“I’m just focused on this week. I’m not focused on next week. I want to put the best possible lineup for this game against Portland. Then, we’ll try to worry about Columbus.” – Pineda

“Yeah, there’s still definitely areas where we’re looking back at video and looking back at clips. How do we dealwith different situations? How do we, you’re striving for perfection, right? And so every play, every pass, every ball, can we be a step this way, step that right way? How do we fine-tune things? And so that’s now the process.” – Brad Guzan

OFFICIATING CREW

Referee: Ted Unkel

Assistants: Corey Parker, Ian Mckay

Fourth official: Ben Pilgrim

VAR: Jair Marrufo

AVAR: Jozef Batko

ATLANTA UNITED’S PREDICTED 11

■ Goalkeeper Brad Guzan

■ Centerback Miles Robinson

■ Centerback Juanjo Purata

■ Right fullback Brooks Lennon

■ Left fullback Andrew Gutman

■ Defensive midfielder Franco Ibarra

■ Midfielder Amar Sejdic

■ Attacking midfielder Thiago Almada

■ Right wing Luiz Araujo

■ Left wing Caleb Wiley

■ Striker Miguel Berry

SEAN MEAGHER/THE OREGONIAN VIA AP Portland Timbers defender Juan David Mosquera (left), playing against St. Louis City last week, has one goal and one assist this season. The Timbers will be without several players today because of injuries.