Timbers set to host NYCFC in MLS Cup final

The Portland Timbers are leery of NYCFC’s Taty Castellanos as they prepare for Saturday’s MLS Cup final.

The Argentine striker was named Major League Soccer’s Golden Boot winner with 19 goals this season. He’s also well-rested after sitting out the Eastern Conference finals.

Castellanos was handed a red card in the conference semifinals against the topseeded New England Revolution, which NYCFC won on a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw.

So he was unavailable last week during the team’s 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union, which secured NYCFC a place in the MLS Cup final for the first time.

“Every striker, the main target is to help the team to try to score as many goals as you can, and have the confidence on the field to be able to score. He’s done that,” Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese said. “He’s a competitive player and he’s shown that during the season.”

Castellanos won the league’s Golden Boot by virtue of a tiebreaker: His eight assists gave him the award over D.C. United’s Ola Kamara, who also finished the regular season with 19 goals, but with five assists.

Castellanos scored six goals in NYCFC’s last four regular-season games. The team finished 14-9-11 for the fourth seed in the East.

“I’ve talked a lot about Taty before and always he’s a very important player for us,” NYCFC coach Ronny Delia said. “His value is one thing, on the pitch, you see how he is fearless. And he’s very physical. He’s a killer. And that’s a thing that gives the whole team energy and belief.”

The Timbers were also seeded fourth after going 17-13-4 in the regular season. Portland downed the top-seeded Colorado Rapids

on Thanksgiving Day before beating Real Salt Lake 2-0 at Providence Park to win the Western Conference and secure home field for the final.

The Timbers won an MLS Cup in 2015 and went to the final in 2018 but fell to Atlanta.

Portland is not putting all its focus on Castellanos, quite the contrary.

“They have (Santiago) Rodriguez, they have (Jesus) Medina, they have Maxi Moralez, they have Magno (Bacelar Martins) that comes from the bench, they have all the guys from the bench as well that can change the game,” Savarese said.