Due to the silliness surrounding MLS teams’ participation in the U.S. Open Cup, the Tacoma Defiance have taken the Sounders’ place in the tournament. They’ve won their first three games and have now earned the opportunity to become the first MLS Next Pro affiliate to face a MLS first team in actual competition. Even more silly, that team is the Portland Timbers.

To help us understand the Timbers’ approach to this game, we reached out to Tyson Alger, who runs the Substack I-5 Corridor, which covers mostlyl the Oregon Ducks and the Timbers. He thinks the Timbers will likely field a relatively veteran-heavy team.

We also discuss the evolution of Merritt Paulson, who Alger notes has decreased his public presence but that “the poster inside never dies.”

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