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MLS Footnotes: Colorado Rapids And Portland Timbers Start A New Thanksgiving Tradition 

Manager's Note: Footnotes, FOX Sports' MLS segment, takes you inside the significant ideas around the association and across American soccer. 메이저사이트

For Colorado Rapids midfielder Kellyn Acosta, there's one little disadvantage to stunning MLS and consequently progressing toward the Western gathering elimination round on Thanksgiving Day. 

"I'm a gigantic Cowboys fan," Acosta, a Dallas-region local, told FOX Sports this week. "I will miss their game." 

The Cowboys, obviously, consistently play on Turkey Day. Booking games on significant occasions is typical across sports: The Premier League and school football are a New Year's Day staple, the NBA claims Christmas, and MLS and MLB have since quite a while ago organized marquee games on the Fourth of July. 

Yet, a Thanksgiving game will be an absolutely new encounter for MLS when the Rapids and Portland Timbers meet Thursday (4:30 p.M. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports application) in Commerce City, Colorado. 

Precisely no one picked the Rapids to top the West during the normal season. However, Robin Fraser's group beat customary meeting heavyweights Seattle and Sporting Kansas City on Decision Day, procuring a cycle one bye. 

"It was truly fulfilling," Fraser said in a telephone meet. "The group doesn't get a great deal of acknowledgment, yet we have great players. I think they merit more consideration." 

They're getting some now, as is Fraser, a finalist for MLS Coach of the Year alongside New England's Bruce Arena and Seattle's Brian Schmetzer. Fraser, the previous Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC colleague, hung tight seven years for one more opportunity to head up his own group after two fruitless missions with now-dead Chivas USA in 2011-12. This is only his subsequent full season in Colorado. 

"Chivas was a massively troublesome climate, and I committed errors too, so it was anything but an extraordinary encounter. Yet, I gained from it," Fraser said. "What I've done from that point forward is simply keep on focusing and learn and improve and more clear in my vision of the game." 

Presently he's two successes from a MLS Cup trip. 

"For our purposes, it's invigorating to be here and have a home season finisher game," Fraser said. "This is an intense spot for individuals to come and play." 

1. Home cooking 

Home-field advantage has shown to be enormous so far this postseason. Hosts have won five of the six season finisher coordinates; the solitary special case was the nightcap Tuesday between Salt Lake and the Sounders, which RSL won on punishments following 120 scoreless minutes. 

Justen Glad sinks the match dominating extra shot to dispense with the Seattle Sounders, permitting Real Salt Lake to progress in the MLS end of the season games. 

However even that doesn't consider a misfortune for Seattle; authoritatively, it's recorded as a tie. 

2. Fast test 

Fraser is correct when he says Colorado is an intense spot to play for rivals. Just three MLS crews (New England, Philadelphia and Portland) posted preferred home records over the Rapids this season. 

The Timbers should manage brief reprieve (they beat Minnesota on Sunday) and the Colorado elevation, however basically there's no snow in the estimate. As per FOX Weather, the skies will be clear and the temperature a moderately mild 55 degrees at the opening shot. 

It doesn't take a strategies wonk to foresee how the challenge will work out. At home with new legs, the Rapids ought to have a large portion of the ball. In any case, they should be particularly vigilant on the move, which is the place where the Timbers are at their generally risky. 

"They are as great a counter-assaulting group as there is in the association," Fraser said. "They have various players where, assuming they get looking ahead with time, they're hazardous and athletic. Also, on account of Sebastian Blanco, he settles on such great choices on the run under tension that he's a consistent danger." 

Acosta additionally recognized the Argentine maestro as the Timbers' primary danger. Blanco scored twice Sunday to assist with killing the Loons. 

"He's an extraordinary player, and he's most certainly compelling on how they play, particularly on the counter," Acosta said. 

3. Two groups, one objective 

The Rapids haven't played since Nov. 7, however dislike Acosta has been inactive. The 26-year-old destroyer fell off the seat in both of the U.S. Men's public group's mid-month World Cup qualifiers. The power in those games, a success versus Mexico and an attract Jamaica, was ideal groundwork for the end of the season games. 

"Playing for the public group is something I invest wholeheartedly in," Acosta said. "To have the option to encounter both [competitions] simultaneously is wonderful. They're certainly all high-stakes games. Furthermore, presently with the Rapids, it's sink or swim." 

4. Nashville tops Orlando; Philly next 

Nashville's great mission proceeded with Tuesday, when they conquered an early objective from Orlando's Daryl Dike to win 3-1. MVP applicant Hany Mukhtar — who else? — scored the equalizer in the principal half prior to indenting the champ with around 15 minutes to go. 

The group at Nissan Stadium was electric every night. At the point when Nashville's uniquely fabricated soccer field is initiated the following spring, it should flaunt one the best environments in MLS. 

That will not help Gary Smith's group on Sunday, when Mukhtar and Co. Visit the Union. Then again, Nashville has been hard out and about the entire year, with only four groups accumulating more focuses away from home. 

5. RSL-SKC, Revs-NYCFC complete world class eight 

RSL are playing with house cash subsequent to squeaking into the postseason and staggering Seattle. They have the vibe of a group that can make a profound run. To do it, they'll need to move beyond a Sporting side that needs to like its odds of doing likewise, particularly with the Sounders out. 

In any case, the most expected quarterfinal match is next Tuesday, an I-95 standoff between New York City and the record-breaking Revolution. There's genuine tension on the Revs to win after they broke the customary season focuses imprint, and anything can occur in a solitary game. 

Will the three or more week cutback help or hurt the Revs against a group that just dominated an enthusiastic game over Atlanta United? 

Acosta's Rapids are in a comparable position. "I'd don't really want to have the long break," he said. "Clearly, there's certain thumps and a few injuries when you've recently played a game, and for our purposes, everybody's sound. Having a significant stretch of preparing is great to allow you to tweak things, yet you sort of need to be in game mode. They will have energy." 

6. Changes in Orlando? 

Their season is finished, yet Orlando City moved forward in 2021 under second-year mentor Oscar Pareja. He will be back in 2022, and the Lions are relied upon to hold collaborator head supervisor/exploring chief Ricardo Moreira and EVP of soccer tasks Luiz Muzzi. 

Previous Portugal World Cup teamer and Manchester United forward Nani is another matter. Nani might want to return, he as of late told The Athletic, yet the 34-year-old is out of agreement. Lions proprietor Mark Wilf was cautious with regards to the chance of Nani returning when asked by FOX Sports before Tuesday's match. 

There was heaps of MLS news Wednesday. To start with, previous LAFC and U.S. Manager Bob Bradley was named the new mentor and brandishing chief in Toronto, which has been the most exceedingly terrible kept mystery in the association for a really long time. 

Then, at that point, Ezra Hendrickson was declared as the new mentor in Chicago — an extraordinary recruit for the Fire. Hendrickson has more than satisfied his obligations as a collaborator with Seattle, the LA Galaxy and Columbus, which he helped win a MLS Cup last season. 

Discussing Columbus, the Crew's ravishing Lower.Com Field will have the USMNT's World Cup qualifier against El Salvador on Jan. 27, with Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, facilitating the Feb. 2 slant versus Honduras.