Pre-match Preview: CITY SC hosting Portland for first home match of July

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Matrix Midwest) - St. Louis CITY SC will return to Energizer Park this weekend to host Portland Timbers FC for its first home match of July.

Last weekend, CITY fell 3-2 to Real Salt Lake, extending its winless streak to five matches.

RSL took an early 2-0 advantage in the first half. Despite a comeback effort by St. Louis in the second 45, it proved to be too much of an uphill climb.

St. Louis has again failed to move in the standings, sitting at No. 15 in the Western Conference with 15 points. The loss to Salt Lake was its 12th of the season, the second-most in MLS.

This weekend, CITY will face the same club that initiated this recent weeks-long slump in early June.

The Timbers Rematch

Portland and St. Louis will face each other for the second time this season and the seventh time in history this weekend, with the all-time record at an even 2-2-2.

The Timbers are fourth in the Western Conference and one of five teams to pass the 30-point mark.

In the nicest way possible, this Portland side represents what CITY hoped it would look like at the start of the season. Their goal scoring is well spread out, with four players tallying at least four goals this year. Forward Antony Alves Santos, known as “Antony,” leads the club with a total of seven.

On the other hand, João Klauss is the only St. Louis player to surpass the four-goal mark.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

The two figures that stand out the most in this matchup are points-per-game and goal timing. But neither provides much relief for St. Louis fans.

Portland averages 1.65 points per game to St. Louis‘s 0.71. But what’s more troubling is the split between home and away matches.

Across all of Portland’s away matches, the club averages 1.22 points per game. This is not only outperforming the league average, but it also trumps St. Louis’s points per game...at home (1.00). So, it’s fair to say that Portland performs better on the road than St. Louis does at Energizer Park.

When it comes to the timing of goals scored and conceded for each club, St. Louis is also at a disadvantage. Portland has scored 60 percent of its goals in the second half this season. Meanwhile, 65 percent of the goals CITY has conceded in 2025 have also come in the second half.

This was evident in the last meeting between these two in June. After playing to a 0-0 draw at halftime, Portland scored twice in the second half to secure a win. So, the second half seems to be the ‘make or break’ portion of the match for both clubs.

Kick-off is set for 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, at Energizer Park.

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