St Louis City will look to snap a brutal run of form when they host the Portland Timbers at Energizer Park on Sunday, hoping to avoid matching the longest losing streak in their short MLS history. After three straight league defeats, the pressure is mounting on David Critchley’s side to turn things around—especially in front of their home fans.

Last weekend's 3-2 defeat at Real Salt Lake summed up St Louis’s season so far: spirited going forward, but far too vulnerable defensively. The club has now gone 17 league matches with just one win, and their points total at this stage (15 from 21 games) is seven fewer than this time last season. Still, if there’s any comfort, it’s that the majority of their limited success this year has come at home, where they’ve earned 10 of those 15 points.

That said, dropping leads at home has been another frustrating theme. St Louis have scored first in three matches at Energizer Park only to let the result slip away. A similar collapse could prove costly against a Portland Timbers side that is quietly climbing the Western Conference table.

Phil Neville’s Timbers are in far better form, with points from four of their last five league outings and three wins during that span. While their home performances have carried the team—unbeaten in 10 at Providence Park—their away form remains patchy. They have not scored in any of their last three away games and have gone winless in four on the road.

Still, Portland will arrive with confidence, knowing they’ve never lost away to St Louis in MLS play. Though injury issues persist—Jonathan Rodriguez, Antony, and Ariel Lassiter all remain sidelined—they boast enough firepower to threaten. David Costa and Ian Smith each found the net in their most recent win against New England and could be difference-makers again.

For the hosts, the continued absence of key players like Eduard Lowen and Joakim Nilsson only deepens the challenge. Klauss remains their most consistent attacking outlet, but he’ll need help if St Louis are to halt their slide.

Ultimately, while St Louis may show fight at home, Portland’s superior depth and experience should tip the balance in their favor.

周日，圣路易斯市将在劲量公园主场迎战波特兰森林队，希望能避免在短时间内创下美国职业大联盟历史上最长的连败纪录。在联赛三连败之后，大卫·克里奇利的球队面临着扭转局面的压力，尤其是在他们的主场球迷面前。

上周末3-2输给皇家盐湖城的比赛总结了圣路易到目前为止的赛季：斗志昂起，但防守太脆弱。迄今为止，球队已经进行了17场联赛，只取得了1场胜利，他们的总积分（21场15分）比上赛季同期少了7分。不过，如果说有什么安慰的话，那就是他们今年有限的成功大部分都是在主场取得的，他们在主场获得了这15分中的10分。

话虽如此，在主场丢掉领先优势一直是另一个令人沮丧的主题。圣路易斯市在劲量公园球场的三场比赛中都取得了第一名，但结果却被拱手相让。在对阵波特兰森林队的比赛中，类似的失败可能会让球队付出高昂的代价，而波特兰森林队正在悄悄攀升西部排名。

菲尔·内维尔的森林人的状态要好得多，他们在最近5场联赛中4场拿到了积分，并且在这段时间里取得了3场胜利。虽然他们的主场表现让球队在普罗维登斯公园球场保持了10场不败，但他们的客场状态仍然参差不齐。他们在最近的三场客场比赛中一球未进，四场客场比赛一胜未负。

尽管如此，波特兰将充满信心地抵达，因为他们知道他们从未在大联盟比赛中输给过圣路易斯。尽管伤病问题依然存在——乔纳森·罗德里格斯、安东尼和阿里尔·拉斯特都没有上场——但他们拥有足够的火力来构成威胁。大卫·科斯塔和伊恩·史密斯在他们最近一次战胜新英格兰队的比赛中都有进球，他们有可能再次成为改变局面的人。

对于东道主来说，像爱德华·罗文和乔金·尼尔森这样的关键球员的持续缺席只会加剧挑战。克劳斯仍然是他们最稳定的进攻出口，但如果圣路易斯想要阻止他们的下滑，他需要帮助。

最终，虽然圣路易斯可能会在主场表现出战斗力，但开拓者的深度和经验应该会对他们有利。