After sweeping through Group 5 in the 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions with three straight victories (4-1 over Alpha United on Aug. 19, 4-2 over CD Olimpia on Aug. 16 and 6-0 over Alpha on Sept. 23), the Portland Timbers are in the driver's seat heading into Tuesday's final group stage match against CD Olimpia in Tegucigalpa (7pm PT, FOX Soccer Plus).
The final group match will determine if the Timbers advance to the knockout rounds of the tournament, as a win or draw will see them through.
Portland can also advance with a loss provided that CD Olimpia does not make up Portland’s two-goal lead in head-to-head goal differential. If the match finishes tied on head-to-head goal differential, the team with the most away goals scored in the head-to-head series will be the next tiebreaker. CD Olimpia leads on away goals (2-0), as the result of Portland’s 4-2 win on Sept. 16 at Providence Park. If Portland loses, but ties CD Olimpia on away goals, then total goal differential in all group games is the next tiebreaker. Portland (+11) currently holds the advantage over C.D. Olimpia (+5).
The championship round pits the eight group stage winners in a single-elimination knockout stage that will be held in the spring of 2015 with a home-and-away aggregate score format.
