San Diego FC opens the Major League Soccer playoffs on Sunday night at Snapdragon Stadium, for Game 1 of a best-of-three series against the Portland Timbers.

SDFC was the first MLS club to clinch a playoff spot, ultimately finishing first in the Western Conference and getting home-field advantage through the conference finals. Portland was eighth and needed to win a play-in game on Wednesday night just to get here.

SDFC won 4-0 at Portland just last weekend in the regular-season finale, and the Timbers are coming off a mid-week game and has to travel.

And they have the 24th-ranked offense in MLS. And only two wins in the last three months. And are eight days removed from expletive-laced chants from their supporters’ group and calls for coach Phil Neville’s immediate dismissal.

How har

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