COLUMBUS, Ohio – Portland Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey is feeling confident ahead of Sunday's MLS Cup Final against Columbus Crew SC (1pm PT, ESPN).
The Ghanaian international is well aware of the stakes of Sunday's match – what it means to the organization, the city, the fans. But the World Cup and Norwegian Tippeligaen veteran says that while this match feels like just another game for him, it's also one that he desperately wants to win.
“I've played a lot of big games before and this one isn't any different. I'm looking forward to it and hopefully I can add another big achievement to my career,” he said.
“This is the final so it's over after this,” he added. “I don't want to go off the pitch on Sunday as number two...At the end of this one there will be a trophy to lift and we all want that. There's no option for us: we want to win.”
In his four starts so far this postseason, Kwarasey has led the Timbers back line to a series-clinching shutout against rivals Vancouver Whitecaps FC and made big stop after big stop against some of the best attacking players in MLS.
No save, of course, was bigger than Kwarasey's penalty kick shoot-out save of Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jon Kempin. In the 11th and final round of that shoot-out, Kwarasey dove to his right and parried Kempin's hard effort out to help the Timbers advance to the next round of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs.
That penalty kick shoot-out result buoyed this Timbers team, Kwarasey says, and imbued it with the belief that anything was possible.
“We spoke about it for seven-plus days and it kind of gave us the belief that we can go all the way because a ball hitting the post twice and not going in is like it's meant to be,” he said, adding, “So it gave us a lot of energy.”
The Timbers enter MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday confident that they'll be able to win the first championship trophy in franchise history. Fortunately for this Timbers side, it's a situation very similar to the one they encountered when they traveled to Columbus back in September.
“It gives us a lot of confidence because it shows us that it's possible,” Kwarasey said about the Timbers 2-1 victory over Crew SC in September. “The same way that we had to win that game, they had to win that game. And we were still able to beat them with their strongest team. They didn't miss any players and that of course gives us the belief that we can do it again on Sunday because it's the same two teams that meet again.”
This is the business-like attitude that's permeated this Timbers team throughout the season and their playoff run. The final stretch of results, which ultimately saw the Timbers finish third in the Western Conference, has brought this team closer together and made training and playing together – in Kwarasey's words – “fun.”
“It's just a lot of happiness and a lot of happy players and players with a good mood and players spreading a positive energy that maybe also helps us on the pitch because we care for each other.”
