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Two of the smallest markets in MLS take the biggest stage Sunday, as Columbus and Portland meet for MLS Cup at Mapfre Stadium in Ohio.
The Timbers, known for having a strong supporters section away from home, are going all-out for the Cup. The allotted 900 tickets for Timbers fans sold out in four minutes, and their log-splitting mascot Timber Joey made the over 2,000 mile drive with a giant log.
For the Crew, who made their only other Cup appearance in 2008, there are bigger concerns. Kei Kamara, whose 25 goals lead MLS, suffered a knock in training yesterday. Crew manager Gregg Berhalter believes he will play, but it’s not a good sign against a tough Timbers defense. Portland conceded only 39 goals this season, less than any team in the Eastern Conference.
This is the first MLS Cup appearance for Portland, who will be the third expansion franchise to play in the game. Their scoring is led by Fenando Adi, who scored 16 goals for Timbers during the regular season.
MLS Cup kicks off at 4 p.m. Eastern, and will be broadcast on ESPN in the US and Sky Sports 1 in the UK. There are several ways to watch the game online, including a free trial for U.S. viewers from Sling TV.
Here’s how to watch online and on mobile:
Watch MLS Cup Online
Users in the United States without a cable subscription can watch the game through Sling TV, an online streaming service that provides access to a handful of channels (including ESPN, TBS and TNT) for a monthly fee. The service’s Best of Live TV package costs $20 a month. But if you’re looking for a way to watch a week’s worth of games for free, you can do so with Sling’s free 7-day trial. Click here to sign up for Sling TV. You’ll need to enter your credit card information when signing up, but if you cancel your subscription before the trial period ends, you will not be charged.
If you have the log-in info for a cable subscription with access to Watch ESPN, you can watch the game at WatchESPN.com. You’ll need a cable log-in and password, or the log-in and password of someone you know, to access the stream.
In the United Kingdom, the match is being shown on Sky Sports. Sky Go is an available service to Sky customers. You’ll need the log-in and password for a satellite subscription — either yours or someone else’s — to access the stream.
For International viewers: If you have access to a cable or satellite subscription — either yours or someone else’s — you can watch the match online on your respective local providers. Please click here for a listing of local providers in your home country.
Watch MLS CUP on Mobile
Users with a subscription to Sling TV can watch it on Sling’s app, which can be downloaded for free in the App store or the Google Play store. The service’s Best of Live TV package costs $20 a month. But if you’re looking for a way to watch a week’s worth of games for free, you can do so with Sling’s free 7-day trial. Click here to sign up for Sling TV. You’ll need to enter your credit card information when signing up, but if you cancel your subscription before the trial period ends, you will not be charged.
Mobile and tablet users with access to Watch ESPN can watch the game on the Watch ESPN app. As is the case with desktop, you’ll need the log-in for a cable subscription with access to ESPN. You can download the app for free in the App Store , the Google Play store, the Amazon App store or the Windows Store.
Mobile users in the UK can watch the game on the Sky GO app, which is free to download from the App Store or Google Play store. You’ll need a satellite subscription and log-in details to access the stream.
For International Viewers: Click here to find your local provider for the match.