COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Columbus Crew SC coach Gregg Berhalter says that the lessons learned from his side's 2-1 loss to fellow MLS Cup finalist Portland Timbers in the lone meeting between the clubs during the regular season could pay off in Sunday's championship match (4 p.m. ET, ESPN/WatchESPN).
"It certainly plays a factor in our minds," Berhalter, when asked about that Sept. 26 defeat, told reporters at a news conference on Friday. "We've analyzed that game and we know what we could've done better."
Timbers striker Fanendo Adi scored twice in that match, while Kei Kamara got Crew SC's lone goal. Both forwards are focal points ahead of Sunday's title decider, but Berhalter also warned not to read too much into a game that happened more than two months ago.
"I think they are two different teams now," the second-year boss said. "[Portland] always had a good team, it's a team that I admire a lot. They have a lot of quality players and they're dangerous. They've had a good defensive record all year, and as their offense started clicking they started getting more results and figuring out their identity a bit more.
"I've enjoyed watching them in the playoffs and the latter stages of the season. It's going to be a good game. I think the fans are going to be entertained and I think they'll see high-quality soccer."
The Timbers have improved offensively of late; they averaged just 1.2 goals per match during the 34-game regular season, but Portland has scored nine times in five playoff games so far.
Columbus has also gotten better, according to Berhalter. While his side conceded more goals than all but five of the league's 20 teams during the regular season, Crew SC limited the powerful New York Red Bulls to just one over two legs en route to the final.
"We've progressed as well," Berhalter said. "We were patient with the process, we've kept developing and to be honest we're not fully developed.
"We still want to improve," he added. "For me, that's the mindset of the players and that's the strength of the players. They always want more and they're never satisfied. When I witness the determination that this group has had, specifically in the last two months of the season until now, it's been fascinating. I'm really proud of the guys and the way they've responded and grown as a team."