Workouts will begin in earnest next Tuesday and the delegation will remain in Lisbon until the day of the match. Leiria is a 90-minute bus ride north of the capital.

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While tempting to begin anew with an almost completely fresh squad, the quality of the opponent will require some experience. The extended training window — a week instead of the usual three or four days — will help build cohesion with a group that, for the most part, has not played together. MLS players still competing in the playoffs are likely to remain with their clubs.

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Meantime, the USSF is planning to hold the usual winter camp in the Los Angeles area for MLS players and perhaps a few foreign-based prospects who are granted temporary releases from their clubs. The first FIFA window of 2018 is not until March, so most, if not all, European-based U.S. players are not available in January.

The Americans will culminate the camp with one or two friendlies. In 2017, they played Serbia in San Diego and Jamaica in Chattanooga, Tenn.

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>> Americans abroad Tuesday:

Tim Ream and Luca de la Torre for Fulham vs. Bristol City

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Sheffield United at QPR

Lynden Gooch and Sunderland vs. Bolton

Eric Lichaj and Nottingham Forest at Reading

Tim Weah and PSG U19s vs. Anderlecht in UEFA Youth League

>> MLS’s random playoff calendar continued with two Monday matches: Toronto FC, the Supporters’ Shield winner, won the first leg of its Eastern Conference semifinal against the New York Red Bulls with a 2-1 away victory, while the Houston Dynamo settled for a 0-0 home draw with the Portland Timbers, the Western Conference’s top seeds.

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Sebastian Giovinco’s tiebreaking goal for Toronto:

Both matches required an “announced” tag in front of the attendance figures in stadiums with glaring numbers of empty seats: The Red Bulls announced 18,107, the Dynamo 15,169.

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The field conditions at Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium hindered both teams.

Said Timbers Coach Caleb Porter: “I know they have challenges with regards to [college] football playing on it, but it’s not great in a showcase game like this with two attacking teams to have to play on. It’s just really difficult and unfortunate, but it is what it is.”

>> Emotions will run high tonight in central Ohio, where the Columbus (Austin?) Crew will host New York City FC. ESPN will provide coverage at 8 p.m. ET.

The second legs for three of the four playoff matchups will take place Sunday, the exception being Seattle, which, because of the Seahawks home game this weekend against the Washington Redskins, will host Vancouver on Thursday.

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