COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two years after his youth team beat the Portland Timbers in a game put together by the Timbers and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, kidney cancer survivor Atticus Lane-Dupre and his family are traveling to Columbus, Ohio to watch Sunday's MLS Cup Final.

In 2013, Lane-Dupre, who was eight-years-old at the time, had his Make-A-Wish request granted when his youth squad, the Green Machine, beat the Timbers 10-9 in a small-sided game at then Jeld-Wen Field.

Atticus Lane-Dupre kicks the ball around with Ben Zemanski and Rodney Wallace before training leading up to the MLS Cup final against the Columbus Crew, Dec. 5, 2015, at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Thomas Boyd/Staff

Timbers owner Merritt Paulson announced on Twitter this week that Lane-Dupre, who remains cancer-free, would be traveling to Columbus to watch the Timbers take on the Crew in the MLS Cup Final.

So Atticus (& family) are heading to the game this weekend which has me pumped. Still one of my fav all time Timbers memories was his day. — Merritt Paulson (@MerrittPaulson) December 3, 2015

The Timbers have been in the news a lot this week as they prepare for their first-ever MLS Cup Final.

Sports Illustrated's Brian Straus wrote a lengthy story about Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson working hard to rebuild the Timbers into a title-contending squad, despite plenty of vitriol from passionate fans.

The Seattle Times' Matt Pentz took a look at how the Timbers rebounded this season after missing playoffs in 2014.

ESPN's Jeff Carlisle took a look at Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri's recovery from an ACL tear and how Portland's formation has brought out the best in him.

MLSsoccer.com wrote about Caleb Porter's legacy at the University of Akron and his return to Ohio for the MLS Cup Final.

The New York Times examined how Portland's formation change has brought out the best in Darlington Nagbe.

The Oregonian/OregonLive has been on the ground in Columbus as well this week leading up to Sunday's MLS Cup Final.

Among the articles that we've published this week are stories looking at Portland's focus on hard work, rather than destiny, the meaning of the Timbers becoming the first Cascadia team in the MLS Cup Final, Kei Kamara's evaluation of the Timbers' back line, how Porter's vision for the club is coming to fruition and what it would mean for long-time Timbers fans to watch their club earn its first league title in the franchise's 40-year history.

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg