The Portland Timbers and Carolina RailHawks square off tonight at PGE Park at 7 p.m. Both teams are in the hunt for a 2008 playoff berth. Listen to tonight's match live at portlandtimbers.com or view a live video webcast through USL Live.
Click here for tonight's match notes.
Starting Lineup:
POR: GK Knighton, D Knowles, D J. Thompson, D S. Thompson, D Griffin, M Guante, M Higgins, M Poltl, M Brown, F Oka, F Olum
CAR: GK McClellan, D Low, D Stokes, D Segovia, D Sanfilippo, M Nunez, M Solle, M Watson, M Fusilier, F Diallo, F Antoniuk
Match Preview:
The Portland Timbers take on the RailHawks for the second time this season tonight at PGE Park as they wrap up their schedule for the month of July. In league play, the Timbers seek their first win of the month tonight against Carolina and are 0-2-1 in three games in July. In total, the Timbers have played seven matches this month, including exhibition matches against Mexican clubs Morelia and U.A.N.L. Tigres.
The Timbers are coming off a tough two-game road trip against Atlanta and Charleston on back-to-back nights. Portland has lost two of its last three games and has scored just one goal in that span.
In sixth place in the USL First Division, the Timbers are just nine points behind the table-leading Charleston Battery. Portland sits just two points above Carolina and Miami FC and only a single point ahead of Atlanta. The top seven teams in the league advance to the postseason.
Portland is 1-1-1 all-time against Carolina, which joined the USL First Division in 2007. In three previous matches against the RailHawks, the Timbers have allowed just one goal and recorded two shutouts. In their first meeting this season, the RailHawks captured a 1-0 win in Carolina on a third-minute goal by Martin Nuñez. The two sides end the season series on Sept. 20 in Carolina.
Last season at PGE Park, the two sides played to a 0-0 draw on May 27 despite the Timbers' one-man advantage after former RailHawks midfielder Jonny Steele was ejected in the 38th minute.
Thursday marks the first time that new Timbers forward Jamil Walker will face his former club since he was acquired by Portland in a trade on July 9. Walker logged one goal and one assist in 11 matches for the RailHawks to start the 2008 season.
