PORTLAND, Ore. -
The Portland Timbers end a 12-day layoff and return to USL First Division action when they play host to the Miami FC Blues on Thursday at PGE Park at 7 p.m. live on FSN. Starting Thursday, the Timbers will play four of their last five regular-season matches over the next eight days.
Portland will be without defender
Cameron Knowles
on Thursday due to a one-game, league-imposed suspension for yellow card accumulation. Knowles was issued his fifth caution of the season in the Timbers' last match on Aug. 22 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The one-game suspension ends Knowles' streak of 57 consecutive appearances in league matches with Portland.
The Timbers (6-9-10, 28pts) are currently in a two-way tie for ninth place with Miami in the USL First Division standings but have a game in hand. Both Portland and Miami are four points behind the Atlanta Silverbacks, who hold the final playoff spot in seventh place.
In two previous matches against Miami (6-10-10, 28pts) this season, the Timers have a record of 0-1-1. The Blues handed the Timbers a 2-0 loss at PGE Park on May 26 in a match that saw Portland forward Takayuki Suzuki sent off with his second caution right before halftime. The two sides played to a scoreless draw May 18 in Miami. Thursday's contest marks the third and final regular-season match between the two sides this season.
Tickets for the Timbers match against Miami, starting at $11, are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster locations, online at
www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at (503) 224-4400.
Thursday’s match will be broadcast live on FSN, and an live audio broadcast will be available online at
www.portlandtimbers.com
. A live video webcast will be available through USL Live at www.usllive.com.
Following Thursday’s match, the Timbers begin a two-game road trip against the Rochester Rhinos on Saturday at 4:35 p.m. (Pacific) and then face the Montreal Impact on Monday, Sept. 8 at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific).
ABOUT MIAMI FC BLUES
The Miami FC Blues are coming off a pair of matches against the Minnesota Thunder over the weekend at home. On Aug. 29, the Blues suffered a 2-1 loss to the Thunder in which three Miami players were ejected from the match. The two sides played to a 1-1 draw on Aug. 31. Miami has a record of 1-2-2 over its last five matches, with its lone win coming against the Charleston Battery on Aug. 24. Miami forward Alex Afonso has scored 14 of the team's 26 goals on the year. The Blues begin their final road trip of the season on Thursday in Portland and will visit the Seattle Sounders on Saturday before returning home for their final two matches of the season. Miami is just 2-5-6 on the road in 2008.
