PORTLAND, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers return to USL First Division action Saturday when they face the Minnesota Thunder on the road at 5:05 p.m. (Pacific). The Timbers are on a USL First Division record 17-game unbeaten streak.
A live broadcast of Saturday’s contest will be available on 95.5 The Game and online at
www.portlandtimbers.com
, with a live video webcast available through USL Live – now a free service at www.usllive.com.
The Timbers are currently tied for second place in the USL First Division with the Puerto Rico Islanders and sit just three points behind the first-place Charleston Battery.
Portland (9-1-8, 35pts) extended its unbeaten run in league play to 17 games with a 0-0 draw against Puerto Rico on July 23, at PGE Park. The Timbers logged their ninth shutout of the season in the match against the Islanders and have held their last two opponents without a goal.
Saturday marks the third and final regular-season match between the Timbers and Thunder (3-9-5, 14pts) this season. Portland is 1-0-1 against Minnesota in 2009, and has out-scored the Thunder 6-2 over the previous two meetings. The two clubs last met July 4, with the Thunder finding the equalizer in second-half stoppage time to end the match in a 1-1 draw. The Timbers are 11-5-12 all-time against the Thunder.
The Timbers will be without the services of midfielder
Tony McManus
against the Thunder due to a league-imposed, one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Portland is 3-1-6 on the road this season and has out-scored its opponents 11-7.
ABOUT MINNESOTA THUNDER
The Thunder had a two-game winning streak snapped in their last mach on July 24, with a 2-1 loss to the Miami FC Blues at home. Minnesota currently sits in 10th place and finished its July schedule with a 2-2-1 record. Following Saturday’s match, the Thunder embark on a five-game road trip, including a stretch of four games in 10 days, before their next home match on Aug. 27 against the Cleveland City Stars.
