The first-place Timbers play their final road fixture of the 2009 regular season tonight against the Austin Aztex at 4 p.m. (Pacific). Listen to the match live on 95.5 The Game or watch it through USL Live. Also get live updates via Twitter.
Fans can watch tonight's match live at the all-ages Heineken Viewing Party at the The Agency Ultra Sports Lounge, located across the street from PGE Park - click here for details.
Click here for tonight's match notes.
Tonight's Starters:
POR:
AUS:
Match Preview:
The Portland Timbers open a home-and-home set this week against the Austin Aztex with their final road fixture of the 2009 regular season tonight at Nelson Field. Portland and Austin meet for just the second time this season.
Portland continues its busy September schedule, playing its final four regular-season games - including tonight's contest - over the next 11 days.
The Timbers (14-2-10, 52pts) enter the week in first place in the USL First Division with a three-point lead and a game in hand over the second-place Carolina RailHawks. With four games remaining on its 2009 schedule, Portland’s magic number to secure first place and the 2009 regular-season championship is seven points.
With a 2-1 loss last week to the Rochester Rhinos, the Timbers had their USL First Division-record 24-game unbeaten streak come to an end. It was the team's first league loss since the season-opener on April 25 and the Timbers' first loss at home to a USL First Division opponent since Sept. 11, 2008. During the Timbers' 24-game unbeaten streak, they recorded 14 wins, 12 shutouts and out-scored opponents, 40-13.
In the loss to Rochester, midfielder Ryan Pore scored recorded his 10th goal of the season. Pore has scored in seven of the Timbers' last eight matches, with six of those coming in consecutive games from Aug. 1-22 - a new modern-franchise record for scoring in consecutive matches.
Tonight's contest is the second of three scheduled games between the Timbers and Aztex in 2009. Portland claimed a 2-1 win in the first-ever matchup between the two sides on July 11. After forward Mandjou Keita put the Timbers ahead 1-0 in the 14th minute, Austin's Gifton Noel-Williams leveled the score in the 90th minute off a corner kick. Moments later, midfielder Johan Claesson delivered the game-winning strike in second-half stoppage time to secure the road victory.
The Timbers are 1-0-1 against USL First Division expansion teams this season. Under head third-year head coach Gavin Wilkinson, the Timbers are 7-0-2 overall against expansion sides in their inaugural seasons.
Injury update: Claesson, who has missed the Timbers' previous five matches due to injury, is listed as day-to-day. Defender Cameron Dunn continues his recovery from a knee injury suffered against the Rhinos on Aug. 15.
The Timbers play host to the Aztex on Friday at PGE Park as the two clubs close out their 2009 season series; kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
