The Portland Timbers face the Austin Aztex, who hold the best record in the USSF Division-2 Pro League, tonight at 5:30 p.m. (Pacific). Listen to tonight's match on 95.5 The Game (pre-game show begins at 5 p.m. with John Strong) or watch it live online. Follow in-game updates via Twitter.
Click here for tonight's match notes.
Tonight's Starters:
POR:
AUS:
Match Preview:
The Portland Timbers open a two-game road trip tonight as they continue a run of three games in seven days this week. Tonight’s contest is the team’s only trip to Austin during the 2010 regular season.
Last weekend, the Timbers battled the Carolina RailHawks to a 1-1 draw at PGE Park; Portland out-shot Carolina 16-7 in the contest. The draw snapped a string of consecutive losses in league play and was the Timbers’ first point since May 15. Portland ends its stretch of three games in seven days Saturday in Miami.
With the matchup against Austin, the Timbers reach the 10-game mark in the 2010 campaign. At a record of 3-3-3 (12pts), the Timbers sit in fourth place in the USL Conference of the USSF Division-2 Pro League, and are just six points back of Tampa Bay in second place in the conference.
Tonight’s match marks the Timbers third road fixture of the season. In their previous two away contests (4/25 @Montreal and 5/22 @Baltimore), the Timbers were able to claim the lead, but conceded late goals to post a 0-1-1 road record.
The Timbers and Aztex open a two-game, regular season series tonight. In 2009, the Timbers earned a pair of wins in Austin to record a 2-1-0 mark against the Aztex. On July 11, midfielder
Johan Claesson
scored a last-minute goal to seal a 2-1 victory in Texas. Defender
Stephen
Keel
tallied his first goal since 2006 to secure a 1-0 win in the Timbers’ second trip to Austin on Sept. 7. The 2010 season series ends Aug. 26 in the Rose City.
The Timbers conclude continue their travels on Saturday against the Miami FC Blues at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific). Portland returns home early next week as they play host to the Sonoma County Sol in the first round of the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, June 15 at PGE Park.
