PORTLAND, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers U-23s conclude their 2010 Premier Development League regular-season schedule with a two-game road trip, facing the Victoria Highlanders on Saturday at 7 p.m. before playing the Kitsap Pumas in their regular-season finale Sunday at 5 p.m.
The first-place Timbers U-23s finish their second season in the PDL with matches on back-to-back nights against teams still in the playoff hunt. Kitsap, along with Victoria and the Tacoma Tide, are in a three-team battle for the division’s second and final playoff berth.
The Timbers U-23s (14-0-0, 42pts) clinched the Northwest Division title and continued their team-record, 14-game winning streak with a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency on July 11 at PGE Park. With two games remaining on their schedule, the Timbers U-23s aim to become the first team in the PDL to record an undefeated season since 2000.
Midfielder
Bim Ogunyemi
recorded two assists in the Timbers U-23s’ victory over the Whitecaps Residency last weekend. For his efforts, he was named to the PDL Team of the Week. Ogunyemi becomes the fourth Portland player to earn team of the week honors in 2010, joining goalkeeper
Jake
Gleeson
, defender
Ryan Kawulok
and forward
Brent Richards
.
The Timbers U-23s take on the Highlanders (7-3-3, 24pts) for the second time this season. On May 30, the Timbers U-23s took advantage of a pair of own goals by Victoria to secure a 4-0 win at PGE Park. The Timbers U-23s are 2-0-1 against the Highlanders since joining the PDL in 2009, including a 2-1 win in Victoria last season at Bear Mountain Stadium.
Portland heads to Bremerton, Wash., on Sunday to wrap up a two-game, regular-season series with the second-place Pumas (10-1-2, 32pts). In their previous meeting, the Timbers U-23s handed Kitsap its first loss of the season with a 3-0 win at Hare Field. Midfielder
Freddie Braun
logged two assists to aid in the team’s first victory over the Pumas. The Timbers U-23s were dealt a 1-0 loss in their last visit to Kitsap in 2009.
By winning the division title, the Timbers U-23s advance to the playoffs for a second straight season and will open postseason play July 30; details will be announced in the coming weeks.
