The Portland Timbers entertain the Puerto Rico Islanders in their regular-season home finale tonight at PGE Park at 7 p.m. Listen to the match live on 750 KXL or watch a live video webcast. Follow in-game updates on Twitter.
Click here for tonight's match notes.
Tonight's Starters:
POR: GK Cronin, D Joy, D Smith, D Keel, D Purdy, M Marcelin, M Pore, M Savage, M Claesson, F Muhamadu, F Dike
PRI: GK Gaudette, D Martinez, D Velez, D Hourst, D Villaroel, M Salem, M Daniel, M Teleford, F Foley, F Addlery, F Hansen
Match Preview:
The Portland Timbers play host to the Puerto Rico Islanders in their 2010 regular-season home finale at PGE Park. Tonight’s match wraps up a three-game homestand and kicks off the Timbers’ final month of the 2010 USSF Division-2 Pro League regular season.
The Timbers are on a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2), including a 3-0 shut-out victory in their last match against Crystal Palace Baltimore on Aug. 29, at PGE Park. Portland is unbeaten in its last six league matches at home and has not lost a match at PGE Park since June 17 against the NSC Minnesota Stars.
With the win last week over Baltimore, the Timbers became the third team in the league to reach the 10-win mark. Midfielder
Ryan Pore
scored one goal, while forward
Bright Dike
recorded two in the victory. Either Pore or Dike has scored each of the Timbers last eight goals.
Portland remains in third place in the USL Conference – a position they’ve maintained since July 28 – and sits fourth overall in the league table. The top eight teams in the league advance to the postseason, with the two conference winners occupying the top two seeds.
Portland’s defense is tied for second in the league, along with the first-place Rochester Rhinos, in fewest goals allowed with 20.
The Timbers and Islanders (8-7-8, 32pts) square off for the first time this season and in the first of two matchups over the final month of the regular season. Portland is 6-4-3 against Puerto Rico since the Islanders joined the league in 2005, including a 5-1-1 mark at PGE Park. Last season, the Timbers were 2-0-1 against the Islanders, which included a scoreless draw in their only meeting at PGE Park on July 23, 2009.
The Timbers will play each of their remaining four regular-season contests on the road, starting Saturday, Sept. 11 at Carolina RailHawks at 4 p.m. (Pacific).
