MATCH INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, July 25, 2015
Kickoff: 6 p.m. (Pacific)
Location: Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
Forecast: Sunny, 102 degrees
Referee: Ismail Elfath
Assistant Referees: Kermit Quisenberry, Kyle Atkins Fourth Official: Younes Marrakchi
Local TV: ROOT SPORTS
Talent: Keith Bleyer (play-by-play), Ross Smith (analyst)
English Radio: 750 The Game (KXTG 750AM, 102.9FM)
Talent: Jake Zivin (play-by-play), Rob Baarts (analyst)
Spanish Radio: La GranD (KGGD 93.5FM, 1150 AM)
Talent: Josue del Castillo (play-by-play), Ozkar Ramos (analyst)
MATCH PREVIEW
The Timbers enter Saturday’s match against Western Conference-leading FC Dallas just three points behind the Texas side for the top spot in the West. Portland has already registered one win against FC Dallas this season, earning a 3-1 victory at Providence Park on April 4. Portland has tallied a 6-2-1 record in its last nine matches, including a 1-1 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on July 18. Saturday’s match marks the first, and only, trip to face FC Dallas on the road this season at Toyota Stadium. FC Dallas enters Saturday’s match on a four-game winning streak and head coach Oscar Pareja’s side has compiled one of the top home records (7-1-2) in the league this season. FC Dallas has not lost at Toyota Stadium in regular-season play since April 10.
LAST MATCH RECAP
Midfielder Diego Valeri tallied the game’s opening goal and the Timbers re- corded a hard-fought, 1-1 draw against Cascadia-rival Vancouver Whitecaps FC, extending their home unbeaten streak to seven consecutive games in a physical match before a sellout crowd of 21,144 fans at Providence Park on July 18. With the draw, Portland pushed its unbeaten streak at Providence Park to seven straight games, dating back to a scoreless draw against Vancouver on May 2. The Timbers are 6-1-4 overall at home during the 2015 season and improved their record against Western Conference opponents at Providence Park to 17-2-13 overall since 2013. Additionally, Portland has lost just one home game (8-1-6) in its last 15 games in the Rose City dating back to the 2014 season.
LAST TIME VS. FC DALLAS
The Timbers received goals from three players, topping previously unbeaten Western Conference side FC Dallas 3-1 as defender Nat Borchers, forward Maximiliano Urruti and midfielder Diego Chara all scored for the Timbers in front of a sold-out crowd of 21,144 fans on April 4 at Providence Park. Seven different players registered a goal or assist for the Timbers in the match. It was just the third time in the team’s MLS era that the Timbers have seen seven different players record at least one point in a single match (May 17, 2014 vs. Columbus; Aug. 3, 2011 vs. LA Galaxy).
ALL-TIME SERIES NOTES
Saturday’s match against FC Dallas marks the 13th regular-season meeting all- time between the two clubs since 2011. It is the seventh regular-season match at Toyota Stadium since 2011. The Timbers are unbeaten in three consecutive matches against FC Dallas, including a 2-0 win at Toyota Stadium on Oct. 25, 2014 and a 3-1 win on April 4 in the teams’ first meeting of the 2015 season. Portland has scored multiple goals in each of its last three regular-season matches against FC Dallas. The Timbers have lost just one match in their last eight regular-season meetings with FC Dallas (4-1-3). Overall, the Timbers have compiled a 5-3-4 record against FC Dallas since 2011.
Saturday’s match at Toyota Stadium is the last of two regular-season meetings this season between the clubs.
SCOUTING FC DALLAS
FC Dallas enters Saturday’s match in first place on points (35) in the Western Conference standings and has won four straight games, including wins at Toyota Stadium over Eastern Conference sides New England (3-0 on July 4) and D.C. United (2-1 on July 18). Head coach Oscar Pareja’s side has compiled a 7-1-2 overall mark at Toyota Stadium this season with its lone blemish being a 4-0 loss against the Colorado Rapids on April 10. Dynamic winger Fabian Castillo leads the team with eight goals and six assists in 19 appearances, while midfielder Mauro Diaz has registered four goals and six assists. Forward Blas Pérez has tallied five goals in 14 games, but has missed the last several matches while on international duty with Panama at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
GOOD FORM
The Timbers enter Saturday’s game having won six of their last nine matches in MLS regular-season play, compiling a 6-2-1 record during the span. Portland has won seven of its last 12 (7-4-1) league matches heading into the game against FC Dallas. The Timbers put together a five-game winning streak from May 27-June 20.
MAESTRO
Midfielder Diego Valeri has registered at least a goal or an assist in three of the team’s last four regular-season matches, including the go-ahead goal in a 1-1 draw against Vancouver on July 18. The Timbers have compiled a 2-1-1 record during the span. Valeri missed the first eight games of the regular season rehabbing offseason ACL surgery and then missed three games from May 27-June 6 after sustaining a sprained ankle on May 23 at Toronto FC.
BLOCK PARTY
No player in MLS has more blocks this season than Timbers defender Nat Borchers (24). At his current pace, Borchers will finish the season having blocked 38 shots, which would be the most in a season since Opta started tracking MLS stats in 2011.
TIMBERS ACQUIRE MELANO
On July 17, the Timbers announced that the club acquired Argentine forward Lucas Melano, who joins Portland from Argentine first-division side Club Atlético Lanús. Melano joined Lanús in July 2013 and tallied a team-leading five goals in 14 games during the 2015 Argentine Primera División season. The 6-foot- 1 forward made 42 league appearances for the club since 2013, recording eight goals and also helping the side to a championship in the 2013 Copa Sudamericana as one of tournament’s leading scorers. A native of Hernando, Argentina, Melano began his professional career with Argentine first-division club Belgrano, earning his first-team debut on March 17, 2012, after working his way through the club’s youth ranks. Melano recorded seven goals in 44 career league appearances for Belgrano, helping the club qualify for the 2013 Copa Sudamericana competition with a third-place finish in the 2012-13 Torneo Inicial season. At the youth national team level, Melano was named to the Argentina Under-20 National Team roster for the 2013 Campeonato Sudamericano U-20 tournament, appearing in three matches and scoring a goal in a 2-2 draw against Bolivia on Jan. 13, 2013.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
With his next assist, midfielder Jack Jewsbury will move into a tie for 10th place overall on the Timbers all-time career assists chart with Timbers Ring of Honor member Jimmy Conway (1978-80). Jewsbury currently sits in 11th place with 15 assists for Portland since 2011.
Defender Nat Borchers’ next goal will be his 15th career MLS goal. Entering the week, Borchers has netted 14 career goals since 2003, including two with the Timbers. His next goal will also tie a single-season MLS career high (3) set in 2011 with Real Salt Lake.
Midfielder Diego Valeri will make his 75th career MLS appearance for the Timbers on Saturday if he plays against FC Dallas. Valeri has registered MLS Timbers career high marks in goals (23) and assists (30) since joining the team in 2013.
Saturday marks Timbers head coach Caleb Porter’s 90th career MLS regular-season match since taking over as head coach before the start of the 2013 season.
