Timbers U-23s face two road matches this week

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers U-23s face back-to-back road games this week as they continue their four-game road stretch. The team visits the Washington Crossfire on Wednesday at Redmond High School at 7 p.m. (Pacific) and then the Sounders FC U-23 at Tumwater High School on Sunday at 2 p.m. (Pacific).

The Timbers U-23s (4-0-1, 13pts) are on a five-match unbeaten run to open the 2013 Premier Development League (PDL) season and enter the week on top of the Northwest Division.

Portland goalkeeper David Meves leads the PDL with four shutouts, and the team has not allowed a goal in 292 consecutive minutes of league play dating back to May 18.

The Timbers U-23s and Crossfire will square off at Redmond High School in Redmond, Wash., in the first of two regular-season meetings between the two teams. In 2012, the Timbers U-23s finished the season series with a 2-1-0 record against Crossfire and are 5-3-1 overall in the all-time series. The Timbers U-23s will play host to Crossfire on Friday, June 28.

Portland will visit Tumwater High School in Tumwater, Wash., for a second straight season to take on Sounders FC U-23; it is the second of three regular-season meetings between the two sides. The Timbers U-23s defeated Sounders FC U-23 2-0 in their PDL season opener with goals from midfielder Eric Miller and forward Zack Foxhoven on either side of halftime. Sounders FC U-23 will visit Oregon in the regular-season finale for both teams on Tuesday, July 16.

The Crossfire (0-2-1, 1pt) play host to the Timbers U-23s looking for their first win of the 2013 campaign. Washington picked up a point in a 1-1 draw against the Kitsap Pumas on May 28. The team has allowed only three goals on the season, second-fewest in the division, but has scored just one goal in its first three games.

Sounders FC U-23 (2-2-1, 7pts) are unbeaten in their last three matches, including a 1-0 victory against Washington in their last match on May 31. The team sits in fourth place in the Northwest Division, and is led by forwards Miles Byass and Aodhan Quinn as the its leading scorers with two goals each.