PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers U-23s play host to Cascadia-rival Seattle Sounders FC U-23 in the Premier Development League (PDL) Northwest Division playoffs on Sunday, July 19, at Merlo Field on the campus of the University of Portland; kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. (Pacific).
The match will be the first of a doubleheader at Merlo Field on Sunday. Following the Timbers U-23s playoff game, USL side T2 will face Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 at 7 p.m. (Pacific). One ticket will be valid for both matches. Gates are scheduled to open at 2:30 p.m. (Pacific) for the Timbers U-23s match.
Portland (6-2-4, 22pts) finished the regular season in second place in the Northwest Division after amassing an unbeaten streak of seven straight games (4-0-3) from June 2-28. Timbers U-23s midfielder Ben White finished with a team-high four goals as well as one assist in 12 games played during the regular season, while fellow midfielder Todd Wharton tallied three goals and one assist. Goalkeeper Collin Partee finished the regular-season schedule ranked ninth among PDL goalkeepers with four shutouts in seven appearances, while also recording a 0.43 goals-against average, allowing just three goals in seven games played.
The Timbers U-23s earned two wins over Seattle during the 2015 regular season, registering a 1-0 shutout on June 21 and a 2-0 win on June 26. Since joining the PDL in 2009, Portland has faced Seattle 16 times, compiling a 12-3-1 overall mark. The Timbers U-23s have recorded 31 goals and nine shutouts against Sounders FC U-23 since 2009 and have not suffered a loss since 2012. In their last matchup, Wharton earned PDL Player of the Week honors after tallying a brace for the Timbers U-23s in the 2-0 win on June 26.
Seattle (7-4-1, 22pts) finished the regular season ranked third in the Northwest Division and enter Sunday’s playoff match following a 1-0 loss to division-leader Kitsap Pumas in the last regular-season game Wednesday at Gordon Field in Bremerton, Wash. Sounders FC U-23 forward Guillermo Delgado leads the side with five goals and one assist in 12 games, while midfielder Brandt Bronico has recorded four goals and three assists.
Following Sunday’s match, the winner of the Northwest Division playoff will advance to the four-team PDL Western Conference Championship from July 24-26.
