PORTLAND
, Ore. -
The Portland Timbers look to maintain their unbeaten record at home on Thursday when they meet the Atlanta Silverbacks at PGE Park at 7 p.m. Through 10 matches at home this season, the Timbers are 7-0-3.
The Timbers (11-3-3, 36pts) have won seven of their last eight matches, including a franchise record seven-game winning streak, to move into first place in the USL First Division. Portland suffered just its third loss of the season, a 2-0 shutout, to the Charleston Battery on July 22.
Rookie forward
Bryan Jordan
will not be available for the Timbers on Thursday. He will serve a one-game, league-imposed suspension for being ejected from Portland’s match in Charleston on Sunday. Jordan received two yellow cards within a span of 20 minutes after entering the match as a substitute in the second half.
Portland is unbeaten at PGE Park this season and remains the only team in the USL First Division to have not lost a match at home. At PGE Park, the Timbers have outscored opponents 18-6 and recorded five shutouts.
Thursday’s match concludes the two-game season series between the Timbers and Atlanta (7-7-4, 24pts). In the first meeting on July 21, the Timbers recorded a 1-0 win in Atlanta to extend their winning streak to seven matches. Portland forward
Chris Bagley
scored his first goal of the season in the 66th minute for the win.
The all-time series between the two clubs is tied at 3-3-0. At PGE Park, the Timbers are 1-1-0 all-time against the Silverbacks.
The Timbers host two matches this week at PGE Park. On Saturday, Portland faces England’s Preston North End in The Oregonian Timbers vs. Preston North End Exhibition presented by Widmer at 7 p.m. One of oldest clubs in England, Preston North End finished last season just one point away from a promotional playoff berth for the chance to be promoted into the English Premier League.
Tickets for both matches are available at the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster outlets, online at
www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at (503) 224-4400.
ABOUT ATLANTA SILVERBACKS
After a four-game winning streak, the Silverbacks have lost their last two matches including a 1-0 loss to the Timbers on July 21 in Atlanta. Thursday’s match concludes Atlanta’s July schedule and it faces a six-game August schedule with only two of those matches at home. Former Timbers forward Dan Antoniuk leads the Silverbacks in scoring with six goals and eight assists for 20 points. His eight assists leads the league in that category.
New Atlanta forward Anthony Wolfe made his USL First Division debut against the Timbers on July 21 in Atlanta. Wolfe, 23, was a member of Trinidad & Tobago 2006 World Cup roster and has five caps at the international level.
Atlanta returns home for its next match against the Charleston Battery on August 4 at Silverbacks Stadium.
