PORTLAND
, Ore. –
After clinching a 2007 USL First Division playoff berth last week, the Portland Timbers play host to the Charleston Battery in their regular-season home finale on Jersey-Off-Our-Back Night on Thursday at PGE Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m
On Jersey-Off-Our-Back Night, fans have opportunity to take home their favorite Timbers player jersey through a silent auction held before and during the game. Proceeds from the second-annual auction will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The fan with the winning bid will be personally presented their player’s autographed jersey after the game. Last season, Jersey-Off-Our-Back Night raised nearly $3,000. The first 2,000 fans on a Miller Lite Thursday presented by Jammin’ 95.5 will receive a Timbers cap courtesy of Volkswagen.
With a 7-0-6 record in home matches at PGE Park this season Portland will attempt to become just the third team in USL First Division history to record an unbeaten record at home since the tie was adopted in 2000. The last team to accomplish the feat was the Rochester Raging Rhinos (11-0-3) in 2001; the Seattle Sounders went 12-0-2 in 2000.
The Timbers are coming off a 2-2 draw on the road against the Minnesota Thunder on Aug. 16, which allowed them to become the first team in the USL First Division to earn a spot in the postseason. Forward
Matt Taylor
recorded a goal and an assist while forward
Jaime Ambriz
scored his first goal for the Timbers in the contest. After Thursday, the Timbers finish the 2007 regular season with four consecutive road matches.
Portland is 3-3-0 all-time against the Battery and 2-1-0 against Charleston at PGE Park. Earlier this season, the Battery (8-10-5, 29pts) ended the Timbers’ franchise record seven-match winning streak with a 2-0 win in Charleston on July 22. Charleston features the Timbers’ modern franchise all-time leading scorer,
Byron Alvarez
, who recorded 41 goals and nine assists in four seasons in Portland. Alvarez leads the Battery in scoring this season with eight goals in 18 matches.
Tickets for Thursday’s regular-season home finale, starting at $10, are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (503) 224-4400. Timbers playoff tickets go on sale to the public on Thursday at 10 a.m.
ABOUT CHARLESTON BATTERY
Charleston is 1-2-0 in the month of August and starts a three-game trip to the Northwest on Thursday against the Timbers. In their last match on Aug. 14, the Battery fell 3-0 to the Carolina RailHawks as they attempt to hold on to the eighth and final USL First Division playoff spot. Having lost their last six consecutive away matches, the Battery are 2-7-1 on the road this season. After Thursday, Charleston heads north to face the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday and then Seattle on Sunday to end its August schedule. The Battery finish the season with matches against Miami FC and the Puerto Rico Islanders.
