PORTLAND, Ore. –
After three weeks of training, the Portland Timbers are set to play an exhibition match against Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC on Sunday at PGE Park at 5 p.m. Portland looks to remain unbeaten in exhibition matches this year as it concludes the 2007 season.
Tickets, starting at $12, are available at local Ticketmaster outlets, online at
www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at (503) 224-4400. The PGE Park box office will be open for ticket sales on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gates will open on Sunday at 4 p.m.
Sunday’s match marks the Timbers’ fourth exhibition match of 2007. This season, Portland has hosted international exhibition matches against Mexico’s Club Necaxa in May, Italy’s AC Milan Primavera in June and England’s Preston North End in July.
Toronto FC, which finished its MLS inaugural season over the weekend, is the first MLS team since 2005 to visit PGE Park. Since 2001, the Timbers are 2-1-0 against MLS teams in exhibition matches. The Timbers’ previous MLS opponents include the Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes. Including U.S. Open Cup matches, the Timbers are 2-3-0 all-time against teams from MLS.
Portland’s roster on Sunday will feature three invited players from other USL First Division teams, including forward
Roger Levesque
and midfielder
Kenji Treschuk
from the Seattle Sounders, and midfielder
Miguel Guante
, a former University of Portland standout who played for Miami FC in 2007.
ABOUT TORONTO FC
Known as “The Red,” Toronto FC finished the 2007 regular season with a 2-2 draw against the playoff-bound New England Revolution on Oct. 20. Toronto FC features players with experience at some of the highest levels in Europe, including forward
Danny Dichio
, who scored the first goal in club history and led the team in scoring with six goals. Dichio joined Toronto after 14 years of playing for clubs in the top tiers of England and Italy. Other players with experience overseas include defender and team captain,
Jim Brennan
, who was a member of England’s Southampton in 2006-07 and midfielder
Ronnie O’Brien
, who played two seasons with Italy’s Juventus before playing with Toronto FC.
Toronto’s roster also includes a handful of rising international players, including midfielder
Maurice Edu
, who made his U.S. National Team debut in October, and Canadian Youth National Team members
Joey Melo
(U-17) and
Gabe Gala
(U-20).
ABOUT PORTLAND TIMBERS
The Timbers’ 2007 season was one of the most successful seasons in modern franchise history. Portland finished second in the USL First Division with a record of 14-5-9 (51pts), and led the league in shutouts (15) and fewest goals allowed (18). The Timbers reached the semifinals for the first time in their USL franchise history and set club records for consecutive wins (7), consecutive shutouts (4) and fewest goals allowed in a single season (18). The Timbers recorded an unbeaten regular-season home record at PGE Park (8-0-6), becoming just the third team in the league since the 2000 season to accomplish the feat. Portland played its last match on Sept. 23 – a semifinal playoff contest – against the Atlanta Silverbacks at PGE Park.
