PORTLAND
, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers embark on a two-game road trip to face the Puerto Rico Islanders in a series of matches on Friday at 5 p.m. (Pacific) and Sunday at 4 p.m. (Pacific) at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium.
A live broadcast of both matches will be available online at
www.portlandtimbers.com
, with a live video webcast available through USL Live – now a free service at www.usllive.com.
The Timbers (2-1-2, 8pts) bring a four-game unbeaten streak into their set of matches against the Islanders. Portland is 2-0-2 over its last four games and has out-scored its opponents 4-1 on goals by midfielders
Ryan Pore
and
Brian Farber
. During the Timbers’ unbeaten run, the backline has recorded three shutouts and logged a stretch of 363 minutes without conceding a goal.
The Timbers are 5-4-1 all-time against the Islanders (2-1-2, 8pts), but are winless in four matches (0-3-1) in Puerto Rico since 2005. Last season, the Timbers earned their first point against the Islanders in Puerto Rico with a come-from-behind, 2-2 draw on May 16. The two sides split the 2008 season series with a record of 1-1-1. The 2009 season marks the first time in the all-time series that the Islanders have played host the Timbers twice in one season.
On Friday, Timbers defender
David Hayes
is set to make his 240th career regular-season appearance in the USL First Division. Hayes’ career totals for games played rank among the all-time leaders in USL First Division history.
After missing the Timbers’ last two games, defender
Takuro Nishimura
will be available for selection this weekend in Puerto Rico. He missed the team’s matches against the Cleveland City Stars on May 9 and Rochester Rhinos on May 14 while in Japan on personal leave.
The Timbers return home on Saturday, May 30, to play host to the Vancouver Whitecaps at PGE Park on Go Green Night presented by Esurance; kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The first 2,000 fans receive a Timbers water bottle. Tickets, starting at $11, are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster locations, online at
www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at (800)
ABOUT PUERTO RICO ISLANDERS
The Islanders return to USL First Division action this weekend after participating in the final stages of the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship last week. Puerto Rico defeated Haitian club Tempete 2-0 in the semifinal round to punch their ticket for the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League. The Islanders suffered their first loss of the season in their last league match on May 10, falling to the Vancouver Whitecaps on the road. Last season, the Islanders captured the USL First Division regular-season title and advanced to the league finals.
