The Timbers square off against the Impact tonight at PGE Park live on FSN. A live broadcast will air on 95.5 The Game as well as online at portlandtimbers.com. Catch a live video webcast through USL Live or updates on Twitter.
Click here for tonight's match notes.
Tonight's Starters:
POR: GK Cronin, D Hayes, D Knowles, D Keel, D Thompson, M Farber, M McManus, M Claesson, M Pore, F Keita, F Josten
MON: GK Jordan, D Mayard, D Pizzolitto, D de Roux, D Gatti, M Grande, M Testo, M Donatelli, M Gjertsen, F Brown, F Placentino
Match Preview:
The Portland Timbers begin a stretch of four games in 10 days tonight as they play host to the Montreal Impact at PGE Park. Tonight's match is the first meeting of the season between the Timbers and Impact, and the first of two matchups scheduled in the month of June.
The Timbers are on a seven match unbeaten streak in league play and have won three of their last four USL First Division matches, recording victories over Puerto Rico, Rochester and Vancouver. In May, the Timbers assembled a record of 4-0-2, out-scored opponents 9-3 and logged three shutouts. In addition to league play, Portland captured a 4-1 win over Mexico's Club America Reserves in an international exhibition on May 31 at PGE Park.
Including the exhibition win last Sunday, the Timbers have won three straight matches and have scored two or more goals against four of their last five opponents. Portland's defense has allowed just four goals this season and ranks second in the USL First Division in fewest goals allowed - the Charleston Battery have conceded only two goals in 2009.
The Timbers are 5-3-1 against the Impact since 2001 and the two teams have split the all-time series in Portland 2-2-1. Under head coach Gavin Wilkinson, the Timbers are 3-1-1 against Montreal and have won two of the last three meetings. Last season, the Timbers were 2-1-0 against the Impact, including a 2-1 win on Aug. 16, behind second-half goals from Bryan Jordan and Chris Brown in the lone match played at PGE Park in 2008.
Forward Antouman Jallow and Takuro Nishimura both missed Portland's matches last weekend against the Vancouver Whitecaps and Club America Reserves due to injury. They are listed as questionable for tonight's match.
Portland hits the road for three matches next week, starting on Tuesday, June 9, in Bremerton, Wash., as it faces the Premier Development League's Kitsap Pumas in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at 7 p.m. The Timbers then travel to the southeast for matches against the top two teams in the league, facing the Carolina RailHawks on Thursday, June 11 and Charleston two days later on June 13.
