The Timbers being their quest for the U.S. Open Cup tonight as they face the Kitsap Pumas (PDL) in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup in Bremerton, Wash., 7 p.m. Catch live updates of the match online at www.twitter.com/TimbersFC.
Click here for tonight's match notes.
Tonight's starters:
POR: GK Cronin, D Hayes, D Keel, D Hayes, D Danso, M McManus, M Savage, M Nimo, M Farber, F McLaughlin, F Keita
KIT: GK Brim, D Lee, D Lipset, D Mohn, D Hyde, M Conrad, M Friesen, M Johnson, M Phillips, F Kerr, F Shomaker
Match Preview:
The Portland Timbers begin play in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tonight in a first-round matchup against the Kitsap Pumas of the Premier Development League. Tonight's match opens a stretch of three road games in five days this week.
With a 1-0 win over the Impact last week at PGE Park, the Timbers extended their unbeaten streak in league matches to eight and have won three straight. Portland has won four of its last five USL First Division matches and has out-scored opponents 7-3 in that span. The Timbers' backline picked up its fifth shutout of the season on June 4 against Montreal, limiting the Impact to just two shots in the match. Portland's defense currently ranks second in the USL First Division in the fewest goals allowed, conceeding just four goals in nine matches this season.
For the fourth time in six years, the Timbers enter the U.S. Open Cup on the road. The Timbers are 3-5-0 in U.S. Open Cup matches and have advanced as far as the fourth round of the tournament. In 2004 and 2005, the Timbers advanced to the fourth round and faced the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer in both seasons. Since 2001, the Timbers have faced a team from each level in the U.S. Soccer structure during the tournament.
The Timbers have faced only one other PDL side in the U.S. Open Cup. In 2007, forward Luc Harrington and midfielder Lawrence Olum scored early to lead Portland to a 2-0 win over the Bakersfield Brigade on the road.
Last season, the Timbers were eliminated in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup with a 3-2 loss to Hollywood United at PGE Park. Former Timbers forward Matt Taylor helped the U.S. Adult Soccer Association side stay in the game with a pair of penalty kick goals, which allowed midfielder Earl Alexander to tally the game-winner in second-half stoppage time.
The winner of tonight's match will advance to the second round, and play the winner to tonight's first-round contest between the Sonoma County Sol (USASA) and Orange County Blue Star (PDL) on June 16. If the Timbers advance, they'll travel to California for the second round, but if Kitsap advances, they will host the second-round game.
