PORTLAND, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers U-23s conclude their regular-season schedule Saturday as they play host to the Abbotsford Mariners at Lincoln High School in Portland, Ore., at 7 p.m., presented by Oregon Premier Soccer League (OPSL).
Tickets, priced at $5 for kids 18 and younger and $8 for adults, will be available at the door; gates open at 6 p.m.
The Timbers U-23s enter the final weekend of the Premier Development League regular season in second place in the Northwest Division. Portland has already secured one of three playoff spots in the division, and will face the Seattle Wolves in the first round next week. The Timbers U-23s sit just two points ahead of the Wolves, who play Abbotsford tonight in Seattle.
Portland (10-3-2, 32pts) is unbeaten in its last four matches, including a pair of wins last weekend over the Spokane Spiders and Yakima Reds. Forward
Ryan Youngblood
totaled five goals and an assist in the games against Spokane and Yakima to help the Timbers U-23s qualify for the postseason in their inaugural season.
Following his performance last weekend, Youngblood was selected as the PDL Player of the Week for the 11th week of the season. He is the first Timbers U-23s player to receive the honor and the second Portland player to receive PDL Team of the Week honors this season.
The Timbers U-23s will be without midfielder
Mutanda Kwesele
, who was the first-ever player added by the Timbers U-23s, for the rest of the 2009 season due to a torn meniscus.
Saturday’s contest marks the first and only meeting between the Timbers U-23s and Mariners this season.
The Mariners (4-8-2, 14pts) close out their regular-season schedule with a two-game road trip this weekend, starting with the Wolves tonight and then visit the Timbers U-23s Saturday. Entering the weekend, Abbotsford has won two of their last three matches, and has out-scored opponents 11-4 in that span. In their last match, Abbotsford was dealt a 1-0 loss by the Kitsap Pumas on July 11 on the road.
ABOUT OREGON PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE
Oregon Premier Soccer League (OPSL) is dedicated to promoting the highest level of amateur soccer in the region and has provided a high level of competition for both men and women in the greater-Portland area since 1996. The OPSL has featured current Timbers U-23s players Ryan Youngblood, Josh Brown, Avneet Shergill, Brent Richards and Tracy Hasson in previous seasons. The OPSL is committed to providing the best fields, best refs and best competition. More information about the OPSL is available at www.opsl.org.
