PORTLAND, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers return to league play Sunday as they play host to FC Tampa Bay Rowdies at PGE Park at 5 p.m. Sunday’s match is highlighted by the annual Timbers Teddy Bear Toss, presented by Stoel Rives, LLC, to benefit local charities.
As part of the Teddy Bear Toss, presented by Stoel Rives, LLC, fans are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals to the match to be donated to local youth charities. Following the Timbers’ first goal of the night, fans are invited to toss their stuffed animal onto the pitch. Items will be collected and distributed throughout the greater-Portland area.
Tickets start at $12 in advance and can be purchased at the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster locations, online at
www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at (800) 745-3000. On a Kids Sunday at PGE Park, kids 12 and under can take advantage of the Timbers’ Kids-Eat-Free plan prior to kickoff.
Entering Sunday’s match, the Timbers have won three of their last four games, including the first two rounds of the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. In its last league match, Portland (4-5-4, 16pts) defeated the NSC Minnesota Stars 2-0 on the road on June 19, ending an eight-game winless stretch against league opponents. The Timbers are three points back of the second-place Rochester Rhinos in the USL Conference standings.
The Timbers and Rowdies, one of three new teams in the USSF Division-2 Pro League in 2010, square off in the first of two meetings during the regular season on Sunday; they meet again July 31 in Tampa, Fla.
The matchup against the Rowdies will be televised on FSN and broadcast live on Sportsradio 95.5 The Game and in Spanish on 910AM+1390 ESPN Deportes. A live video webcast will be available online at
www.portlandtimbers.com/live
.
Sunday’s contest opens a second straight week of three games in seven days for the Timbers, which also includes a third-round matchup against Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, June 30 at PGE Park. Tickets for the cup fixture start at $15 in advance and can be purchased through the PGE Park box office and Ticketmaster.
ABOUT TAMPA BAY ROWDIES
The Rowdies visit the Rose City for the first time this season as they open a two-game, regular-season series against the Timbers. FC Tampa Bay had a seven-game unbeaten streak come to an end earlier this month and has lost its last three league matches. Earlier this week, the Rowdies’ run in the U.S. Open Cup came to an end with a 2-1 loss to USSF Division-2 Pro League rival Miami FC Blues in overtime. An expansion team in 2010, the Rowdies sit in third place in the USL Conference with a record of 5-4-3 (18pts).
