PORTLAND, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers begin a season-long, three-game road trip Wednesday as they travel to face AC St. Louis at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park at 5:10 p.m. (Pacific). Portland will then head south to take on FC Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific).
Both matches will be broadcast live on Sportsradio 95.5 The Game, with a live video webcast available at
www.portlandtimbers.com/live
.
The Timbers (7-5-5, 26pts) are on a five-game unbeaten streak in league play. Portland defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on the road July 22 to extend their unbeaten run, claim their first win in Vancouver since 2004 and secure the fan-based Cascadia Cup for a second straight season. Midfielder
Ryan Pore
scored his league-leading 11th goal of the season and defender
Mamado Danso
tallied the game-winner to help the club to its fourth win in five games.
Portland’s backline has shut out four of its last five opponents and continues to lead the USSF Division-2 Pro League in fewest goals allowed (11). The Timbers share third place in the USL Conference with the NSC Minnesota Stars at 26 points.
The Timbers visit AC St. Louis at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park for the first time this season. Portland is 1-0-1 against AC St. Louis in 2010; the first two matchups were played at PGE Park. On April 22, Pore recorded two goals and an assist to lead the Timbers to a 3-0 win over AC St. Louis. In the second encounter between the two clubs, AC St. Louis forward Mike Ambersley tallied the equalizer in second-half stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw. AC St. Louis will play host to the Timbers in the final game of the regular-season series between the two sides Aug. 14.
Portland faces FC Tampa Bay for the second time during the regular season. In their previous meeting, the Timbers received a game-winning goal from forward
Bright Dike
in the second half to earn a 1-0 win May 27 at PGE Park. The win over the Rowdies kicked off the club’s current five-game unbeaten streak. Saturday’s match will be the Timbers’ lone visit to George M. Steinbrenner Field during the regular season.
Timbers defender
Ian Joy
will not be available for Wednesday’s match due to a one-game, league-imposed suspension for yellow-card accumulation.
The Timbers wrap up their extended four-game road stretch on Wednesday, Aug. 4, in New York against the Rochester Rhinos at Auto Marina Stadium at 4 p.m. (Pacific).
ABOUT AC ST. LOUIS
AC St. Louis snapped a string of back-to-back losses with a 1-0 road win over Crystal Palace Baltimore in its last match July 24. With the win, the club moved into fifth place in the NASL Conference with a record of 4-10-4 (16pts). Wednesday’s match begins a five-game homestand for AC St. Louis, including a second match against the Timbers on Aug. 14. Former Timbers midfielder
Luke Kreamalmeyer
paces the team in scoring with two goals and four assists.
ABOUT FC TAMPA BAY ROWDIES
FC Tampa Bay Rowdies (6-7-5, 23pts) had an eight-game winless stretch (0-6-2) come to an end with a 2-0 victory over the Miami FC Blues on July 25 at home. The Rowdies, who sit in fifth place in the USL Conference, recently acquired midfielders Jonny Steele and Ricardo Sanchez from the Vancouver Whitecaps for future considerations. Steele made his first appearance for the Rowdies in a 1-0 loss to Rochester on July 22. Saturday’s contest concludes a series of four straight home games for FC Tampa Bay.
