PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers Reserves will play their second consecutive home match on Saturday, June 2, at JELD-WEN Field against the LA Galaxy Reserves at 7:00pm PT (Webstream at www.portlandtimbers.com). Tickets are $10 general admission and available via Ticketmaster or at the JELD-WEN Field box office
Coming off a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Reserves on May 27, the Timbers Reserves (2-2-0, 6pts) will try to avoid losing two straight games for just the second time in the team’s Reserve League history. Against Vancouver, Portland gave up two first half goals to Floyd Franks and Darren Mattocks. Down 2-0 nearing the final stretch of the second half, Timbers defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste scored his first Reserve League goal of the season off a corner kick taken by midfielder Franck Songo’o in the 70th minute. Despite a couple of good chances for the Timbers Reserves to equalize in the final 15 minutes, Vancouver held on for the victory.
The LA Galaxy Reserves (1-1-1, 4pts) are coming off a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes Reserves on May 8 at the Home Depot Center. Following a converted penalty kick by San Jose forward Sercan Guvenisik to give the Earthquakes Reserves a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute, Galaxy midfielder Marcelo Sarvas scored on a successful penalty kick just five minutes later in the 36th minute. The match was the third consecutive home game for the Galaxy Reserves to start the 2012 Reserve League season.
Looking for some players on both squads to keep an eye on for this matchup? We’ve got you covered.
Portland
Freddie Braun – The second-year midfielder has started each of the previous four Reserve League matches for the Timbers, and has played in two Timbers’ MLS matches this year, as well. Last year in the Reserve League, Braun played in nine games (7 starts) for the Timbers Reserves and scored one goal, coming in a 3-3 draw with Chivas USA in June of 2011. Braun is one of four players from the Timbers U-23s 2012 PDL Championship squad that are now on the first team.
Joe Bendik – Bendik made his second start of the MLS Reserve League on Sunday against Vancouver, making a handful of great stops to keep the Timbers Reserves in the match. He also started in the opening game of the Reserve League this season, a 1-0 loss against the San Jose Reserves on March 27. Prior to coming to the Timbers, Bendik spent two seasons playing abroad for Norwegian top-flight club Sogndal.
LA
Brian Perk – A southern California native, Perk went to college at UCLA, where he played with Timbers midfielder Sal Zizzo in 2006. Perk played for the LA Galaxy Academy in 2008, and also has represented the U.S. at the U-15, U-17, U-18, and U-20 levels, including the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007 as well as in 2009. While he’s started the last four MLS matches for the Galaxy, Perk missed the first portion of the 2012 season after undergoing sports hernia surgery in March.
Kenney Walker – The 23-year-old rookie is in his first season in MLS and was drafted by the Galaxy in the second round of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft in January. Walker played two seasons with Braun at the University of Louisville in 2007 and 2009 (Walker redshirted in 2008). The midfielder has started in each of LA’s three Reserve League games this season, and made his first appearance in MLS play on May 26 against Houston, starting the match and playing the first half.
Notes
- This is the first meeting between the Timbers Reserves and the Galaxy Reserves this season. Portland is 1-0-1 all-time in Reserve League play against the Galaxy. In Portland’s first Reserve League game ever played, Portland beat the Galaxy Reserves 3-1 at The Home Depot Center on April 24, 2011. In the second matchup between the two teams in 2011, the squads finished in a 3-3 draw at JELD-WEN Field.
- Portland (2-2-0, 6pts) is currently second in the West Division of the MLS Reserve League standings. LA (1-1-1, 4pts) is tied for fourth. Each team plays 10 Reserve League games during the season.
