PORTLAND TIMBERS vs. Chivas USA
Presented by ProGrass
JELD-WEN Field, Portland, Oregon
May 12, 2013 (WEEK 11, MLS Game #101)
2 p.m. PT (KPTV - FOX 12, 750 AM The Game / La Pantera 940)
Back home after extending their MLS club record undefeated streak, the Portland Timbers play host to Chivas USA on Sunday afternoon at JELD-WEN Field. The Timbers have now gone eight games without defeat, following their 1-1 draw at FC Dallas at midweek. Chivas USA saw their winless run extended to four games last weekend, dropping a 4-0 decision at Sporting Kansas City.
PORTLAND TIMBERS
The Portland Timbers return home after stretching their undefeated run to a club-record eight matches, reaching a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas on Wednesday in Frisco. The Timbers are in third place in the Western Conference with 15 points from 10 matches.
LAST MATCH
-
The Timbers finally broke the deadlock in the 70th minute. Second-half substitute Rodney Wallace sent a cross from the left side of the box and found Darlington Nagbe at the far post, and he coolly volleyed the ball into the net for the opener.
-
But FC Dallas equalized seven minutes later when Portland center back Andrew Jean-Baptiste was whistled for dragging down Blas Pérez in the box, and referee Juan Guzman pointed to the spot. Kenny Cooper converted the penalty kick past goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts to preserve the draw.
-
Timbers head coach Caleb Porter made three changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw with the New England Revolution at JELD-WEN Field. Andrew Jean-Baptiste came into central defense for the injured Mikael Silvestre, and Frederic Piquionne and Kalif Alhassan started up top in place of Ryan Johnson and Rodney Wallace.
- PORTLAND TIMBERS (4-1-2-3): Donovan Ricketts - Michael Harrington, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Mamadou Danso, Jack Jewsbury - Diego Chara, Will Johnson - Diego Valeri (Ben Zemanski 75) - Darlington Nagbe, Frederic Piquionne (Ryan Johnson 82), Kalif Alhassan (Rodney Wallace 63).
PORTLAND TIMBERS TEAM NEWS
In addition to extending the club-record undefeated streak to eight games in MLS play, the Timbers also remained undefeated on the road this season, now 1-0-4 away from JELD-WEN Field, the only team undefeated away from home this year in MLS.
-
“The key thing for me is this team always just fights and works and presses. They're an honest group. They have a ton of belief. They're a tight team. Those things are going to carry us through,” said Timbers head coach Caleb Porter. “So we'll just keep plugging away. And in the end, a point here on the road against the best team in the league is nothing to hang our heads about.”
-
Darlington Nagbe scored for the second time in the last three games, now with three goals for the season and 11 in his MLS career in 71 appearances.
-
“It says a lot about the team and the guys and the whole organization that we’re not just satisfied with just getting a point on the road, and we believe in ourselves that we’re good enough to win games on the road no matter who we’re playing,” said Nagbe. “It’s just a matter of time that these leads are going to start turning into wins for us, and we’re going to get into the playoffs that way.”
-
Kalif Alhassan also made his first start in four matches, playing a wide left role in place of Rodney Wallace, who did not start for the first time since March 30.
-
“Obviously it’s good to have fresh legs on the bench. This team takes pride in having everyone ready and having 18 players that are going to go out there and be ready to compete. I came in and just tried to do my job,” Wallace said.
-
After seven consecutive substitute appearances, Frederic Piquionne made his first MLS start, coming into the side as the center striker.
- “We were good in patches but when you play on the road and come out with a point you have to be happy,” said goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. “We’ve been doing good so far. The team is coming together nicely. It’s relatively a new team. Some players are new to the league. Hopefully as we continue they’ll get more experienced, get more familiar with the league."
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA saw their winless skid extended to four games, losing 4-0 to Sporting Kansas City last Sunday at Sporting Park. Chivas USA sit in fifth place in the Western Conference with 11 points from 9 matches.
LAST MATCH
-
Sporting took the lead four minutes before halftime. Graham Zusi took control of a giveaway in the Chivas end, turning the ball back to Claudio Bieler just outside the penalty area. He then faked goalkeeper Dan Kennedy into a slide before slotting the ball calmly between two defenders.
-
Kennedy was then sent off in the 54th minute by referee Baldomero Toledo red after clipping Paulo Nagamura's back foot from behind on a breakaway in the box. Goalkeeper Patrick McLain came on for his MLS debut, and he could only watch as Bieler buried his spot kick.
-
Zusi then added his own strike 11 minutes later, running onto a cross from second-half substitute Josh Gardner, and one-timing the ball in the roof of the net.
-
Second-half substitute C.J. Sapong added the final tally three minutes from time, side-footing Mechack Jerome's cross from the right wing while standing all alone at the penalty spot.
-
Chivas head coach Jose Luis Sánchez Sola made four changes to the team that reached a 2-2 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes at The Home Depot Center. Bobby Burling, Edgar Mejia, Julio Morales and Jose Rivera all came into the team, in place of Steve Purdy, Marvin Iraheta, Carlos Alvarez and Jose Correa.
- CHIVAS USA (4-3-2-1): Dan Kennedy (sent off 54) - Mario de Luna, Joaquin Velazquez, Bobby Burling, Carlos Borja (Carlos Alvarez 46) - Jorge Villafana, Edgar Mejia, Eric Avila - Julio Morales, Tristan Bowen (Miller Bolanos 46) - Jose Rivera.
TEAM NEWS
-
Chivas USA had their winless run extended to four games in the loss at Sporting KC. When Chivas USA have scored this season they are 3-0-2; they are 0-4-0 when they have been shut out.
-
“We didn't advance from this game. We have stopped and we still have a lot to do,” said Chivas head coach Jose Luis Sanchez Sola. “We need to deal with teams like Sporting KC and we don't know how. ... I don't really know how many teams like this one we may find in the league, but we simply don't have what it takes to compete.
-
Chivas were limited to just three attempts at goal for the entire match, and did not get a single one on frame, as SKC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen was not forced to make one save.
-
“My idea is to attack. When two teams attack, the strongest and most powerful wins. I don't understand soccer in any other way that is not attacking,” said Sánchez Solá. “Today I'm not accurate with what I'm saying but we had 10 players, but it is good that Sporting Kansas City took four goals."
-
“Nothing went our way and we take full blame for that,” defender Bobby Burling said. “If you look at every position, we got played off the field. We talked about winning the 50-50 battles before the game. We lost those at every part of the field and, anytime that happens, it’s going to be a tough game. We have to have a short memory because it doesn’t get any easier.”
-
With the expulsion of goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, Patrick McLain donned the gloves in his place, but was beaten by a penalty kick for the first action he saw.
-
“I don’t know if there was contact or not,” Burling said. “I told Patrick McLain it was a tough game to come into. You hate to see a kid get his debut like that and you hate to see Dan get a red card like that. It’s the worst of both worlds.”
- Chivas made a big move at midweek when striker Juan Agudelo was sent to the New England Revolution in exchange for allocation money.
REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. AR1 (bench): Kevin Duliba; AR2 (opposite): Mike Rottersman; 4th: Daniel Radford MLS Career: 62 games; FC/gm: 27.5; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 8; pens: 7
DISABLED LIST: none
SUSPENDED: CHV: Dan Kennedy (through May 12); Carlos Alvarez (through May 12)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHV: Mario de Luna
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: POR: Ben Zemanski ... CHV: Tristan Bowen, Joaquin Velazquez
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (5 meetings): Timbers 1 win, 2 goals ... Chivas USA 4 wins, 5 goals ... Ties 0
AT PORTLAND (3 meetings): Timbers 1 win, 2 goals ... Chivas USA 2 wins, 3 goals ... Ties 0
RETURN MATCHES: 9/14: Chivas USA vs. Portland Timbers, 7:30 p.m. PT; 10/26: Chivas USA vs. Portland Timbers, 7:30 p.m. PT
LAST YEAR (MLS)
4/7: POR 1, CHV 2 (Boyd 16 – Moreno 48; LaBrocca 82) 7/18: CHV 1, POR 0 (Bolanos 16)
7/28: POR 0, CHV 1 (Califf 68)
- Chivas USA won all three meetings between the teams a season ago, including both matches at JELD-WEN Field.
- Chivas has won four of the five meetings all-time in the league series. The Timbers did win a U.S. Open Cup play-in game between teams in 2010.
- Coaches record: José Luis Sánchez Solá vs. POR: first game ... Caleb Porter vs. CHV: first game
