MATCH INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2015
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (Pacific)
Location: Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Forecast: 67 degrees, clear
Referee: Allen Chapman
Assistant Referees: George Gansner, Michael Kampmeinert Fourth Official: Tyler Ploeger
Local TV: ROOT SPORTS
Talent: Keith Bleyer (play-by-play), Ross Smith (analyst), Samantha Yarock (reporter)
English Radio: 750 The Game (KXTG 750AM, 102.9FM) Talent: Jake Zivin (play-by-play), Adin Brown (analyst)
Spanish Radio: La GranD (KGGD 93.5FM, 1150 AM)
Talent: Josue del Castillo (play-by-play), Ozkar Ramos (analyst)
MATCH PREVIEW
Saturday’s match, presented by PGE, marks Portland’s second consecutive Cascadia match, and the Timbers’ first match following a two-game road swing. Portland enters the game following a hard-fought, 1-0 loss against rival Seattle Sounders FC on April 26, but is unbeaten in seven of its last eight regular-season matches (4-1-3) at Providence Park, dating back to the 2014 campaign. The Timbers have been successful at home against Vancouver, posting a record of 3-1-2 against their Western Conference foe at Providence Park. The matches have proved to be high-scoring affairs as the two teams have combined to score 20 goals in six matches. Portland has three goals in each of the last two matches at Providence Park and has scored in all six meetings at home. Vancouver enters Saturday’s match following a 2-1 loss against D.C. United on April 25.
LAST MATCH RECAP
The Timbers produced a number of dangerous chances, including a shot off the crossbar in the final minutes, but could not find the late-game equalizer in a 1-0 loss against Cascadia rival Seattle Sounders FC in front of 41,451 fans at CenturyLink Field on April 26. Portland outshot Seattle 11-10, while also holding Sounders FC to just three shots on goal in the evenly played match, but conceded the go-ahead goal in the 77th minute when forward Clint Dempsey was able to tap in a fortuitous rebound after Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey stopped the initial shot from midfielder Andy Rose following a long throw-in.
ALL-TIME SERIES NOTES
Dating back to the first matchup between the Timbers and Whitecaps on May 16, 1975 – a 2-0 win for Portland in Vancouver – the Timbers are a combined 30-35-15 against their Canadian rivals. The Cascadia rivalry between Portland and Vancouver continues Saturday with the 13th MLS meeting between the sides and the 81st overall meeting since 1975. Portland leads the MLS series 6-2-4, including a 3-1-2 record at Providence Park. In 2012, the Timbers hoisted their first Cascadia Cup as an MLS club following a 1-0 win against Whitecaps FC at BC Place in Vancouver. Midfielder Jack Jewsbury tallied the game-winning goal for the Timbers.
Portland traveled to face Vancouver earlier this season, falling 2-1 in a hard-fought derby match on March 28 at BC Place in Vancouver. The loss was just Portland’s first at BC Place in the team’s MLS era.
Saturday’s match marks the first meeting between the two clubs at Providence Park this season. Vancouver visits Portland again on July 18.
LAST TIME VS. WHITECAPS FC
The Timbers dominated possession, logged an MLS season-high in passing accuracy and battled back from a halftime deficit with a goal in the 82nd minute to level the match, but a game-winning goal in second-half stoppage time lifted Vancouver Whitecaps FC to a 2-1 victory in front of 22,500 fans at BC Place on March 28.
SCOUTING WHITECAPS FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC enter Saturday’s match in first place in the Western Conference standings through nine games. Head coach Carl Robinson’s side has just one win in its last four matches and is coming off a 2-1 loss against D.C. United that saw Vancouver reduced to 10 men after midfielder Matias Laba was issued a second yellow card in the 42nd minute. Moving up the standings, Vancouver compiled a five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) from March 14-April 8, including wins against Chicago, Orlando City, Portland and the LA Galaxy. Forward Octavio Rivero, a 23-year-old Uruguayan striker who joined Whitecaps FC during the offseason from Chilean club O’Higgins FC, has tallied five goals in nine matches to help lead Vancouver. Jamaican forward Darren Mattocks has registered two goals and one assist, while Chilean midfielder Pedro Morales has logged one goal and a team-leading three assists. Goalkeeper David Ousted has started all nine matches, recording a 1.00 goals-against average and four clean sheets.
CONSISTENCY
The Timbers have had five players play every minute of the club’s matches so far this season. No other team in MLS has had as many players play every minute of their team’s matches in 2015. Liam Ridgewell, Adam Kwarasey, Nat Borchers, Alvas Powell and Darlington Nagbe have each gone the full 90 in Portland’s eight matches (720 minutes).
TACKLES
Entering the week, Timbers defender Alvas Powell ranks tied for first among all players in MLS with 41 tackles. A Jamaican international, Powell has played all 90 minutes in each of Portland’s first eight matches.
JONHSON, VALERI BACK IN THE MIX
Midfielders Will Johnson and Diego Valeri are working their way back into the mix with the Timbers after recovering from leg injuries. Johnson fractured his tibia and fibula in his right leg on Sept. 27. Johnson started and played 63 minutes for T2 on April 25 in a 2-0 win against Arizona United SC. Valeri, who sustained a torn ACL in his left knee on Oct. 25, was in the 18-player gameday roster for Portland on April 26 against Seattle Sounders FC.
CREATING CHANCES
Midfielder Darlington Nagbe, who is Portland’s MLS-career leader in appearances (135), enters the week ranked second in the league in chances created (including assists) with 21. Nagbe is just four shy of league-leader Pedro Morales of Vancouver.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Saturday’s match against Vancouver marks Portland’s 145th all-time regular- season match in Major League Soccer since 2011. With a start on Saturday, midfielder Diego Chara will make his 125th career MLS start for the Timbers. Chara also is just 14 minutes shy of surpassing the 11,000-minutes played mark in his MLS career.
With a start on Saturday, midfielder Darlington Nagbe will make his 125th career MLS start for the Timbers. Nagbe has started 124 of his 135 career appearances for Portland.
Midfielder Diego Valeri’s next appearance will mark his 65th career MLS match for the Timbers since joining the club prior to the 2013 season. Recovering from a torn ACL sustained in the final regular-season match of 2014, Valeri has yet to make his season debut in 2015.
PUSHING THROUGH THE FOULS
Portland ranks first overall in the league in dribbles completed (84), according to Opta. The stat tracks moments when an individual player successfully dribbles around an opponent while retaining possession. Midfielder Darlington Nagbe (30) and defender Alvas Powell (21) rank second and third, respectively, in the league behind FC Dallas’ Fabian Castillo (33). Highlighting the stat is the fact that the Timbers are the second-most fouled team in MLS (117). Nagbe has been fouled 26 times (tied for the most in MLS).
REBOUNDING FROM A LOSS
Since the 2013 season, the Timbers have won nine times in games immediately following a loss. While suffering consecutive losses just twice in those two-plus seasons, the club is an impressive 9-2-5 overall in games directly following a defeat, including a 3-1 victory over FC Dallas on April 4 (which followed a 2-1 loss at Vancouver on March 28) and a recent 1-0 win over New York City FC on April 19 (which followed a 2-0 loss against Orlando City SC on April 12).
AGAINST VANCOUVER AT PROVIDENCE PARK
Since the 2001 USL season, Portland has compiled an impressive mark of 12-5- 9 overall against Vancouver in regular-season matches at Providence Park. The Timbers enter Saturday’s match with a 3-1-2 record against Whitecaps FC during the MLS era. Portland has lost just one regular-season home match against Vancouver dating back to 2009 (6-1-3).
AT HOME AGAINST THE WEST
The Timbers have compiled a run of seven straight unbeaten games at Providence Park against teams from the Western Conference dating back to Sept. 7, 2014. Portland is 3-0-4 during the streak, including a mark of 1-0-2 during the 2015 season with a win over FC Dallas and draws against the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake. During the run of form at Providence Park, Portland has outscored its conference opponents 14-6 with four shutouts.
SPREAD THE LOVE
Entering the week, the Timbers have had an array of contributors on the offensive end with nine different players having either a goal or an assist for the club. Portland ranks among league leaders, trailing only D.C. United, Houston and the New England Revolution (10) for the most scoring diversity. Leading the way for Portland is forward Fanendo Adi, who has three goals and one assist for the Timbers in eight appearances this season. Midfielder Darlington Nagbe has registered two assists, while midfielder Dairon Asprilla has a goal and an assist.
