First clash with Liga MX club for Portland since 2021 Concacaf Champions League (Club América).
The Portland Timbers kicked off their inaugural Leagues Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday night. Goals from Evander and Felipe Mora secured all three points for the Green and Gold, and Portland now sit atop their West 1 group. A short turnaround brings the Timbers into their second Leagues Cup match just four days after their debut. Portland will go head-to-head with reigning Liga MX champions Tigres UANL Wednesday night at Providence Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 8pm PT.
Portland (1st, 1-0-0, 3pts) welcomes Tigres UANL (2nd, (0-0-0), 0pts) to the Pacific Northwest, and to Soccer City, USA, for the first time since a 2008 friendly. A victory or a penalty-kick shootout win (2pts) for the Timbers Wednesday night secures advancement into the Round of 32, while Tigres will look for a positive result before facing San Jose in the Bay Area, Sunday night.
Here are some notes to know heading into the Liga MX-MLS clash at Providence Park:
818
Portland last played a Liga MX club in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 Concacaf Champions League. They faced Club América in a two-leg matchup starting at Providence Park on April 18 and culminating at Estadio Azteca on May 5. Since that first leg matchup, it will have been 818 days since Portland last welcomed a Liga MX club to the Rose City.
2015
Both Portland and Tigres crowned themselves champions of their respective leagues in December of 2015. The Timbers earned their first MLS Cup, while Tigres added their 4th Mexican league title. in the eight years since, both clubs have found continued success; Portland winning two Western Conference Championships and the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament, while Tigres has won four Liga MX titles.
8,375
On July 15, 2008, the Timbers defeated Tigres UANL 2-0 in a friendly match during Portland's USL-era at then-PGE Park. With goals from Justin Thompson & Byron Alvarez, Portland gave the 8,375 fans in attendance a memorable victory against the Nuevo Leon, Mexico club.
4-2-2
Portland holds a record of four wins, two draws, and just two losses in friendly and competitive matchups against Liga MX clubs when playing at Providence Park. Most recently, the Timbers drew 1-1 with Club América in the first leg of the 2021 Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal. Felipe Mora provided the equalizer from the penalty spot for the Timbers in the 97th minute.
4
Felipe Mora returned to scoring ways in Portland's Leagues Cup debut against San Jose on Saturday. It was his first goal for Portland in just over a year, having been sidelined with injuries. . All told, Mora scored four goals against Tigres, two while with Cruz Azul and two while with Pumas across both Liga MX and Copa MX play.
