Timbers look to rewrite history in Vancouver
June 29, 2006 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Portland Timbers News Release
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Timbers look to extend their streak of eight games unbeaten as they return to action following an 11-day break. After facing a tough road contest at Vancouver on Friday, the Timbers return to PGE Park to square off against league-newcomer Miami FC on Sunday. Kickoff for Friday's game is 7 p.m. and Sunday's game will get underway at 6 p.m.
In Friday's match, the Timbers (5-4-5, 20 pts) look to change their fortunes against their northern rivals, as the team is just 1-10-1 against the Whitecaps when playing in Vancouver. Portland comes into the match unbeaten since May 19, however, including a point at first-place Rochester and at fifth-place Montreal recently.
Fox Sports Net Northwest to Broadcast Sunday's Match
FOX Sports Net (FSN) Northwest will televise the Portland Timbers' match against Miami FC at PGE Park on Sunday, July 2. The broadcast will include play-by-play by veteran announcer Bob Akamian and color commentary by Jimmy Clarke. Kickoff for the match is 6 p.m.
FSN Northwest is the cable home of the Seattle Mariners, Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle Storm, Washington Huskies, Washington State Cougars, Oregon State Beavers and Gonzaga Bulldogs. The region reaches more than 3.4 million homes in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. FSN reaches more than 81 million homes through its 20 regional sports channels, and serves as the only supplier of national, regional and local sports programming.
About the Whitecaps
The Whitecaps (5-2-7, 22pts) hope to add to their league-best 22 points after beating Puerto Rico June 25. With a strong month of June, going 4-2-1, the Whitecaps find themselves on top of the USL First Division standings after playing out the first half of their schedule. Vancouver has also had success against the Timbers this season, earning five points (1-0-2) from three matches against Portland this season.
About Miami FC
Behind a league-leading nine goals in 10 games from 1994 World Cup MVP Romario, first-year team Miami FC (4-3-5, 17pts) has powered its way into playoff position. After tying Charleston on May 7, Miami won three of its next four games, including a 3-2 win in Miami over the Timbers on May 12. The expansion franchise has only won once since the streak, however, and currently sits in sixth place in the USL First Division.
About the Timbers
The Timbers return to action in their final game of a four-game road trip, in which they defeated Minnesota and drew Rochester and Montreal to extend their unbeaten run to eight games. The recent string of results has moved the Timbers as high as first in the league standings, and Portland hopes to build on two draws against the Whitecaps.
Timbers Head Coach Chris Agnello on the Match
"Last time we went to Vancouver we played very conservatively because we were still figuring out our team. Now that our team has learned its roles, we are going in with the mentality to win. We are aware that getting points in Vancouver is difficult, but it is also difficult to get points against Rochester and we did that successfully on our last road trip. I think that we are very evenly matched against Vancouver, and I think it will be a good test for our team, but not any more difficult than any other team in this league."
"Miami will also be tough for us, as we will have just played 48 hours before, but Miami plays on Saturday night in Seattle, so both teams will be tired. Obviously, they did well against us in Miami, but our players are more familiar with each other now, and I'm certainly expecting a better result this time around."
On the Air
Both matches this weekend and all other Timbers home matches this season can be heard at www.portlandtimbers.com, with veteran broadcaster Andy McNamara returning behind the mic to provide the play-by-play. McNamara will not be calling Friday's game at Vancouver, but will return for Sunday's match against Miami FC. McNamara's broadcast partner, John Strong, will call Friday's game against the Whitecaps.
Treatment Table
Defender Michael Nsien is still recovering from a partial MCL tear and will be unavailable this weekend ... defender Josh Brown is suffering from a groin strain and will not be available for selection ... forward Mamba Chisoni suffered a concussion in training early this week and will not be with the squad for Friday's match. However, team officials are hopeful that Chisoni will have sufficiently recovered to be available for Sunday's match against Miami.
Cascadia Cup
Friday's match against Vancouver is the sixth of eight Cascadia Cup contests for the Timbers this season. This geographical cup competition began in 2004, and is competed for annually by the Timbers, Whitecaps and the Seattle Sounders. Three points are awarded for a win and one point for a draw each time the three teams play one another. The team with the most points from the head-to-head matches at the end of the season is declared the winner. The Timbers and Whitecaps are currently tied for the lead with six points each, while the Sounders trail with five points. The Whitecaps won both the 2004 and 2005 Cascadia Cups.
Roster Moves
The Portland Timbers have announced the addition of forward Jaime Ambriz and goalkeeper Martin Hutton to the squad. Ambriz, a former Cal-Santa Barbara striker, joins the Timbers after spending last season with Concordia Basel of the Swiss Challenger Division. Hutton comes to Portland on loan from the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer. Hutton spent his first professional season with the Kansas City Wizards, also of MLS, where he made three appearances in the reserve league.
Coming Up
The Timbers will host a friendly with Coventry City FC of England's Coca Cola Championship league, one level below the Premier League, on July 8 at 7 p.m. The match marks the second time in as many seasons that the Timbers have hosted a team from one of the top leagues in English soccer. Last season, the Timbers played the F.A. Premier League's Sunderland AFC to a draw in front of more than 15,000 fans.
A variety of ticket options are available by calling the Timbers ticket office at (503) 553-5443. Individual tickets are also on sale at all Ticketmaster box offices, including area Fred Meyer and G.I. Joe's locations, by phone at (503) 224-4400 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
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USL First Division Stories from June 29, 2006
- Join the Sounders For World Cup Action Friday Morning at SPORT - Seattle Sounders
- Timbers look to rewrite history in Vancouver - Portland Timbers
- Stadium Vote Continues Tonight - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Timbers announce addition of Hutton, Ambriz - Portland Timbers
- Miami FC host Battery July 4th - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
