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MLS Portland Timbers

Timbers Weekly Update: February 28, 2020

February 28, 2020 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Opening their 10th season in MLS, the Portland Timbers play host to Minnesota United FC, in a match presented by Providence Health & Services, on Sunday, March 1, at Providence Park. Beginning at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific), the match will feature a national television broadcast on FS1 with local radio broadcasts on 750 The Game (English) and La GranD 1150AM/93.5 FM (Spanish).

Home Openers

Portland has posted a record of 5-1-3 in MLS home openers, dating back to its first MLS season in 2011. Sunday's match marks the fifth time the Timbers open their schedule with a match against a Western Conference opponent, including two of the club's last three home-opening matches against Minnesota. Portland and Minnesota meet for the third time in a home opener at Providence Park on Sunday, with the Timbers earning victories in both of the previous meetings in 2017 and 2018.

Against Minnesota

The Timbers and Minnesota square off for the seventh time in league play on Sunday. The Timbers are 2-0-1 at home all-time against Minnesota, outscoring the Loons 8-3 in those three matches. In the last meeting at Providence Park, the two clubs played to a scoreless draw on Sept. 22, 2019, combining for 48 shots, which is tied for the most shots in a single match in Timbers history and ranked tied for the fourth-most shots ever in an MLS match.

New Faces

Portland added several new players to the squad for the 2020 campaign. Utilizing Targeted Allocation Money (TAM), the Timbers acquired defender Dario Zuparic from Croatian first division side HNK Rijeka on Nov. 20, 2019. Zuparic, 27, helped HNK Rijeka win the 2016-17 Croatian First Football League and captured the 2016-17 and 2018-19 Croatian Football Cup. In 2019, Zuparic recorded 18 appearances (18 starts) for Rijeka, scoring one goal.

Colombian international midfielder Yimmi Chara was acquired as a Designated Player via transfer from Brazilian Série A side Clube Atlético Mineiro on Jan. 2, 2020. Chara, 28, played the last two seasons with Atlético Mineiro (2018-19), where he scored 10 goals in 68 appearances (60 starts) across all competitions.

The Timbers signed academy midfielder Blake Bodily as an MLS Homegrown Player for the 2020 season on Jan. 24, 2020. In his junior campaign at the University of Washington in 2019, Bodily, 22, tallied 12 goals and six assists in 19 appearances (16 starts) en route to being named the Pac-12 Player of the Year and earning United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American honors.

Forward Jaroslaw Niezgoda was acquired as a Designated Player via transfer from Polish Ekstraklasa side Legia Warsaw on Jan. 30, 2020. In 18 appearances (13 starts) during the 2019-20 Ekstraklasa campaign, Niezgoda, 24, led the league in goals scored (14), while adding two assists before his departure.

Chilean international forward Felipe Mora was acquired on a one-year loan with an option to exercise a permanent transfer from Liga MX Pumas UNAM, using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) on Jan. 31, 2020. In two seasons at Pumas, Mora, 26, tallied 19 goals in 65 appearances (50 starts).

Defender Chris Duvall was signed on Feb. 25, 2020. Duvall, 28, is a six-year MLS veteran with two goals and seven assists in 102 matches played (92 starts) across three different teams in league play (2014-19).

2019 In Review

Portland qualified for the postseason for a third consecutive season in 2019 and made its fifth playoff appearance overall (2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019). The 2019 season marked the first time in the club's all-era history that the Timbers have qualified for the postseason in three consecutive seasons. For a third straight season, the Portland recorded 14 or more wins during the regular season and posted the third-best road record (6-8-3) in league play during the club's MLS era. Individually, Jeremy Ebobisse scored a team-high 11 goals. Sebastián Blanco tallied six goals and 11 assists, while Diego Valeri finished with eight goals and 16 assists in the regular season.

Next Match

The Timbers square off against expansion side Nashville SC on Sunday, March 8, at Providence Park. The March 8 match kicks off at 4 p.m. (Pacific) with a national television broadcast on ESPN and local radio broadcasts on 750 The Game (English) and La GranD 1150AM/93.5 FM (Spanish).

TEAM MEDIA SOURCES

Radio: "Talk Timbers"

The Timbers' weekly radio talk show, "Talk Timbers," airs every Wednesday evening beginning at 6 p.m. (Pacific) on flagship station 750 The Game. "Talk Timbers" provides team and league news as well as interviews with Timbers coaches and players during the season, and also features regular updates on T2 and Portland Thorns FC. Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese and midfielder Diego Chara joined this week's show. Fans can submit questions, provide comments or simply follow the conversation on the show on Twitter with the hashtag #TalkTimbers.

Fans can tune in to the show live on 750 The Game or listen online at www.750thegame.com.

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Major League Soccer Stories from February 28, 2020


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