MLS Portland Timbers

Timbers Weekly Update

Published on October 25, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Timbers conclude their 2012 MLS season Saturday by playing host to the San Jose Earthquakes at JELD-WEN Field before a national television audience on NBC Sports Network. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. (Pacific).

The match will also be broadcast on FM News 101 KXL and in Spanish on La Pantera 940 AM.

Saturday is the Timbers' special breast cancer awareness day as part of MLS and MLS W.O.R.K.S.'s Soccer Kicks Cancer campaign. The match will be played with a commemorative pink adidas PRIME match ball and players will use pink sideline towels provided by Gatorade. Players and referees will wear a special pink MLS W.O.R.K.S. ribbon patch on their jerseys.

Additionally, the first 7,000 fans at JELD-WEN Field on Saturday will receive a special 2012 Timbers poster.

The Timbers, fresh off winning the Cascadia Cup with their first road win of 2012 last weekend, are unbeaten in their last five home matches at JELD-WEN Field, posting a 2-0-3 record in that span.

The Timbers (8-16-9, 33pts) and Earthquakes meet for a third and final time this season. In the previous matchups in 2012, the Timbers defeated the Earthquakes 2-1 at JELD-WEN Field on July 3, and the two sides played to a 2-2 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium on Sept. 19. Portland forward Danny Mwanga has scored three goals against San Jose this season, with two coming in the road draw. Wondolowski paces the Earthquakes with two goals against the Timbers this season, both scored in the September matchup.

In the all-time MLS series, the Timbers are unbeaten (1-0-3) against the Earthquakes, with three of the previous four meetings ending in a draw.

San Jose (19-6-8, 65pts) comes to the Rose City on an eight-match unbeaten streak - its longest unbeaten streak of the season and tied for second-longest in MLS in 2012. The 2012 Supporters' Shield winners recently played the LA Galaxy to a 2-2 draw on Oct. 21 at Buck Shaw Stadium, with Wondolowski providing the late equalizer.

GAME NOTES: Timbers vs. Earthquakes

- The Timbers enter the final weekend of the regular season on a five-game unbeaten streak at home, posting a 2-0-3 record in that span, which includes results against three clubs bound for the MLS Cup Playoffs.

- The Timbers are unbeaten in the all-time MLS series against the Earthquakes, with a record of 1-0-3. Portland is 1-0-1 against San Jose in 2012.

- Timbers forward Danny Mwanga has scored three goals in two games against the Earthquakes this season. He scored a brace at San Jose on Sept. 19 and tallied his first goal of the season in a 2-1 home win over the Earthquakes on July 3.

- Midfielder Franck Songo'o has recorded two assists against San Jose this season, setting up two of Mwanga's goals against the Earthquakes.

- For San Jose, forwards Alan Gordon and Chris Wondolowski share the club's goal-scoring lead in the MLS series against Portland with two goals each.

- Wondolowski has scored eight goals in the Earthquakes' last seven games to come within one goal of tying Roy Lassiter's MLS record for goals in a single season (27) set in 1996.

- The Timbers have outscored the Earthquakes 6-5 in their all-time MLS series. San Jose has scored all five of its goals against Portland in the second half.

- Defenders Eric Brunner (ankle) and Futty Danso (knee) both underwent successful surgeries earlier this week. Brunner's recovery time is expected to be 6-8 weeks, while Danso's expected recovery period is 4-6 weeks.

TEAM NEWS

Timbers to feature PTFCA's The Local Grind Saturday at JELD-WEN Field

A handful of popular Portland food carts joined the match-day experience at JELD-WEN Field this season. The Local Grind, a member of the Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance, is the last of six food carts chosen by fans via Facebook vote to serve its specialties at JELD-WEN Field this year.

The Local Grind will serve its signature Hawaiian-style cuisine, including grilled teriyaki chicken, garlic honey chicken and "The Shred" - teriyaki chicken with ginger and garlic - on Saturday when the Timbers take on the San Jose Earthquakes in the regular-season finale for both teams.

To learn more about PTFCA, which is free to join, visit www.portlandtimbers.com/ptfca. PTFCA is looking for members for the 2013 season; applications will be accepted throughout the offseason .

Horst, Jewsbury named to MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week for Week 32

Timbers defender David Horst and midfielder Jack Jewsbury were named to MLSsoccer.com's Team of the Week for Week 32 following the team's 1-0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Oct. 21. It is Jewsbury's first Team of the Week selection of the season and the third selection for Horst in the last five game weeks. View the entire MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week for Week 32 here .

Jewsbury scored the only goal of the game in the 39th minute of Portland's first road win of the season. After taking a layoff pass from midfielder Franck Songo'o, Jewsbury rifled a 35-yard shot into the far upper corner of the goal.

Horst helped marshal a Timbers defense that held Vancouver to a solitary shot on goal - a season low for a Timbers' opponent - on the way to securing their first shutout since August.

Jewsbury's game-winning goal against Vancouver up for MLS Goal of the Week

Jewsbury's game-winning strike against Vancouver has been nominated for the MLS AT&T Goal of the Week. Jewsbury's 39th-minute blast into the opposite top corner of the net helped secure the club its first road victory of the season and the 2012 edition of the Cascadia Cup.

Timbers join MLS W.O.R.K.S. Soccer Kicks Cancer campaign against breast cancer

MLS W.O.R.K.S., Major League Soccer's community outreach initiative, launched the league's breast cancer awareness campaign during the month of October as part of Soccer Kicks Cancer, an initiative focused on raising awareness and funds for cancer research and treatment and providing strength and hope in the fight against cancer affecting men, women and children.

Collaborating with MLS partners adidas and Gatorade, select matches have been played with a commemorative pink adidas match ball and players have used pink sideline towels provided by Gatorade. Additionally, players and referees have worn a special pink MLS W.O.R.K.S. ribbon patch on their jerseys, pink adidas sweat bands, pink shoelaces and several goalkeepers, including Portland's Joe Bendik, have worn wear pink gloves to further support the cause. Also, midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe has worn custom gold and pink adidas boots this month in support of the cause.

Autographed, pink memorabilia from throughout the league is available through the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Breast Cancer Awareness Auction online. Click here to see what items are currently available.

Timbers U-16 forward Rubio Rubin named No. 1 on TopDrawerSoccer.com's Class of 2014

Leading college and youth soccer website, TopDrawerSoccer.com, recently released its new rankings of the top 150 youth players in various age groups. Coming in at No. 1 for the Class of 2014 was Timbers U-16 forward Rubio Rubin.

The rankings are based on input from various scouts, staff and coaches; click here for rankings.

Rubin, a Beaverton, Ore., native is currently playing with the U.S. U-17 National Team and most recently helped the side to a 3-1 win over Uruguay in a friendly in Buenos Aires over the weekend. He is part of a 20-man roster for the U.S. U-17 National Team playing in the Four-Nations Tournament this week down in Argentina. He has scored three goals in his last six appearances for the U.S. U-17s.

Porter leads Akron to No. 2 ranking, nine straight victories

Caleb Porter, who will take over as the Timbers head coach for the 2013 season, has the Akron Zips on a roll as the end of the 2012 NCAA regular season draws near. The Zips have won nine straight matches and, as a result, have moved up to No. 2 in the national rankings.

The Zips defeated in-state foe Ohio State 1-0 earlier this week on Tuesday. Midfielder Reinaldo Brenes scored his ninth goal of the season and goalkeeper David Meves logged his ninth shutout in the last 10 games. The clean sheet was Meves' 49th career shutout, making him Akron's all-time shutout leader.

Akron, which owns a 12-1-2 overall record and a perfect 5-0-0 mark in conference play, closes out the month of October on the road, facing Hartwick on Sunday at 1 p.m. (Pacific) and Michigan State on Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific).

Timbers U-23s defender Anthony Hobbs named a finalist for Senior CLASS Award

Timbers U-23s defender Anthony Hobbs, a senior at Florida International University, has been named one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award for men's Division I soccer. Finalists were selected by a media committee from a group of 30 candidates announced in September. Click here for more on Hobbs and the Senior CLASS Award.

A fan vote is now open to help decide the 2012 recipient; click here to submit a vote. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2012 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup championships in early December.

TEAM MEDIA SOURCES

TV: "Timbers In 30"

The Timbers weekly television show, "Timbers In 30," features exclusive, inside access to the club and airs each Friday at 6:30 p.m. on KPTV Fox 12. Moved to a new, Friday night time slot this season, "Timbers In 30" focuses on inside access to the inner-workings and personalities of the club and provides detailed team and game analysis with in-studio appearances from Timbers players and coaches each week.

Previously aired shows and "Timbers In 30" features can be found at www.portlandtimbers.com .

Radio: "Talk Timbers"

The Timbers' weekly radio talk show, "Talk Timbers," presented by JELD-WEN Windows & Doors regularly airs each Tuesdays at 6 p.m. (Pacific) on 750 AM The Game. Hosted by Fletcher Johnson, "Talk Timbers" features interviews with club officials, coaches, players and special guests. The show will provide team news and the latest information from around MLS during the 2012 season.

Fans can submit questions, provide comments or simply following the conversation on Talk Timbers on Twitter with the hash tag #TalkTimbers.

Fans can tune in to the show live on 750 AM The Game or listen online at www.750thegame.com . Available podcasts can be downloaded at www.portlandtimbers.com/timbers-podcast-network .

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Major League Soccer Stories from October 25, 2012


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