Latest News Release from Portland Timbers Football Club (July 17 5:00 PM)

Portland Timbers Communications communications@portlandtimbers.com
5:00 PM (34 minutes ago)

to Portland

For immediate release: July 17, 2012
Chris Metz (503) 553-5433 , cmetz@portlandtimbers.com
Marc Kostic (503) 553-5415 , mkostic@portlandtimbers.com

TIMBERS WEEKLY UPDATE: JULY 17, 2012
Timbers continue busy July schedule this week with road matches against Chivas USA and FC Dallas

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers play back-to-back road games this week as they continue their busy July slate. The Timbers travel to play Chivas USA on Wednesday at The Home Depot Center with an afternoon kickoff time of 1 p.m. (Pacific). Portland will then head out to play FC Dallas at FC Dallas Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m. (Pacific).

Wednesday’s match will be broadcast live on ROOT SPORTS. Saturday’s contest will be televised on KPTV and carried live on the Portland Timbers Television Network in the Oregon markets of Bend (NTVZ/Central Oregon’s CW), Eugene (KEVU/MyNetworkTV) and Medford (KFBI-TV/My48), as well as in Spanish on Estrella TV. Radio broadcasts of both matches will be available on 750 AM The Game and in Spanish on La Pantera 940 AM.

The Timbers (5-9-4, 19pts) face their third and fourth road matches over the last six games when they play Chivas USA and FC Dallas this week. Portland opened a stretch of five games in 15 days in the match against the LA Galaxy over the weekend.

Wednesday’s afternoon match against Chivas USA (5-7-5, 20pts) will be the second meeting of the season between the two Western Conference clubs. On April 7, the Timbers took an early 1-0 lead on a Kris Boyd goal, but two second-half strikes propelled Chivas USA to a 2-1 win at JELD-WEN Field. Portland is 1-2-0 all-time in MLS play against Chivas USA, and 2-2-0 across all competitions.

Saturday’s contest against FC Dallas (4-9-7, 19 pts) will be the second of three matchups this season between the two clubs. On March 17, FC Dallas forward Blas Pérez scored his first MLS goal in the 22nd minute. But shortly after the break, halftime sub Darlington Nagbe scored the equalizer for Portland to level the score 1-1 to help the Timbers earn a point on the road. The all-time MLS series between the Timbers and FC Dallas is tied at 1-1-1.

TIMBERS GAME NOTES vs. CHIVAS USA
· The Timbers and Chivas USA will meet for the fourth time in MLS play on Wednesday, and it’s the fifth all-time meeting between the two clubs.

· The match against Chivas USA will be the first Wednesday game for Portland this season. Overall, the Timbers are 2-1-2 all-time as an MLS club in games played on a Wednesday.

· The Timbers are currently unbeaten in weekday games in 2012, with a record of 2-0-1.

· Having traveled to The Home Depot Center twice already this season to play the LA Galaxy, the Timbers visit the venue one last time during the regular season to play Chivas USA on Wednesday. In last year’s meeting at The Home Depot Center, Chivas USA scored the lone goal of the match in the 70th minute to beat Portland 1-0.

· Chivas USA has notched two consecutive shutouts in MLS play, .

TIMBERS PLAYERS NOTES vs. CHIVAS USA
· Forward Kris Boyd recorded the second two-goal performance by a Timbers player this season and third in their MLS history in the loss to the LA Galaxy over the weekend. Midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe accomplished the feat earlier this season in a 3-2 loss to Real Salt Lake on March 31.

· Boyd scored the second-quickest goal in Timbers MLS history in the match against the Galaxy, scoring in the third minute. Only Diego Chara’s second-minute goal against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Aug. 20, 2011, was quicker.

· Defender Kosuke Kimura became just the fourth MLS Timbers player to score in their home club debut, scoring against the Galaxy over the weekend. .

· In his career, Timbers midfielder Jack Jewsbury has registered at least a point against every MLS club except for two; one of those is Chivas USA. Jewsbury has played in 13 matches against Chivas USA in his career.

TIMBERS GAME NOTES vs. FC DALLAS
· Saturday’s match between the Timbers and FC Dallas will be the fourth all-time MLS meeting between the two clubs. The series is tied at 1-1-1.

· Portland and FC Dallas will meet for the second time in 2012 on Saturday.

· Saturday’s contest will be the second consecutive road match for the Timbers – only the second time this season where Portland has had back-to-back road games.

· Timbers midfielder Kalif Alhassan had a career-best two assists against FC Dallas coming in a 3-2 Portland win on April 17, 2011.

TEAM NEWS

Join the Timbers’ official viewing parties this week on Wednesday and Saturday
Fans are invited to join the Timbers’ official viewing parties this week, presented by ROOT SPORTS, to watch the club during its two-game road trip. On Wednesday, fans can watch the Timbers take on Chivas USA from Irishtown Bar and Grill at 1 p.m. (Pacific). Then on Saturday, Maher’s Irish Brew Pub will play host to the official viewing part for the Timbers-FC Dallas matchup at 6 p.m. (Pacific).

Irishtown Bar and Grill is located at 11600 Southeast Mill Plain Blvd. in Vancouver, Wash., and Maher’s Irish Brew Pub is located at 352 B Ave in Lake Oswego. Both viewing parties are open to fans of all ages and will feature giveaways and a special appearance from Timber Joey. At Saturday’s viewing party, fans will also be able to play Budweiser Poolball.

Click here to see where the next viewing parties will take place.

Timbers name former defender Sean McAuley assistant coach
The Timbers named former defender Sean McAuley an assistant coach with the club. McAuley joins the Timbers from England’s Sheffield Wednesday FC, where he served as a head coach in the club’s academy.

McAuley, 40, began his coaching career at Sheffield Wednesday in 2005 and spent six seasons as the club’s academy head coach. McAuley also served as the caretaker manager for Sheffield Wednesday’s first team on two occasions during the 2006-07 and 2009-10 League Championship seasons, compiling a 3-2-2 record over seven matches. He returns to Portland, where he played for the second-division Timbers in 2002 during his 15-year professional playing career. Click here for more on McAuley.

Club launches new Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance
The Timbers have launched their new Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance (PTFCA), a free, cross-promotion program designed to highlight the Rose City’s vibrant food cart culture. Through the PTFCA, select Portland-area food carts will have the opportunity to serve their food items on Timbers match days at JELD-WEN Field.

The PTFCA is free to join and is open to all interested Portland food cart operators. The alliance offers affiliated food carts joint social media and grass roots promotional opportunities as well as the chance to create official Timbers-themed signature food items. All PTFCA food carts will be featured on the Timbers website at www.PortlandTimbers.com as well as on the club’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PortlandTimbers). Additionally, all members of the PTFCA will receive materials to identify their membership and partnership with the Timbers. In return, PTFCA food carts will offer discounts to Timbers’ Axe Society members. More information on the PTFCA is available at www.portlandtimbers.com/ptfca.</p>

Aston Villa announces travel roster ahead of Portland match
Aston Villa FC of the English Premier League announced this week the club’s travel roster for its preseason tour to the United States, which includes an international friendly against the Portland Timbers on Tuesday, July 24, at JELD-WEN Field at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific). Click here to view the club’s 25-player travel roster.

Aston Villa begins its U.S. preseason tour on Wednesday, July 18 against the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park. Three days later, the team will play the Chicago Fire on Saturday, July 21, before heading to Portland for the final stop on its three-city tour.

Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson and New Zealand U-23 National Team head to 2012 Olympics
The New Zealand U-23 National Team and Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson will compete in the London 2012 Olympics, with the team’s first group match coming against Belarus on July 26.

The “Oly Whites” have played two exhibition matches prior to the Olympic Games. The team drew with Japan 1-1 on July 11, and then fell to Korea Republic 2-1 on July 14; Gleeson started both matches.

Gleeson and company will travel to Austria to play United Arab Emirates on Thursday, July 19, in the team’s third and final warm-up game before the team’s first group match at the end of the month.

Portland Timbers U-23s advance to PDL Western Conference Semifinals
The Portland Timbers U-23s defeated the Kitsap Pumas 2-1 in a divisional playoff match at Gladstone High School on Sunday evening, booking a trip to the Premier Development League’s Western Conference semifinals. Click here for more information on the PDL playoffs.

Portland forward Mark Sherrod scored the game’s first goal in just the second minute, and midfielder Roberto Farfan scored the game-winning goal midway through the second half to advance.

The Timbers U-23s will travel to Ventura, Calif., to play the Ventura County Fusion in the Western Conference Semifinals on Saturday, July 21 at 5 p.m. (Pacific). If the team wins, they will play the winner of the FC Tucson-Sounders FC U-23 match on Sunday, July 22 at 5 p.m. (Pacific) for the conference championship.

Timbers U-23s’ Eric Miller selected to U.S. U-20 National Team for Milk Cup
Timbers U-23s defender/midfielder Eric Miller has been named to the U.S. U-20 National Team’s 18-player roster for the 2012 Northern Ireland Milk Cup, which will take place from July 21-26.

The U.S. National Team, led by head coach Tab Ramos, will face Denmark on Saturday, July 21, at Scroggy Road in Limavady, Northern Ireland. Two days later, the team will take on Turkey on Monday, July 23, at the Showgrounds in the city of Ballymena. The playoff matches to determine final placement, including the championship, in the six-team tournament will take place Thursday, July 26.

Click here for more info on Miller’s recent call-up.

Timbers-inspired pizza now on sale at Papa Murphy’s
Now available at Papa Murphy’s stores in the Portland and Southwest Washington areas is the new Timbers-inspired creation, the Lumberjack Pizza. Created by Timbers fan Max Aguirre, the Lumberjack Pizza was chosen by a panel of judges, which included Timbers players Eric Alexander and Joe Bendik, from over 150 entries. Pick up a large for only $10 through Sept. 3.

The Lumberjack Pizza includes traditional Papa Murphy’s Original Crust, along with traditional red sauce and mozzarella cheese. Toppings include salami, pepperoni, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts and green peppers. The pizza is finished with a blend of grated provolone and cheddar cheeses.

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” will focus on inside access to the inner-workings and personalities of the club and provide 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.</p>

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 John Strong, “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 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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