MATCH INFORMATION
Date: Sept. 27, 2020
Kickoff: 7 p.m. (Pacific)
Location: Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Forecast: Clear, 66 degrees
Referee: Ted Unkel
Assistant Referees: Mike Rottersman, Chris Elliott
Fourth Official: Brandon Stevis
VAR: Alejandro Mariscal
Local TV: ROOT SPORTS
Talent: Jake Zivin (play-by-play), Ross Smith (analyst), Nat Borchers (analyst)
English Radio: 750 The Game
Talent: Keith Bleyer (play-by-play), Joe Sleven (analyst), Fletcher Johnson (host)
Spanish Radio: La GranD (KGGD 93.5 FM, 1150 AM)
LAST TIME OUT
The Portland Timbers registered a 1-0 shutout victory over Seattle Sounders FC at Providence Park on Wednesday night. Yimmi Chara tallied a goal for a third consecutive match, while Steve Clark tallied six saves and registered a shutout in the win over Seattle.
SCOUTING VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
Entering Sunday’s match, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (5-8-0,15pts) are coming off a 6-0 loss on the road to Los Angeles FC at Banc of California Stadium on Sept. 23. Cristian Dájome leads the team with three goals in 13 appearances, while three players are tied for second on the team with two goals. David Milinkovic is tied with Ali Adnan for the team-lead in assists (4). Goalkeeper Thomas Hasal has posted one shutout and 35 saves in nine regular-season appearances in 2020.
ALL-TIME SERIES NOTES
Sunday’s match marks the 25th regular-season meeting between Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Portland in MLS play. The Timbers lead the all-time series with a record of 11-7-6. At Providence Park, the Timbers are 7-2-4 all-time against Whitecaps FC and has won four of the last five matches against Vancouver in Portland, outscoring them 12-7 in those matches. In 10 career league appearances against Vancouver at Providence Park, Diego Valeri has tallied four goals and eight assists. Notably, Jeremy Ebobisse tallied his first career MLS goal and assist in a 2-1 win over Vancouver at BC Place on July 23, 2017.
CLARK EARNS MLS TEAM OF THE WEEK NOD
After posting six saves and a shutout in a 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC at Providence Park on Sept. 23, goalkeeper Steve Clark was named to the MLS Team of the Week for Week 13. The shutout was the second of the season for the Timbers and Clark. Since joining the Timbers in 2018, Clark has registered 12 shutouts and holds a 28-13-11 record in 52 appearances (50 starts) across all competitions.
VALERI NAMED MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Diego Valeri was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for the 12th week of the 2020 MLS season after tallying two goals and an assist in a 6-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Sept. 19. With his performance against San Jose, Diego Valeri now sits at 82 goals and 86 assists in 223 appearances (212 starts) in league play since joining the Timbers in 2013. Having scored or assisted in nine of the club’s 13 regular season matches in 2020, Valeri has at least a goal or an assist in 127 regular-season matches for Portland. Notably, Valeri has tallied 94 goals and 97 assists in 262 appearances (242 starts) across all competitions for the Timbers.
DEPTH ON DISPLAY
Across all competitions in 2020, 27 players have appeared in at least one match for Portland, while 12 different players have scored at least one goal and 14 different players have recorded at least one assist. Three different goalkeepers have played for the Timbers, with Aljaz Ivacic notably making his debut for the club and tallying three saves in a 6-1 win against the San Jose Earthquakes on Sept. 19. In total 19 players featured across seven games in the MLS is Back Tournament for the Timbers, and 15 of those 19 players appeared in at least three games during the tournament.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Six different Timbers players have three or more goals this season across all com- petitions. Diego Valeri leads the team with seven goals, while Jeremy Ebobisse (6) ranks second on the club. Yimmi Chara, Felipe Mora and Jaroslaw Niezgoda (3) rank tied for third on the team in goals. In addition, six different players have tallied two or more assists. Valeri leads the team in assists (5), while Diego Chara, Jeremy Ebobisse and Eryk Williamson rank tied for third (3).
