MATCH INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, May 16, 2015
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. (Pacific)
Location: BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston, Texas)
Forecast: 89 degrees, partly cloudy
Referee: Edvin Jurisevic
Assistant Referees: James Conlee, Kyle Longville Fourth Official: Daniel Fitzgerald
Local TV: KPTV FOX 12
Talent: Keith Bleyer (play-by-play), Ross Smith (analyst), Samantha Yarock (reporter)
English Radio: 750 The Game (KXTG 750AM, 102.9FM) Talent: Jake Zivin (play-by-play), Adin Brown (analyst)
Spanish Radio: La GranD (KGGD 93.5FM, 1150 AM)
Talent: Josue del Castillo (play-by-play), Ozkar Ramos (analyst)
MATCH PREVIEW
Saturday’s match between the Timbers and Dynamo marks the first of three meetings between the two sides during the 2015 regular season. Houston joined the Western Conference ahead of this season following the addition of expansion clubs Orlando City SC and New York City FC to the Eastern Conference. Portland enters Saturday’s match following a 2-1 win on the road against the Montreal Impact on May 9 at Stade Saputo. The Timbers are currently in the midst of a three-game road swing that started May 9 and concludes on May 23 at Toronto FC. Portland has lost just once in its last four matches and is 2-2-1 overall on the road this season. Houston comes into Saturday’s match following a 2-1 road win at Toronto FC on May 10 at BMO Field, which snapped a four- game winless streak for the Dynamo.
LAST MATCH RECAP
Kicking off a three-game road swing, the Timbers utilized a strong second-half performance, receiving the game-winning goal from midfielder Diego Valeri and the opening goal from defender Nat Borchers to earn a 2-1 win against the Montreal Impact in front of 13,020 fans at Stade Saputo on May 9. Valeri, who made his first start of the 2015 season on Saturday, provided Portland with what would stand as the game-winning goal in the 70th minute. Minutes before Valeri’s goal, Borchers opened the scoring for Portland in the 64th minute as the Impact failed to successfully clear a Timbers corner kick.
ALL-TIME SERIES NOTES
Saturday’s match marks the sixth all-time meeting between the Timbers and Houston, dating back to the 2011 season. While Portland trails the all-time MLS series with a 1-2-2 record, the Timbers are unbeaten in three consecutive games against the Dynamo since 2012. The Timbers have earned back-to-back draws on the road at BBVA Compass Stadium and are one of just three MLS sides (Colorado and Toronto FC) that have not suffered a loss at the venue since it opened in 2012 (not including MLS expansion sides Orlando City SC and New York City FC).
Last season, Portland forward Gastón Fernández registered the game-tying goal in the first half of a 1-1 draw in Houston on April 27, 2014. Portland conceded the opening goal against the run of play, but quickly found the equalizer and finished the match with nearly 60 percent of possession and nearly 500 pass attempts.
In their first appearance at BBVA Compass Stadium, and just the second-ever MLS match played at the venue, the Timbers played to a scoreless draw against Houston on May 12, 2012. In their only other trip to Houston, the Timbers conceded two early goals and fell short in a comeback attempt in a 2-1 loss against the Dynamo at Robertson Stadium on Aug. 14, 2011.
LAST TIME VS. HOUSTON
Forward Gastón Fernández registered a first-half equalizer, goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made four saves and the Timbers controlled nearly 60 percent of the possession to earn a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dynamo on April 27, 2014, at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston.
SCOUTING THE DYNAMO
Houston enters Saturday’s match following a 2-1 road win against Toronto FC in the Canadian side’s 2015 home opener. Head coach Owen Coyle, who joined Houston this season following managerial stints with English clubs Burnley (2007-10), Bolton (2010-12) and Wigan Athletic (2013), has the Dynamo on 13 points through 11 matches. The win against Toronto FC snapped a four-game winless streak (0-2-2) from April 18-May 5. Forward Giles Barnes leads the team with five goals in 10 games, while midfielder Brad Davis has a team-leading three assists. Houston is 2-3-2 overall at BBVA Compass Stadium in 2015.
CONSISTENCY
The Timbers have had five players play every minute of the club’s matches so far this season. No other team in MLS has had as many players play every minute of their team’s matches in 2015. Liam Ridgewell, Adam Kwarasey, Nat Borchers, Alvas Powell and Darlington Nagbe have each gone the full 90 in Portland’s 10 matches (900 minutes).
TACKLES
Entering the week, Timbers defender Alvas Powell ranks first among all players in MLS with 59 tackles, including nine against Montreal on May 9. Powell has tallied nine tackles in back-to-back matches. A Jamaican international, Powell has played all 90 minutes in each of Portland’s first 10 matches.
STAUNCH DEFENSE
Through 10 games, the Timbers have one of the strongest defenses in the league. Portland has a goals-against average of 0.90, which is tied for the third- lowest in MLS. Goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey is tied for second overall with four shutouts.
HITTING THE ROAD
The Timbers will look to continue their past success on the road as they will play their next two matches away from home with trips to Houston and Toronto FC. Last year, Portland compiled a 7-6-4 mark on the road. Starting with a 1-0 win at New York City FC on April 19, Portland will travel a minimum of 17,776 miles (calculated using direct air distance) in 35 days for MLS regular-season matches. Portland is 2-2-1 overall on the road this season.
CREATING CHANCES
Midfielder Darlington Nagbe, who is Portland’s MLS-career leader in appearances (136), enters the week ranked sixth in the league in chances created (including assists) with 24. Nagbe is just six shy of league-leader Pedro Morales of Vancouver (30).
ROAD SUCCESS
Since 2013, Portland’s 12 road losses (12-12-15) rank as the fewest in MLS during the last two-plus seasons. Additionally, Portland is 7-2-5 overall when scoring first on the road since 2013.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Defender Nat Borchers is two games away from reaching the 300 career games played milestone. Borchers enters Saturday’s match with 298 career MLS appearances.
With his next assist, midfielder Jack Jewsbury will move into a tie for 10th place overall on the Timbers all-time career assists chart with Timbers Ring of Honor member Jimmy Conway (1978-80). Jewsbury currently sits in 11th place with 15 assists for Portland since 2011.
With his next assist, midfielder Diego Valeri will move into sole possession of fourth place on the team’s all-time career leaders list for assists. Valeri is tied for fourth with NASL Timbers forward Clyde Best (1977-81) with 27 career assists.
Defender Liam Ridgewell enters Saturday’s match with 25 consecutive starts for the Timbers. Ridgewell has started every match for Portland since his debut on July 18, 2014. Ridgewell has played an MLS-club record 2,250 consecutive minutes and can extend his record on Saturday with a start at Houston.
The Timbers enter Saturday’s match with 198 regular-season goals in MLS, just two goals shy of their milestone 200th MLS goal since 2011.
FIRST GOAL IN FIRST START
Midfielder Diego Valeri celebrated his first start of the 2015 season with the game-winning goal against Montreal on May 9, which marked his first goal of the year and the 22nd of his Timbers MLS career. Valeri, who missed the first eight games of the season after sustaining a torn ACL in his left knee on Oct. 25, 2014, made his first appearance of the season on May 2 against Vancouver. Valeri is the Timbers MLS-career leader in goals (22) and ranks ninth on the team’s all-time record list across all eras. Valeri continues his way up the Timbers’ record book and is one of four players in club history with at least 20 goals and 20 assists. The playmaker sits alongside NASL legends Clyde Best, Dale Mitchell and John Bain in Portland’s 20-20 club.
10,000 MINUTES
During Portland’s 2-1 victory over the Montreal Impact on May 9, midfielder Rodney Wallace became just the third Costa Rica-born MLS player to surpass 10,000 minutes played in the league joining Gonzalo Segares and Leonardo Gonzalez. The 2014 MLS Comeback Player of the Year also notched his second assist of the season in the match, helping to set up Valeri’s game-winning goal.
PUSHING THROUGH THE FOULS
Portland ranks first overall in the league in dribbles completed (100), according to Opta. The stat tracks moments when an individual player successfully dribbles around an opponent while retaining possession. Portland’s 100 dribbles completed is 18 more than the next best team. Midfielder Darlington Nagbe (34) and defender Alvas Powell (27) rank second and third, respectively, in the league behind FC Dallas’ Fabian Castillo (39). Highlighting the stat is the fact that the Timbers are the most fouled team in MLS (154). Nagbe has been fouled 33 times, which ranks as the most in MLS.
PASSING ACCURACY
Entering the week, the Timbers rank fourth in MLS in successful passes (3,411) and fourth in passing accuracy (80 percent). The Timbers have registered five consecutive games with a passing accuracy rate above 80 percent and rank fourth in the league in total touches (6,424) through 10 games. Individually, midfielder Diego Chara (437) ranks third in successful passes and midfielder Darlington Nagbe is ninth (413). Portland and New York City FC are the only two clubs with two players ranked in the top 10 in successful passes.
