MATCH INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015
Kickoff: 2 p.m. (Pacific)
Location: Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Forecast: Partly Cloudy, 76 degrees
Referee: Drew Fischer
Assistant Referees: Jeff Hosking, Gregory Barkey Fourth Official: Daniel Radford
National TV: ESPN
Talent: Adrian Healey (play-by-play), Taylor Twellman (analyst)
English Radio: 750 The Game (KXTG 750AM, 102.9FM)
Talent: Keith Bleyer (play-by-play), Ross Smith (analyst)
Spanish Radio: La GranD (KGGD 93.5FM, 1150 AM)
Talent: Josue del Castillo (play-by-play), Ozkar Ramos (analyst)
MATCH PREVIEW
Sunday’s match marks the one, and only, regular-season meeting between the Timbers and New York Red Bulls in 2015. It is the first visit to Portland for the Red Bulls since the opening match of the 2013 MLS season, a span of two years and six months. The Timbers, who are coming off a scoreless draw against Sporting Kansas City on Sept. 9, play host to the Red Bulls in the second of back-to-back home games at Providence Park. Portland has compiled a 10- game unbeaten streak (6-0-4) at home since May 2. New York enters Sunday’s nationally televised match following a physical, 2-1 loss on the road against the New England Revolution in a game that featured eight combined yellow cards. Despite the loss, New York has put together a 7-2-1 record in its last 10 games.
LAST MATCH RECAP
The Timbers registered their league-leading 12th clean sheet of the season, holding visiting Sporting Kansas City to just two shots on goal, while earning an 18-8 advantage in total shots, in a scoreless draw before a sellout crowd of 21,144 fans at Providence Park on Sept. 9. Portland produced a strong offensive performance, generating seven shots on goal, but were unable to find the back of the net. With the result, Portland extended its regular-season home unbeaten streak to 10 consecutive games (6-0-4) at Providence Park, dating back to May 2 in a scoreless draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
LAST TIME VS. NEW YORK RED BULLS
The Portland Timbers overcame an early deficit to earn their first road victory of the 2014 season with a 2-1 win against the New York Red Bulls, extending their unbeaten streak to five consecutive matches in front of 19,513 fans at Red Bull Arena on May 24, 2014. Despite conceding the opening goal on a first-half penalty kick, Portland responded with two unanswered goals while earning its first-ever win at Red Bull Arena. Forward Maximiliano Urruti, who registered a brace, netted the game-winning goal with a low drive inside the far left post following a deflected cross from defender Jorge Villafaña in the 74th minute.
ALL-TIME SERIES NOTES
Sunday’s match marks the sixth all-time meeting between Portland and New York in the MLS regular-season series dating back to 2011. Searching for their first home win over the Red Bulls at Providence Park, Portland has tallied 10 goals in five matches, including two or more goals in four of the five previous regular-season games.
Most recently, the Timbers grabbed a come-from-behind, 2-1 road win against New York on May 24, 2014, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., as forward Maximiliano Urruti tallied a brace. The win marked Portland’s first-ever road win against the Red Bulls.
Portland is unbeaten in consecutive matches (1-0-1) against the Red Bulls, dating back to a 3-3 draw on March 3, 2013, in the 2013 MLS season-opening match for both teams at Providence Park. In two all-time games at Providence Park, the two sides have combined to register 12 total goals in consecutive 3-3 draws.
SCOUTING THE RED BULLS
Following a quick turnaround, the New York Red Bulls enter Sunday’s match af- ter a 2-1 road loss against the New England Revolution on Wednesday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Despite overcoming an early one-goal deficit, New York conceded the game-winning goal to New England’s Kelyn Rowe in the 65th minute of a chippy match that featured 37 combined fouls and eight yellow cards. Head coach Jesse Marsch’s side has been in a run of good form despite Wednesday’s loss, earning a 7-2-1 record in its last 10 matches. The Red Bulls have lost just three games since June 24. New York is led by forward Bradley Wright-Phillips, who has registered 14 goals and seven assists this season.
WINNING AT HOME
The Timbers rank among league leaders with a 7-1-6 overall record at Providence Park during the 2015 season, including a Timbers MLS-club-record-tying streak of five straight wins from May 27-July 5. Portland is unbeaten in its last 10 regular-season home games since May 2. Portland has compiled one of the league’s best home records with an overall mark of 23-5-20 (.691) over the last two-plus seasons since 2013. The Timbers have lost just two home games (11- 2-8) in their last 21 at Providence Park dating back to the 2014 season.
HOME UNBEATEN STREAK
The Timbers have put together a 10-game home unbeaten streak, dating back to a draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on May 2. Portland’s home unbeaten streak is currently the longest active home unbeaten streak in MLS this season and the second-longest streak this season, behind only Sporting Kansas City’s 12-game home unbeaten streak from March 8-Aug. 15.
AGAINST THE EASTERN CONFERENCE
The Timbers have compiled three straight wins at home against teams from the Eastern Conference this season with shutouts against D.C. United (1-0 on May 27), the New England Revolution (1-0 on June 6) and Chicago Fire (1-0 on Aug. 7).
KEEPING CLEAN SHEETS
Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey ranks first in MLS with 12 clean sheets in 27 appearances this season. Kwarasey, who is in his first season with the Timbers, ranks tied for sixth in wins (11) and sixth in minutes played (2,340). Additionally, Kwarasey ranks fourth in the league with a 1.07 goals-against average.
LATE GAME FOCUS
The Timbers are tied for second in the league with 14 goals scored in the final 15 minutes of matches this season. Portland has scored 19 goals in the final 30 minutes, while logging 22 of their 29 goals in the second half through 28 games this season.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
With six games remaining on Portland’s regular-season schedule, the Timbers enter the week tied for fifth place on points (41) in the tight Western Conference standings. No team has separated itself from the pack as just seven points separate the No. 1 position (Vancouver, 48) from Portland in the sixth, and final, spot to the postseason from the conference at the start of the week. Additionally, San Jose (40pts) and Houston (35pts) are within striking distance of reaching the MLS Cup Playoffs.
ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
The Timbers know how to put on a show for national television - combining with opponents for an average of 3.04 goals per game on national broadcasts since the 2011 season.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
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 goal, forward Fanendo Adi will tie the Timbers MLS single-season club record for goals in a season (11), set by midfielder Diego Valeri in 2014. Adi tallied his 10th goal in a 1-0 win against Chicago on Aug. 7 at Providence Park. The single-season club record across all eras is 18 goals scored by Fadi Afash in 2002. Adi’s next goal also will be his 20th career regular-season goal for Portland.
Midfielder Darlington Nagbe enters Sunday’s match with 154 career regular- season appearances for the Timbers since 2011. He ranks third overall on the team’s career list of appearances behind only USL defender Scot Thompson (156) and NASL midfielder Willie Anderson (160). Should Nagbe play on Sunday against New York, it will be his 155th career MLS appearance.
