The Portland Timbers will kick off the 2016 MLS season against Columbus Crew SC on Sunday at Providence Park (1:30pm PT, ESPN). Here are five numbers to know for #PORvCLB in the latest Quick Strikes.
12Dating back to the USL era, the Timbers are undefeated in their last 12 home openers. In addition, Portland has never lost a home opener (all eras) against a team from a state that doesn’t border Oregon, compiling a record of 9-0-5.
5Forward Fanendo Adi had five multi-goal games in 2015--all braces--on his way to setting a new club single-season record in MLS for goals with 16 in the regular season.
7 Since Caleb Porter became manager prior to the 2013 season, the Timbers have compiled one of the best home records in MLS. Over the last three seasons, Portland has lost just seven regular season home matches, which is the second-fewest over that timespan.
6Diego Chara, Jack Jewsbury, and Darlington Nagbe have all played in at least one regular season match for the Timbers in each of the last five seasons. If they make an appearance in 2016 for Portland, the players will join Scot Thompson, Willie Anderson, Graham Day, Brian Gant, and Gavin Wilkinson as the only Timbers to play in a match in six or more seasons for the club.
780 The match will be the 780th competitive match played in by the Timbers as a professional team, dating back to the club's founding in 1975. It will also be the first match the Timbers have ever played as a reigning league champion.
