The Portland Timbers head into a key match at home Friday against Real Salt Lake (7pm PT, NBCSN). The Vancouver Whitecaps sit just one point ahead of them in the Western Conference, which Portland can leapfrog with a win. Let's take a look at five numbers to know for Friday's match.
48In 62 career MLS appearances, Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri has scored 21 goals and contributed 27 assists for 48 total points. His 11 goals this season set a new club MLS record and at 14 assists, he is tied for second most in MLS.
2 The Timbers are on a two-game winning streak, having beaten San Jose two games in a row last week. It is the third time this season that Portland has won back-to-back matches. It also didn't hurt that Valeri scored a brace against the Earthquakes on Saturday, adding to his MVP credentials.
ZEROPortland allowed zero shots on goal last week against the Quakes on their way to their second straight MLS shutout. It was also Portland's third clean sheet in a row at Providence Park across all competitions.
3 in 2Rodney Wallace has come on strong with five goals from 15 appearances in 2014 following offseason surgery. Against San Jose last week, Wallace racked up three goals in two matches, including a brace on Oct 4.
3-1 Portland last played Real Salt Lake on June 7 in what seems like ages ago. The Timbers used that match to kickstart their summer offensive blast, knocking in three goals to RSL's one. The game was marked by Fanendo Adi's first half brace--one of four two-goal games he's had this season.
