On Wednesday night, the Portland Timbers travel to Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, to face Real Salt Lake in a crucial Round of 16 match in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Timbers will be looking for some revenge after their elimination at the hands of Real Salt Lake in 2013 and a chance to make a quarterfinal appearance for the third-straight year. Here are five numbers to know ahead of the match in the latest Quick Strikes by Simple.
2In their first-ever U.S. Open Cup appearance in 2004, the Portland Timbers scored two goals en route to a 2-1 Third Round victory. Coincidentally, that match was played against another Utah team, the Utah Blitz, at Rice-Eccles Stadium, which Real Salt Lake called home through the 2008 season.
6Since 2009, the Timbers have won six Open Cup matches on the road. Three of those wins came against other MLS clubs, including victories over FC Dallas in 2013, Sporting Kansas City in 2014, and Seattle Sounders FC this year.
9The Timbers have played in 9 U.S. Open Cup matches since joining MLS ahead of the 2012 season, with an overall record of 6-3. In 2013, the Timbers won three of its four matches, including a quarterfinal showdown with MLS side FC Dallas. The Timbers were defeated in the semifinals that year by Wednesday's opponent, Real Salt Lake.
15Nine current Timbers players have combined to score 15 U.S. Open Cup goals since 2013. Leading that group are Gastón Fernández (four goals), Diego Valeri (three goals), and Darlington Nagbe (two goals). With his next Open Cup goal, Fernández will tie Frédéric Piquionne for the most Open Cup goals in Timbers MLS history.
19An astonishing 19 different Timbers players have seen the field in regular season and Open Cup play since June 6. That rotational depth has paid off, as the Timbers have climbed to a 4-1-0 record in all competitions in that time span.
