PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Timbers U-23s face their final road test of the season with a match against Lane United FC on Friday, July 11, at the Willamalane Center in Springfield, Ore. Portland returns to the Rose City for a match on Monday, July 14, playing host to Washington Crossfire in the team’s regular-season finale at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, Ore. Kickoffs are scheduled for 7 p.m. (Pacific) and 6:30 p.m. (Pacific), respectively.
Friday’s meeting is the second of back-to-back matches between Portland and Lane United FC. The Timbers U-23s (4-4-4, 16pts) played host to Lane United FC on July 1, earning a 1-1 draw at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, Ore. Defender Dennis Castillo registered his first goal for Portland in the 80th minute, but Lane United FC scored the equalizer in the 88th minute.
Lane United FC (2-9-2, 8pts) is coming off a 2-1 loss against Vancouver Whitecaps FC U23 on Tuesday at the Willamalane Center in Springfield, Ore. Lane United FC battled back from a 1-0 deficit as midfielder Edgar Gomez tied the game in the 81st minute, but Whitecaps FC U23 tallied the game-winning goal in the final 10 minutes of the match.
The Timbers U-23s square off against Washington Crossfire (3-5-4, 13pts) for the final time this season on Monday. Portland got first-half goals from midfielder Nolan Moore and forward Kharlton Belmar, but conceded two goals in the final 10 minutes of the match in a 2-2 draw against Washington Crossfire in the first meeting of the season on June 12 at Redmond High School in Redmond, Wash.
Washington Crossfire earned a 4-1 victory on Tuesday against Sounders FC U23 behind a first-half brace from midfielder Louis Sanchez at Redmond High School. Before visiting Portland, Washington Crossfire plays host to Kitsap Pumas on Friday, July 11.
The Timbers U-23s have scored first in 10 of 12 matches all-time against Washington Crossfire, including a streak of 10 straight matches. Portland has outscored Crossfire 25-19 in the all-time series, while scoring in 11 of the 12 previous meetings.
Defender Hugo Rhoads has supplied an assist in three consecutive games and tallied his fourth assist of the season on Castillo’s goal in a 2-1 win against Kitsap on June 28. Belmar ranks among the league leaders with eight goals this season, including a pair of braces.
The Timbers U-23s will play a team of MLS Homegrown players in the first-ever Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game on Monday, August 4, at Providence Park; kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The match will be streamed live on WatchESPN.com and MLSsoccer.com.
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