PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers U-23s play host to Seattle Sounders FC U-23 on Friday at Kiggins Bowl in Vancouver Wash.; kickoff is 7:30 p.m. (Pacific). Friday’s match opens a stretch of two games in four days for the Timbers U-23s.
Tickets for the matchup between Cascadia rivals will be available for purchase at the gate. Prior to kickoff, the Portland Rain of the Women’s Premier Soccer League and an adidas Timbers Alliance club will take on Emerald City in a league match at 4 p.m.
With a 4-1 win over North Sound SeaWolves FC on June 17, the Timbers U-23s (6-2-1, 19pts) ended a three-game winless stretch. Forward Erik Hurtado recorded his first brace of the season and assisted on the opening goal by Clark Phillips to lead Portland to its fifth straight home win this season. For his performance, Hurtado was named honorable mention on the Premier Development League’s Team of the Week for Week 7.
The Timbers U-23s enter Friday’s contest in third place in the PDL’s Northwest Division, three points behind the Kitsap Pumas and Washington Crossfire tied for first with 22 points. Sounders FC U-23 (5-2-3, 18pts) sit in fourth place in the division.
Friday’s match is the second of a two-game, regular-season series between the Timbers U-23s and Sounders FC U-23 in 2012. In the first meeting on June 2, Sounders FC U-23s won 1-0 on a game-winning goal by forward Jamael Cox in second-half stoppage time. The Timbers U-23s out-shot Sounders FC U-23 10-6, and forced Seattle goalkeeper Doug Herrick to make eight saves.
For Sounders FC U-23, Friday’s match opens a stretch of four straight road matches.
The Timbers U-23s return to action Monday, June 25, when they visit North Sound SeaWolves FC at Edmonds Woodway High School at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific).
ABOUT PORTLAND TIMBERS U-23s
Founded Nov. 11, 2008, the Portland Timbers U-23s, presented by Billups Worldwide, is an amateur team affiliated with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer and serves as a development platform for the club's first team. The team consists of standout players from collegiate and youth programs from Oregon, the Northwest and throughout the country. Since its formation, four Timbers U-23s players have signed with the first team, including midfielder Freddie Braun, goalkeeper Jake Gleeson, defender Ryan Kawulok and forward Brent Richards, who became the Timbers' first Homegrown Player in 2012. The Timbers U-23s assembled an historic campaign in 2010, posting a perfect 16-0-0 record during the regular season on their way to becoming the first undefeated champion in PDL history. For more information, visit www.portlandtimbers.com/u-23s.
