PORTLAND, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers U-23s continue their four-match homestand Saturday as they play host to the Washington Crossfire at Sherwood High School in Sherwood, Ore.; kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Portland and Washington meet for the second time this season.
As the host youth club on Saturday, Sherwood Soccer Club is conducting a canned food drive at the game to support Sherwood Helping Hands. Individual tickets for Saturday’s match are $5 and will be available for purchase at the gate. Families of four or more can purchase a family ticket for $20 plus a canned food item to donate. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit Sherwood Soccer Club.
The kickoff time on Saturday has been changed to 7:30 p.m. from its previously announced time of 7 p.m.
The Timbers U-23s (5-4-1, 16pts) enter the week in second place in the Premier Development League’s Northwest Division, but sit just two points clear of the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency and Victoria Highlanders in a two-way tie for third place at 14 points.
The Timbers U-23s snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-0 win over the Tacoma Tide in their last match June 18. Defender Dylan Tucker scored his first goal of the season, forward Brent Richards notched his team-leading third assist and goalkeeper Jason Dodson picked up his third shutout to help Portland back into the win column.
The Crossfire (1-5-2, 5pts) make their lone visit to Oregon during the regular-season on Saturday. The Timbers U-23s defeated Washington 6-0 on the road May 15, receiving a three-goal performance from Richards in just the third hat trick in team history. The Timbers U-23s are 3-2-0 all-time against the Crossfire, who played the 2009 PDL season as the Seattle Wolves.
Washington ended a string of three straight losses with its first win of the season on June 19, defeating the Whitecaps Residency 3-1 on the road. Forward Collin Rigby recorded a goal and an assist against Vancouver to help the team salvage a two-game road trip to British Columbia; the Crossfire lost 4-0 to Victoria the day before. The Crossfire’s visit to face the Timbers U-23s comes in the middle of a four-match road swing for the team.
The Timbers U-23s and Crossfire finish their three-game, regular-season series on Sunday, July 17 at Redmond High School in Redmond, Wash., at 5 p.m.
