PORTLAND, Ore.- The Portland Timbers face the first-place Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday at Swangard Stadium in their third road game in four matches. The Timbers will have the services of forward Bryan Jordan for Saturday’s match while on loan from Major League Soccer’s Los Angles Galaxy. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Timbers are in the middle of a stretch of seven games in 16 days, including two non-league games next week. On Thursday, Portland earned its seventh shutout of the season as it played the Minnesota Thunder to a 0-0 draw at PGE Park. With the draw, the Timbers climbed into a two-way tie for second place with the Charleston Battery at 17 points.
Jordan joined the Timbers on Wednesday on a short-term loan from the Galaxy and played in team’s match against the Thunder. Transferred by the Timbers to the Galaxy in March, Jordan played all 90 minutes and took one shot in his return. He will return to Los Angeles following the match on Saturday.
Portland and Vancouver meet for the second time in three weeks on Saturday. On May 24 at PGE Park, the Whitecaps claimed a 1-0 win over Portland on a goal by midfielder Vicente Arze to break Portland’s run of 18 unbeaten regular-season matches at home. Saturday marks the first of two regular-season visits to Vancouver by the Timbers in 2008.
The Timbers are 7-15-8 in regular-season meetings against the Whitecaps since joining the USL First Division in 2001. In matches in Vancouver, the Timbers are just 1-11-2, including a 0-0 draw in the 2007 regular-season finale.
The Whitecaps (6-2-1, 19pts) are on a three-match winning streak and have recorded shutouts in each of their last three matches. Their run started on May 24 against the Timbers. The Whitecaps play just three regular-season matches during the month of June, including two matches at home.
Saturday’s match is one of several Cascadia Cup matches for both teams this season. The Cascadia Cup is a fan-based, Northwest derby between the Timbers, Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders. Started in 2004, the team with the best head-to-head record against the other two sides wins the annual cup.
Portland goalkeeper Ray Burse will miss Saturday’s match in Vancouver while on duty with MLS’s FC Dallas. On loan for the 2008 season from FC Dallas, Burse was recalled on Wednesday by the MLS club for a game against the New England Revolution on Friday.
Statistics
