First Touch: #RCTID
- Updated: June 3, 2015
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
The Revolution travel to the west coast to face the Portland Timbers on Saturday for their only matchup this season. Kickoff is 10:30 pm ET.
Here are a few things to know about the Timbers going into the match:
*The Timbers start the month of June in the midst of a competitive Western Conference in sixth place with 19 points. Their 5-5-4 record puts them only two points behind three teams tied for third, and seven points behind the conference-leading Seattle Sounders. However, their record gives them only one point in front of the San Jose Earthquakes, who have played one fewer game, and two points in front of the Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake.
*Portland’s mixed results also pertain to their home record, which has resulted in a 2-3-1 mark at Providence Park so far in 2015. Only Orlando SC has defeated the Timbers at home this season, winning 2-0 on April 12th. The Timbers last home match resulted in a 1-0 win from last week’s match against DC United.
*The Timbers’ last match resulted in a 2-1 victory on the road against Colorado, which gave them their second straight one-goal victory, and six points over the span of four days.
*Portland’s leading scorer is Nigerian forward and designated player Fanendo Adi, who was scored four goals in 14 appearances (10 starts) so far in 2015. Adi joined the Timbers on loan from FC Copenhagen in 2014 before the Timbers utilized a purchase option in Jun. 2014. Adi ended the 2014 campaign third in goals for the Timbers in 2014 behind Diego Valeri (11 goals) and Maximiliano Urruti (10 goals). Urruti is second on the team in goals scored, with two in seven starts and 14 appearances total. Valeri has one goal in four appearances, as he recovers from an ACL injury from last season.
*Other key players on the Timbers include midfielder Rodney Wallace, right back Alvas Powell, and attacking midfielder Darlington Nagbe. Wallace leads the team with three assists so far in 2015. Powell leads the team with 5.4 tackles per game and has three man of the match awards, according to www.whoscored.com. Nagbe is the primary playmaker in the midfield who is second on the team, behind Jack Jewsbury, in pass success rate with 88.5 percent and is also second on the team with two assists.
*The Timbers primarily use a 4-2-3-1 formation, which they have started 11 of 14 matches with. In those 11 matches, the Timbers have a 4-4-3 record. In the remaining three matches, they have utilized a 4-4-2 formation, leading to a 1-0-2 record.
*The primary Timbers lineup and player ratings, according to www.whoscored.com, is presented below:
*The Timbers are coached by Caleb Porter, a former MLS midfielder who had brief spells with the San Jose Clash and Tampa Bay Mutiny from 1998 to 2000. Porter began his managerial career at the University of Akron, where he turned the Mid-American Conference school into a national powerhouse over his seven season there. During his tenure, he reached two NCAA men’s soccer championship finals in 2009 and 2010, including winning the 2010 championship with current MLS players Darlington Nagbe of the Timbers, Ben Speas of the Crew, as well as Scott Caldwell of the Revolution. Caldwell’s Revolution teammate Teal Bunbury also played for Porter at Akron.
*During his tenure at Akron, Porter was named head coach of the U.S. U-23 Men’s National Term, but his squad failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
*After completing the 2012 NCAA season, Porter left Akron for the Portland Timbers, where he has compiled a 31-19-32 record. In Porter’s first season, the Timbers went from a disappointed 8th place finish in 2012 to a 1st place finish in 2013, before being knocked out by the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference Finals. Porter won the 2013 MLS Coach of the Year and was the head coach for the 2014 MLS All-Star Game, when the MLS beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in a controversial match where Bayern manager refused to shake Porter’s hand because of the aggressive play from the MLS players.
*The Revolution and Timbers last met at Gillette Stadium on August 16th when the teams fought to a 1-1 draw. Charlie Davies put the Revolution in front in the 27th minute, but Liam Ridgewell scored his first MLS goal in the 65ht minute to level the score, which held through the rest of the game. Here are highlights from that match:
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