PORTLAND TIMBERS vs SPORTING KANSAS CITY
PROVIDENCE PARK, Portland, Ore.
September 9, 2015 (WEEK 28, MLS Game #274)
7:30 p.m. PT (KPTV; KMCI-38)
A critical contest in the MLS Cup Playoffs race is ahead when the Portland Timbers entertain Sporting Kansas City at Providence Park on Wednesday evening. The teams come into the game tied on 40 points, deadlocked for fifth place and the final two postseason positions ñ but hold just a two-point margin over seventh-place San Jose. The Timbers saw their four-game undefeated streak come to an end last time out in a 2-1 loss at arch-rivals Seattle Sounders FC, while Sporting lost their third game in a row, falling 2-1 at the Colorado Rapids in their last contest.
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REFEREE: Fotis Bazakos. AR1 (bench): Corey Rockwell; AR2 (opposite): Mike Rottersman; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal
MLS Career: 45 games; FC/gm: 26.6; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 9; pens: 16
SUSPENDED: POR: Liam Ridgewell (caution accumulation; through Sept. 9)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: POR: Alvas Powell
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: POR: Diego Chara, Rodney Wallace, Diego Valeri Ö KC: Roger Espinoza, Benny Feilhaber, Soni Mustivar, Matt Besler, Paulo Nagamura, Kevin Ellis, Dom Dwyer
DISABLED LIST: KC: Ike Opara
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (6 meetings): Timbers 2 wins, 6 goals Ö Sporting KC 3 wins, 8 goals Ö Ties 1
AT PORTLAND (3 meetings): Timbers 1 win, 2 goals Ö Sporting KC 2 wins, 3 goals Ö Ties 0
FUTURE MATCH: 10/3: Portland Timbers vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. PT
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. They reached a scoreless draw March 21 at Sporting Park.
- The road team has won three of the six meetings all-time in the series, including a 1-0 Sporting victory last year at Providence Park, the last meeting in Portland.
- The Timbers have come away with points on each of their last two visits to Sporting Park. The Timbers also won a fifth-round match in the U.S. Open Cup last year in Kansas City.
- Coaches record: Peter Vermes vs. POR: P6 W3 L2 D1 Ö Caleb Porter vs. KC: P3 W1 L1 D1
LAST MEETING (MLS):
3/21: KC 0, POR 0
- Sporting had the better chances on the night, but failed to put them on target -- center back Ike Opara twice sending headers off the mark, and fullback Jalil Anibaba also flashing a header over the goal.
- Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey was credited with two saves for his second clean sheet of the young season, while SKC goalkeeper Luis Marin made three saves, the best in the 62nd minute when he stopped an effort from Fanendo Adi.
- SPORTING KANSAS CITY (4-1-2-3): Luis Marin - Jalil Anibaba, Ike Opara, Matt Besler, Marcel de Jong - Benny Feilhaber (Servando Carrasco 84) - Paulo Nagamura, Roger Espinoza (Soni Mustivar 90) - Jimmy Medranda (Bernardo Anor 56), Dom Dwyer, Graham Zusi.
- PORTLAND TIMBERS (4-2-3-1): Adam Kwarasey - Alvas Powell, Nat Borchers, Liam Ridgewell, Jorge Villafana - Diego Chara, Jack Jewsbury - Dairon Asprilla (Gaston Fernandez 76), Darlington Nagbe, Rodney Wallace (Jeanderson 90), Fanendo Adi (Maximiliano Urruti 76).
Related Content:
Timbers say goals will come despite season-long scoring slump
CHECK OUT THE INJURY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH
CHECK OUT THE DISCIPLINARY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH
