Portland Timbers vs. Chivas USA | MLS Match Preview

PORTLAND TIMBERS vs CHIVAS USA
PROVIDENCE PARK, Portland, Ore.
Aug. 9, 2014 (WEEK 22, MLS Game #207)
7:30 p.m. PT (KPTV-FOX 12/Estrella; TWCD)

A pair of clubs in real need of three points to move up the Western Conference table meet Saturday evening when the Portland Timbers play host to Chivas USA at Providence Park. The Timbers come into the match three points out of fifth place and the final playoff position in the division, while Chivas USA are three points further back. The Timbers return home off a 3-1 loss at the LA Galaxy last weekend, while Chivas USA have suffered back-to-back shutout defeats, the last a 1-0 loss at home to FC Dallas.

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REFEREE: Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Baboucarr Jallow; AR2 (opposite): Marco Arruda; 4th: Daniel Radford
MLS Career: 33 games; FC/gm: 26.2; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 3; pens: 9

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARDPOR: Pa Modou Kah … CHV: Bobby Burling, Marky Delgado
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: POR: Norbetto Paparetto, Will Johnson, Diego Chara … CHV: Tony Lochhead, Mauro Rosales, Donny Toia, Erick Torres, Nathan Sturgis
DISABLED LIST: CHV: Thomas McNamara
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (10 meetings): Timbers 4 wins, 14 goals … Chivas USA 4 wins, 7 goals … Ties 2
AT PORTLAND (5 meetings): Timbers 2 wins, 6 goals … Chivas USA 2 wins, 4 goals … Ties 1

2014 (MLS)
4/12: POR 1, CHV 1 (Johnson 7 – Torres 74)
5/28: CHV 0, POR 2 (Adi 65, 71)

• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Fanendo Adi scored twice in a six-minute span midway through the second half to give the Timbers a 2-0 win May 28 at StubHub Center. On April 12, a Will Johnson goal in the fourth minute canceled out by an Erick Torres tally late in the match to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw at Providence Park.
• The Timbers have won on their last two visits to take on Chivas USA in Carson. When the Timbers defeated Chivas USA 5-0 last Oct. 26, it was their first win ever at StubHub Center. They were 0-5-2 combined previously in Carson against both Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy.
• Coaches record: Wilmer Cabrera vs. POR: P2 W0 L1 T1 … Caleb Porter vs. CHV: P5 W3 L0 T2

LAST MEETING (MLS)

• Both goals came in a six-minute span midway through in the second half. In the 65th minute, Jorge Villafana hooked in a cross from the left flank on the overlap, and Fanendo Adi was left all alone in the heart of the area to easily side-foot home past Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.
• Six minutes, Adi hit for his second, sent in clean through on goal from a through ball from midfield by Diego Valeri, again with all the time in the world to stroke the ball into the back of the net.
• Chivas USA's frustration was complete in the 84th minute when defender Bobby Burling received a straight red card from referee Edvin Jurisevic for a late tackle on Adi.
• CHIVAS USA (4-2-3-1): Dan Kennedy - Eric Avila, Bobby Burling (ejected 84), Carlos Bocanegra, Donny Toia - Agustin Pelletieri (Ryan Finley 69), Martin Rivero - Mauro Rosales, Marky Delgado (Carlos Alvarez 46), Leandro Barrera (Kris Tyrpak 61) - Erick Torres.
• PORTLAND TIMBERS (4-2-3-1): Donovan Ricketts - Danny O'Rourke, Norberto Paparatto (Rauwshan McKenzie 78), Mamadou Danso, Jorge Villafana - Will Johnson, Diego Chara - Kalif Alhassan, Gaston Fernandez (Diego Valeri 68), Michael Nanchoff (Darlington Nagbe 58) - Fanendo Adi.

PORTLAND TIMBERS
The Portland Timbers saw their winning streak come to an end in a 3-1 loss to the LA Galaxy on Saturday afternoon at StubHub Center. The Timbers are in seventh place in the Western Conference with 27 points from 22 games.

LAST MATCH

• The Timbers took the lead after 14 minutes. After Gaston Fernandez was brought down outside the Galaxy box, Diego Valeri hit a beautiful free kick from about 26 yards, a shot that glanced off the head of a Galaxy player in the wall and flew into the top-right corner of the net.
• The Galaxy pulled even three minutes into stoppage time. Finishing off a flowing move, Robbie Keane sent the ball wide for Robbie Rogers, whose bullet cross found Gyasi Zardes just inside the six-yard box, and Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts had no chance of stopping his point-blank header.
• The Galaxy took the lead in the 73rd minute, completing a sequence that began in LA's defensive end. Landon Donovan took a pass on the left flank, brought it toward the net, then chipped toward the far post. Keane worked his way to get on the end of the ball, going to the ground to get his head on the ball near the goal line.
• Keane tallied again in the 85th minute, converting from the penalty spot after Diego Chara tripped Juninho at the top of the box.
• Timbers head coach Caleb Porter made one change to the team that got a late goal for a 3-2 win against the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo. Rodney Wallace came into the team in place of Darlington Nagbe.
• PORTLAND TIMBERS (4-2-3-1): Donovan Ricketts - Jack Jewsbury, Danny O'Rourke, Liam Ridgewell, Michael Harrington (Jorge Villafana 77) - Will Johnson, Diego Chara - Rodney Wallace, Gaston Fernandez (Kalif Alhassan 25), Diego Valeri - Maximiliano Urruti (Fanendo Adi 60).

TEAM NEWS

• The Timbers lost for the first time since the 2-0 loss at Seattle on July 13. They also allowed more than two goals in a game for the first time since the 4-3 home loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on June 1.
• “After we got the goal, we stopped playing,” Timbers head coach Caleb Porter said. “We played very reactionary. And it was if we tried to ride out the 1-0 result, and that’s just not us. And LA was the better team in that period, and I thought they were the better team at the end of that game as well. They deserved to win.”
• The Timbers scored the opening goal of the game for the first time since the June 1 loss to Vancouver. When scoring the first goal, the Timbers are now 2-2-2 – equaling the poorest record in MLS this season.
• “I thought we looked uncomfortable when we got the goal and maybe itís because we haven’t been in that position a lot this year,” said Porter. “So we finally found the first goal but then we stop playing the way we are accustomed to playing and in the end things were not going our way the rest of the half.”
• Said goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts: “After the goal I think we stopped playing. We gave them possession and they grew in confidence in the game and they were able to make passes and find the outside man and get crosses in the box and we didn’t handle the crosses well and we were punished.”
• Diego Valeri scored his third goal in the last three games, his fourth in the last five league games and his sixth of the MLS season.
• Darlington Nagbe did not feature in a league match for the first time this season, missing the game with a knee sprain. It ended a streak of 56 consecutive games started.
• “We were a little more thin in this game,” Porter said. “In going to the bench, we didn’t have Zakuani, couldn’t start the game with Nagbe and then bring in Rodney [Wallace]. So we were a couple players short, so you saw a little bit when we had to find a goal we didn’t have that extra gear to find.”
• The Timbers conceded their ninth penalty kick this season, the most in MLS. They have allowed eight goals from the spot, also the most in the league.
• “Obviously the PK is a PK so there is no excuse from me there,” said Porter. “No excuse from me as far as the field because they dealt with it as well. No excuse from me as far as the heat. At the end of the day they were better today and they deserve to win.”

CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA lost their third consecutive game, falling 1-0 to FC Dallas on Saturday evening at StubHub Center. Chivas USA sit in a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with 23 points from 21 games.

LAST MATCH

• The game's lone goal came minutes into the second half. Fabian Castillo cut in a rolling ball from the left side of the area and Tesho Akindele was there to tap home for the eventual winner.
• FCD goalkeeper Raul Fernandez was credited with four saves in keeping the clean sheet.
• Chivas USA head coach Wilmer Cabrera made three changes to the team that fell 3-0 to the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Tony Lochhead came into the back four for Andrew Jean-Baptiste, and Marvin Chavez and Oswaldo Minda came into the midfield in place of Marky Delgado and Eric Avila.
• CHIVAS USA (4-5-1): Dan Kennedy - Akira Kaji, Eriq Zavaleta, Tony Lochhead, Donny Toia - Marvin Chavez (Eric Avila 69), Oswaldo Minda, Nathan Sturgis, Agustin Pelletieri (Mauro Rosales 58), Leandro Barrera (Ryan Finley 77) - Erick Torres.

TEAM NEWS

• Chivas USA suffered their third consecutive loss, matching their longest losing skid of the season (also: April 19-May 3).
• “We have to continue thinking that at least we had a good mentality today in the game, we had good possession moving the ball, we out-possessed the other team, and we can do it,” said Chivas head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “Dallas is a very good team, it’s one of the top teams in the Western Conference. We out possessed them, we moved the ball better, we were putting pressure on them and they didn’t create too many chances on us so that’s a good idea on how to continue working with the next thirteen games that we have ahead of us.”
• Chivas USA were also shut out at the attacking end for a second consecutive game, the second time this season they’ve been blanked in back-to-back games (also: May 28-31). Chivas USA have gone 186 minutes without scoring a goal; they have not scored a goal from open play in 270 minutes.
• “This was the best game we have played at home in terms of possession, moving the ball, being organized and putting pressure,” Cabrera said. “But, in the end, it’s not how you play, it’s if you put the ball in the net. [Dallas] only had two chances, and they put one in.”
• Said goalkeeper Dan Kennedy: “I really felt like it was a good performance. It was literally the first thing I said after the game, and it was one play that beat us. Unfortunately, we just weren’t able to capitalize on some of the crosses we had. Surely if we can continue to play like we did [Sunday], we’ll be playing for something.”
• Chivas USA allowed one goal, after allowing three goals in each of the last two matches. Chivas have allowed one goal or fewer in six of their last eight games.
• “I think they stepped up and did a very good job. You’re going to need depth in this league and during this long season, so it’s good that we had a good performance tonight out of them,” Kennedy said.
• Leandro Barrera returned to the Chivas lineup after a one-game absence, in a wide midfield role, after partnering Erick Torres in attack in his last four starts.
• Midfielder Mauro Rosales returned after a one-match absence because of a strained hamstring, coming on for the final 32 minutes.
• “We had a good mentality and hard work from the whole team,” said Rosales. “We feel we deserved something more from this game at home in front of our fans. The mentality was there, and the hard work was there.”
• Marvin Chavez returned to the lineup after a one-match absence, playing 69 minutes. “Marvin, he’s been obviously tired from the World Cup and traveling, but he made an effort to play some games,” Cabrera said. “We don’t want to overload him.”