CHICAGO FIRE vs. PORTLAND TIMBERS
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Illinois
MAY 28, 2016 (WEEK 13, MLS GAME #128)
8:30 pm ET (CSN-Chicago, KPDX, MLS LIVE)
A pair of teams aiming to start a charge above the red line in their respective conferences kicks off when the Chicago Fire entertain the Portland Timbers on Saturday evening at Toyota Park. The Fire returned home last weekend and put an end to a three-game losing slide, defeating the Houston Dynamo 1-0 in Bridgeview. The Timbers also put an end to a three-game losing skid last weekend, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps FC 4-2 at Providence Park.
- The Fire ended their six-game winless run, with Arturo Alvarez netting their first goal in three games as they defeated the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at Toyota Park.
- Diego Valeri scored for a second time in three games – on one of two Timbers’ penalty kick goals – and Darlington Nagbe scored from a world-class free kick as the Timbers stopped a three-game losing slide with a 4-2 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Sunday afternoon at Providence Park.
- The Timbers have never lost to the Fire in six meetings all-time between the clubs, with four victories and two draws.
- The Timbers won the only meeting between the teams a year ago, a 1-0 victory Aug. 7 at Providence Park. The Timbers have won three of the four meeting all-time in Portland. The Timbers have come away with a win and a draw in two games at Toyota Park, with the last meeting there being a 2-2 draw in 2013.
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REFEREE: Mathieu Bordeau. AR1 (bench): Phil Briere; AR2 (opposite): Peter Balciunas; 4th: Silviu Petrescu
MLS Career: 2 games; FC/gm: 33.0; Y/gm: 5.5; R: 0; pens: 0
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHI: Matt Polster
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHI: Joao Meira … POR: Alvas Powell
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: POR: Darlington Nagbe (USA; vs. Ecuador 5/25, vs. Bolivia 5/28); Jermaine Taylor (Jamaica; vs. Chile 5/27)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (6 meetings): Fire 0 wins, 6 goals … Timbers 4 wins, 11 goals … Ties 2
AT CHICAGO (2 meetings): Fire 0 wins, 2 goals … Timbers 1 win, 3 goals … Ties 1
LAST YEAR (MLS):
8/7: POR 1, CHI 0 (Adi 48)
- This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
- Coaches record: Veljko Paunovic vs. POR: first game Ö Caleb Porter vs. CHI: P3 W1 L0 T2
