Timbers MatchDay: vs. Rapids
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Portland at Colorado
Kickoff: 6 p.m. today at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce, Colo.
TV: KPDX 49 (cable Ch. 13/713).
Radio: 750 AM (940 AM Spanish broadcast).
Where they stand: Portland (4-6-4, 16 points) is eighth in the Western Conference; Colorado (6-8-1, 19 points) is sixth) in the conference.
Last season: The Rapids swept two games, welcoming Portland to MLS with a 3-1 win in Colorado and winning 1-0 at Portland.
Storyline: The Timbers will try to win on the road for the first time this season at the stadium where they played the first MLS match in Timbers history last season. To do it, they’ll need the offense to create the kind of pressure it did during the first half of Sunday’s win over Seattle.
Injury/suspension impact: Kalif Alhassan’s creative enthusiasm on the wing helped spark Portland in the first half against Seattle. He is expected to miss the Colorado match with a hamstring injury. With Eric Brunner (concussion symptoms) still out and Hanyer Mosquera serving the second game of his three-game suspension, David Horst and Futty Danso will play the central defender roles.
Question of the day: Can the Timbers’ win over Seattle give Portland enough confidence to play assertive and smart on the road?
Follow Paul Danzer all Timbers season on Twitter at www.twitter.com/col_timbers
