Timbers play Vancouver in final exhibition

One week from playing meaningful matches, the Portland Timbers play their final preseason game at 5 p.m. Saturday against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The match wraps up the week-long Rose City Invitational, and the Timbers would like to cap it with a win. Portland lost 1-0 to San Jose on Sunday, then played a 1-1 draw against the Jamaican club Portmore United.

Tickets are available for Saturday’s doubleheader, which opens at 2:30 p.m. with San Jose taking on Portmore United. The Timbers match will be streamed live at Timbers.com.

Timbers coach Caleb Porter is expected to give his projected starters one more warm-up for the season today, after on Wednesday the Timbers used a lineup of rookies and players who currently are second on the depth chart.

The Timbers have two wins, three draws and one loss in this preseason.

The games begin to count on March 8, when Philadelphia visits Portland for the season opener.

In Sunday’s 1-0 loss to San Jose, the Timbers carried much of the play but failed to break through against a well-organized Earthquakes defense. Porter said after that game he was pleased with much of what he saw, but that his team needs to be more precise inside the penalty area.