Timbers at Earthquakes
Kickoff: 2 p.m. Sunday at Avaya Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
TV / radio: ESPN2 / AM 750.
Timbers notes: Portland (9 wins, 8 losses, 5 ties, 32 points) entered the weekend in sixth place in the Western Conference, tied on points with fifth-place Seattle.
After starting the season a respectable 3-4-1 on the road, the Timbers have lost their last three league road matches and been outscored 12-1 in those. Opponents have hit the Timbers in transition for key goals in each of those road losses, and Portland has been victimized when pressing forward after falling behind on the road. Defender Liam Ridgewell said it’s about getting the balance right between attacking and defending. “We are a pressing team. We want to do that,” Ridgewell said. “But we’ve got to learn to do it at the right time and when we shouldn’t do it. Those are things we work on all year, day in and day out.” … Coach Caleb Porter said new Designated Player Lucas Melano is ready to play about a half, which means he will likely come on as a substitute in this game. Melano was effective in his 26 minutes at Dallas, including earning the penalty kick that produced Portland’s goal. “He’s definitely going to be in there, because he brings some (game-changing) things to the table that we need,” Porter said. … Team captain Will Johnson should return to his defensive midfield spot after being suspended for the game at Dallas. … The official Timbers viewing party is at Prost!, 4237 N. Mississippi Ave. in Portland. All ages welcome.
Earthquakes notes: San Jose (7-9-4, 25 points) sits ninth in the Western Conference. Losers of three in a row, the Quakes figure to be desperate for a win over one of the teams they are battling with for a playoff chance. Among the Quakes who were not in Portland for the July 5 match won by the Timbers on a stoppage-time Jack Jewsbury goal are Chris Wondolowski (team-high nine goals despite spending most of July with the U.S. national team), midfielder Cordell Cato and forward Quincy Amerikwa. Amerikwa, recently acquired from Chicago, has scored three goals in his last two games. Argentine Designated Player Matias Perez Garcia leads the Quakes with six assists, four of them on game-winning goals. The Quakes are 4-2-2 at home, 3-2-1 in league play at Avaya Stadium, their new 18,000-seat home. Among the stadium’s features is what the club says is the largest outdoor bar in North America.
