Timbers at New York City FC
Kickoff: 4 p.m. Sunday at Yankee Stadium.
TV / radio: FOX Sports 1 / AM 750.
Timbers match notes: At 1-2-3, the Timbers have an identical record to NYCFC, but the Timbers are at the bottom of the Western Conference, while New York City is sixth in the East. The Timbers will be looking to bounce back after losing 2-0 last Sunday to the other MLS expansion club, Orlando City SC.
“It’s about us now,” defender Liam Ridgewell said. “If we perform to the best of our abilities now, we’ll win the game and take three points home.”
Timbers coach Caleb Porter has started Fanendo Adi and Maxilmiliano Urruti together at forward for three consecutive games. He has said the pairing is not ideal because both are similar players, but that it is a way to get the best 11 players on the field with Diego Valeri still sidelined.
“Is it the way that we’ll go for the next 28 games? Probably not,” Porter said. “When Valeri comes back it changes everything.”
Without Valeri, Portland has struggled at times to break down defenses. The Timbers have seven goals through six matches, but have been blanked three times . … Under Caleb Porter, the Timbers have lost consecutive matches only twice. … Portland is 4-2-4 in its last six visits to Eastern Conference stadiums and has scored more than one goal in six of those matches. … Ridgewell, Nat Borchers, Alvas Powell, Darlington Nagbe and goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey have played every minute of the Timbers first six matches.
New York City match notes: The first-year club has one win, two losses and three draws and sits sixth in the Eastern Conference. NYCFC is coming off a midweek draw with Philadelphia that saw the Union score a late tying goal. NYCFC, in fact, has given up goals after the 85th minute in three of its six matches.
Playing in Yankee Stadium, NYCFC is 1-1-1 and has scored three goals in three home matches. NYCFC is jointly owned by the Yankees and by Barclays Premier League club Manchester City. Coach Jason Kreis came to NYCFC from Real Salt Lake, where his team defeated the Timbers in the 2013 Western Conference finals.
Another week, another world class player opposing the Timbers. Maybe.
Striker David Villa left Wednesday’s match against Philadelphia with a hamstring injury. The 33-year-old reportedly did not train on Saturday and but was not ruled out of Sunday’s match. Villa scored 59 goals in 97 appearances for Spain’s national team, and scored five goals in helping Spain win the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He also won league titles with both Barcelona and Athletico Madrid. He leads NYCFC with two goals, 20 shots and 10 shots on goal.
NYCFC goalkeeper Josh Saunders started his professional career in 2003 and 2004 as the keeper for the Timbers USL First Division teams. Khiry Shelton, the No. 2 pick in January’s college draft out of Oregon State, made his first MLS start on Wednesday and registered his first career assist while playing on the right flank.
