The Portland Timbers (8-12-5) host Chivas USA (7-8-10) tonight at Jeld-Wen field in a match with wildcard playoff race ramifications. Kickoff is at 8pm.
In the teams’ first meeting on June 4, Chivas’ Paulo Nagamura assisted on a goal by Marcos Mondaini in the 70th minute to give Chivas USA a 1-0 victory. Juan Pablo Ángel, acquired by Chivas from the Galaxy recently, should play tonight for Chivas. He scored his first goal for the Goats in his first game with the team last Saturday.
Currently the New York Red Bulls, with 32 points, are in the wildcard playoff spot. But Chivas USA is only one point behind, with a game in hand. With a win tonight Portland (29) could leapfrog Chivas, but they then travel to face D.C. United on Saturday, who have 31 points out of only 24 matches. So basically: Portland has to keep on winning to give themselves a chance to secure the wildcard spot, but the playoff dust won’t likely clear until the last matches of the season.
Previews and intrigue
- Chivas USA looking to punctuate long road trip with win by Adam Serrano at MLSsoccer.com
- Portland’s playoff hopes on line as Chivas USA visit by Dan Itel at MLSsoccer.com
- Central defender a state of change for Portland Timbers by Geoffrey C. Arnold at The Oregonian
- Strong’s Notes: Have More in the Tank by John Strong at PortlandTimbers.com
- Match Day Fix – 8.24.2011 by paulsepp at Dropping Timber
- Timbers hope their ‘good vibe’ continues by Paul Danzer at The Columbian
- The Ol’ Switcharoo by Kelly McLain at Timbers Insider
- Portland Timbers vs. Chivas USA Preview – 3 Questions with The Goat Parade by Geoff Gibson at Stumptown Footy
- Preview: Chivas USA at Portland Timbers, August 24, 2011 by Alicia Ratterree at The Goat Parade
- Portland Timbers Vs. Chivas USA: When Three Points Mean So Much More by Drew Epperley at SB Nation
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