Club Atlético Independiente at Timbers
When/where: 8 p.m. today at Jeld-Wen Field.
TV: none.
Radio: AM 750 (AM 940 Spanish broadcast).
Web: Live streaming Webcast at portlandtimbers.com.
Why go: Argentine soccer is notable for its flair, and Independiente is one of its most famous clubs. This is the last of four international exhibitions scheduled for 2011.
Pink glove record? As they enter the stadium, fans will receive pink surgical gloves. At halftime, fans can join in the “Pink Glove Dance,” which has become a phenomenon on YouTube. The performance will be submitted to Guinness World Records for consideration for the most soccer fans wearing pink gloves.
THE MATCHUP
Friendly fun? The Timbers are 0-3 against foreign clubs in 2011, with loses to Ajax (The Netherlands), Club America (Mexico), and West Bromwich Albion (England). This could be the most challenging exhibition yet, with Independiente preparing for an Aug. 3 international Cup final against the 2010 J-League champion Júbilo Iwata.
Independiente approach: “We come to win in all seriousness. In this case, this is a preparation game for the final in Japan, but we come to win,” Independiente coach Antonio Mohamed said. “Our mentality is to win.
Timbers approach: With a key league match against Toronto FC scheduled for Saturday, figure coach John Spencer will again use this mid-week friendly to get game experience for reserves. It also could be a chance for Mike Chabala and Lovel Palmer (who played right back in Saturday’s loss at Columbus) to make their first Jeld-Wen Field appearance as Timbers. Chabala and Palmer came to Portland last week in a trade with Houston.
ABOUT INDEPENDIENTE
• Club heritage: Founded in 1905, Club Athletico Independiente is one of the most successful soccer clubs in Argentina. It has never been relegated from the top division of Argentine club soccer, and has won 14 championships in the top league. It also has won the most prestigious tournament in South America, the Copa Libertadores, a record seven times. In 2010, it won another of the major South American tournaments, the Copa Sudamericana, ending a run of 16 years without an international championship. That title earned Independiente next week’s trip to Japan.
• Players to watch: Among players who contributed to the 2010 Copa Sudamericana-winning team are midfielders Hernán Fredes and Nicolás Cabrera, defender Eduardo Tuzzio, and forwards Patricio Rodríguez and Facundo Parra.
FAN GUIDE
Tickets: A limited number of tickets available through Ticketmaster or the Jeld-Wen Field box office. Gates open: 90 minutes before kickoff.
Getting there: Parking is extremely limited near the stadium. MAX light rail runs extra trains on match days.
Radio: 750 AM has one-hour pregame and postgame shows.
