Colorado at Timbers
Kickoff: 7 p.m. today at Jeld-Wen Field.
TV/radio: NBC Sports Network (Cable ch. 32/732) / AM 750.
Tickets: www.portlandtimbers.com; 503-553-5555. A sellout is anticipated.
Where they stand: Portland (10 wins, 13 ties and 5 losses) is fifth in the West with 43 points. Colorado (12-9-8, 45 points) is third in the West.
Head to head: This is the last of three meetings in the regular season between the teams. They played to a 2-2 draw on March 30 in Colorado and the Timbers won 3-0 at Jeld-Wen Field on June 23.
Timbers story: With six games remaining in the regular season, the Timbers hold the fifth — and last — playoff spot in the Western Conference. The good news is that four of their final six matches are at home, where Portland is unbeaten (eight wins, four draws) since a loss to Montreal in the second game of the season. The challenge is that the four teams that will visit Jeld-Wen Field over the next month occupy the four slots ahead of Portland. A win today would vault the Timbers ahead of the Rapids, who have played one more game than the Timbers. The urgency for a win this week increased when Portland played last-place Chivas USA to a 1-1 draw last Saturday. Caleb Porter should have most of his players available for selection. Midfielder Diego Valeri, who has made a quick impact off the bench in the second half of his last two games, could be ready to return to full-time status after nursing an adductor muscle strain. Valeri’s 12 assists is tied for the league lead, and his seven goals is one behind Ryan Johnson and Darlington Nagbe.
