New York City FC at Timbers
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Providence Park.
Tickets: Timbers.com. Fewer than 50 seats remained on Saturday.
TV: Fox Sports 1. Radio: 750 AM/102.9 FM.
Records: Timbers 3-5-3, 12 points, entered the weekend ninth in the West; NYC FC 3-3-4, 13 points, entered weekend fourth in East.
Timbers Notes: The Timbers will be trying to regain their footing without two more injured starters. Midfielder Diego Chara (toe) and winger Darren Mattocks (knee) suffered injuries at Dallas on Wednesday. Chara’s status is game-to-game. Mattocks had meniscus surgery on Friday and is out four to six weeks. Eleven Timbers have suffered injuries this season, nine of them starters. … Portland’s defending — especially late in matches — has been a problem, but the Timbers also have struggled to put away opponents with their attack. Portland has not been shut out this season, but has scored only one goal seven times in its first 11 games. … Nat Borchers did not play on Wednesday at FC Dallas, the first match the defender has not played in this season. He will preumably return alongside Liam Ridgewell on Sunday. … While he has made some terrific saves, goalkeeper Jake Gleeson has seen a lot more shots than did Adam Kwarsey before his injury, perhaps reflecting Kwarasey’s experience organizing the defense. In 4 1/2 games, Gleeson has stopped 21 of 27 shots faced (77.8 save percentage). In 6 1/2 games before breaking his finger, Kwarasey saved 19 of the 31 shots he faced (61.3 percent save percentage).
NYCFC Notes: This will be the first visit to Portland by New York City FC, which joined MLS last season. The Timbers won the only meeting between the clubs, 1-0 on April 19 of 2015 at Yankee Stadium on a goal from Dairon Asprilla. … NYCFC is owned by Manchester City of the English Premier League, with the New York Yankees as a minority partner. Former Spanish national team star David Villa scored 18 goals last season and has seven goals in 10 games this season. Entering the weekend, Villa’s seven goals was tied with Portland’s Fanendo Adi and San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski for the league lead. … In midfield, NYCFC features former Italian star Andrea Pirlo, 37, and U.S national team member Mix Diskerud. English Premier League veteran and England international Frank Lampard has not yet played this season because of a calf injury. Lampard, 37, trained some with the team this week but is not expected to play on Sunday. Khiry Shelton, NYCFC’s first draft pick in 2015 out of Oregon State, has two goals and four assists this season. … NYCFC midfielder Federico Bravo, who has played in nine games this season, is suspended for yellow card accumulation. … NYCFC goalkeeper Josh Saunders played his first four professional seasons with the Timbers second-division team, compiling a 41-26-18 record with 22 shutouts.
