Toronto FC meets Portland Timbers for the second time when the clubs face off Saturday evening at Jeld-Wen Field. The Timbers return to league play after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the Columbus Crew last weekend. Toronto FC have lost four in a row in MLS competition, their last loss a 4-2 reversal in Kansas City, though they won in the CONCACAF Champions League at midweek.
RELATED: Portland-Toronto broadcast info
RELATED: Portland-Toronto MLS game guide
LAST MEETING (MLS)
March 26: Toronto 2-0 Portland (Martina 14, 60)
[inlinenode:7497]* Toronto FC took the lead in the 14th minute when Maicon Santos feathered a perfect pass into the Portland area toward a streaking Dwayne De Rosario. De Rosario then laid the ball off to Javier Martina, who fired a low drive past Timbers 'keeper Adin Brown.
* Martina put the game out of reach in the 70th minute with a brilliant piece of skill. TFC goalkeeper Stefan Frei sent a 60-yard pass up field that the Dutchman took on one touch and volleyed over Portland substitute 'keeper Jake Gleeson.
* TFC ended the game a man down after Mikael Yourassowsky was sent off in the 84th minute after receiving a second booking, this one for failing to leave the field quickly enough when being substituted.
TORONTO FC (4-2-1-3): Stefan Frei - Dan Gargan, Ty Harden, Adrian Cann, Mikael Yourassowsky (sent off 84) - Nathan Sturgis (Alen Stevanovic 46), Jacob Peterson - Maicon Santos (Gianluca Zavarise 69) - Javier Martina (Ashtone Morgan 87), Alan Gordon, Dwayne De Rosario
PORTLAND TIMBERS (4-4-2): Adin Brown (Jake Gleeson 46) - Steve Purdy, Eric Brunner, Kevin Goldthwaite, Rodney Wallace - Ryan Pore (Sal Zizzo 66), Peter Lowry, Jack Jewsbury, Jeremy Hall - Jorge Perlaza (Brian Umony 73), Kenny Cooper.
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC went down to a fourth consecutive defeat, falling 4-2 at Sporting Kansas City on Saturday evening at Livestrong Sporting Park. TFC has 18 points from 21 games on the season, sitting in a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
LAST MLS MATCH
* Sporting took the lead in the 28th minute. Jéferson's corner kick took a ricochet in the box and Kei Kamara rose and unleashed a flying scissor kick that found the net. Then just five minutes later, he doubled his haul when Roger Espinoza's floating cross found him at the far post, where he rose high above Yourassowsky and nodded the ball home.
* Omar Bravo and Jéferson then combined for Sporting's third goal in nine minutes, Jéferson slipping Bravo through on goal where the Mexican rounded Frei and finished from an acute angle.
[inlinenode:7438]* Toronto FC pulled a goal back in the 50th minute when Ryan Johnson curled the ball to the back post and Danny Koevermans headed it off the ground and into the top corner.
* Sporting restored their lead when Graham Zusi slipped Chance Myers down the right sideline and the right back found Bravo alone at the six-yard box, where he side-footed the ball home. TFC pulled another goal back when Johnson latched onto a weak bass from defender Daneil Cyrus and hooked it inside the right post.
* TFC head coach Aron Winter made four changes to the team that lost 1-0 to FC Dallas at BMO Field. Richard Eckersley, Maicon Santos, Gianluca Zavarise and Nick Soolsma came into the team, for Ty Harden, Danleigh Borman, Nathan Sturgis and Joao Plata.
TORONTO FC (4-3-3): Stefan Frei - Richard Eckersley, Eddy Viator, Andy Iro, Mikael Yourassowsky (Ashtone Morgan 58) - Maicon Santos (Matt Stinson 44), Torsten Frings (Doneil Henry 80), Gianluca Zavarise - Nick Soolsma, Danny Koevermans, Ryan Johnson.
PORTLAND TIMBERS
The Portland Timbers weren't able to build on their first road win, falling 1-0 to the Columbus Crew on Saturday evening at Crew Stadium. The Timbers have 21 points from 19 games, sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference.
LAST MLS MATCH
* After the Crew had an apparent goal cleared off the line by Darlington Nagbe, the game's lone goal came out of a similarly wild sequence on 69 minutes.
* Tommy Heinemann's initial shot hit the left post past diving Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins. The ball bounced back out into the goalmouth and Gaven was able to flick the ball back toward goal, where it deflected off the chest of Portland defender Mamadou Danso on the goal line and into the net.
* Timbers coach John Spencer made two changes to the team that came away from Toyota Park with a 1-0 win against the Chicago Fire. Lovel Palmer and Eric Brunner came into the back four in place of Jeremy Hall and Kevin Goldthwaite.
PORTLAND TIMBERS (4-1-4-1): Troy Perkins - Lovel Palmer, Mamadou Danso, Eric Brunner, Rodney Wallace - James Marcelin - Kalif Alhassan, Diego Chara (Sal Zizzo 74), Jack Jewsbury, Darlington Nagbe (Peter Lowry 79) - Jorge Perlaza (Kenny Cooper 46).
REFEREE: Kevin Stott. SAR (bench): Adam Wienckowski; JAR (opposite): Brian Poeschel; 4th: Matthew Foerster
Stott MLS Career: 204 games; Fouls called/game: 25.8; Yellow cards/game: 3.4; Red cards: 56; Penalties: 41
INJURY REPORT
PORTLAND TIMBERS—OUT: DF Kevin Goldthwaite (L knee ACL rupture); FW Spencer Thompson (R knee); PROBABLE: FW Bright Dike (R Achilles rupture); DF Jeremy Hall (groin soreness); GK Troy Perkins (R hip soreness)
TORONTO FC—OUT: MF Elbekay Bouchiba (R knee surgery recovery); DF Adrian Cann (R knee surgery recovery); DF Dicoy Williams (R knee surgery recovery); MF Leandre Griffit (abdominal strain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Julian de Guzman (L knee swelling); MF Terry Dunfield (R adductor strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: POR - Rodney Wallace ... TOR - Terry Dunfield
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: POR - Diego Chara, James Marcelin, Lovel Palmer ... TOR - Danleigh Borman, Ryan Johnson, Javier Martina
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME: Toronto FC 1 win, 2 goals ...Timbers 0 wins, 0 goals ... 0 ties
* Javier Martina scored twice, on either side of halftime, to give Toronto FC a 2-0 victory in the first meeting between the clubs, March 26 at BMO Field.
* Coaches record: Aron Winter v POR: P1 W1 L0 T0 ... John Spencer vs. TOR: P1 W0 L1 T0
