The Portland Timbers finish their three-game home stand against the Columbus Crew on Saturday (7:30pm PT, ROOT SPORTS), with the Timbers looking for a win to catapult them back up the Western Conference. Columbus sits in sixth place in the East, with a record of 3-4-3. Let’s check out five numbers to know before they take the pitch Saturday evening.
Three Saturday’s match is all about layers of three. Portland has scored three more goals on the season than Columbus by a margin of 13-10. The Crew haven’t scored a goal in three games, their last strike coming on Apr. 26 in a 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls. Finally, there have only been a total of three goals scored all time between the Columbus Crew and Portland Timbers in a total of four games in MLS play.
21 With a draw against the LA Galaxy on Sunday, Portland extended their home unbeaten streak to 21 games at Providence Park. Columbus has never won in the Rose City, going 1-0-1 all time in matches in Portland against the Timbers.
Ninety eightDarlington Nagbe crossed the century mark in career MLS games as a Portland player against the Seattle Sounders on Apr. 5, and now it’s Jack Jewsbury who appears likely to follow. Jewsbury has played 97 games in a Timbers MLS uniform, tied with Diego Chara. If Jewsbury plays on Saturday, he will be just two games away from reaching the century mark in Portland.
7 + 8 It will be a Midwest-themed day in the Pacific Northwest come Saturday. With the Crew visiting the Timbers, a combined 15 players and staff members on both sides of the pitch have ties to Ohio. Natives and collegiate athletes from the Buckeye state populate the teams, including Caleb Porter, Nagbe, Josh Williams and Wil Trapp.
8,482 Jack Jewsbury is chasing Timbers MLS history on Saturday. With Chara out due to a fractured third metacarpal in his left hand, the all-time Timbers MLS leader in minutes played (8,489) will likely be eclipsed by defensive mainstay Jewsbury. With the team since 2011, Jewsbury needs to play just seven minutes on Saturday to take over the lead.
