PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Timbers midfielders Cristhian Paredes and Renzo Zambrano have been called up by their respective countries for international matches. Paredes will join Paraguay for friendlies against Serbia on Oct. 10 and Slovakia on Oct. 13, while Zambrano has been called in by Venezuela for matches against Bolivia and Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 10 and Oct. 14, respectively.
Additionally, Timbers assistant coach Miles Joseph will join the U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team for a training camp from Oct. 6-13 at Florida International University in Miami, Fla., as the team prepares for a friendly match on Tuesday, Oct. 15, against El Salvador.
Paredes, Zambrano and Joseph will return to the team ahead of Portland’s match in the first round of the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Paredes, 21, has been capped four times for Paraguay. In his most recent appearance, Paredes started and played 59 minutes in a 4-2 win against Jordan on Sept. 10. Paraguay will play Serbia at Stadion Blagoj Istatov in Strumica, Republic of North Macedonia, on Thursday, Oct. 10; kickoff is set for 11:45 a.m. (Pacific). Paraguay will then take on Slovakia at the National Football Stadium in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Sunday, Oct. 13; kickoff is set for 11:45 a.m. (Pacific).
Zambrano, 25, will join the Venezuela Men’s National Team ahead of a friendly match against Bolivia at Estadio Olímpico de la UCV in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 3 p.m. (Pacific). Four days later, Venezuela will face Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 14, also at Estadio Olímpico de la UCV; kickoff is set for 3 p.m. (Pacific). Zambrano has earned four caps for Venezuela. In his last international cap, the native of Aragua de Maturín, Venezuela, made an appearance as a substitute in a friendly against Ecuador on June 2, 2019.
