Timbers U-23s play host to Whitecaps FC U-23 Thursday

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers U-23s play host to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 on Thursday at JELD-WEN Field as part of the team’s second Providence Health & Fitness Day of the season; kickoff is set for 11 a.m. (Pacific).

The annual Providence Health & Fitness Day will feature a host of activities for kids, including a pre-game assembly. Tickets are available for purchase at the JELD-WEN Field box office or online at www.portlandtimbers.com.

The Timbers U-23s (2-0-0, 6pts) have opened the 2013 Premier Development League (PDL) campaign with back-to-back victories over Sounders FC U23 and North Sound SeaWolves FC, and enter Thursday’s fixture in second place in the PDL’s Northwest Division.

Thursday’s match will be the Timbers U-23s’ fifth in a 10-day span. After opening the 2013 campaign with a 3-2 win over the Sacramento Gold in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on May 14, the Timbers U-23s played host to Sounders FC U23 on May 16 and captured a road win over North Sound on May 18. Portland faced the Charleston Battery of USL PRO in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday.

The Timbers U-23s and Whitecaps FC U-23 meet for the first to two regular-season meetings in 2013. The Timbers U-23s captured wins in both matchups during the 2012 season. The two teams last met June 1, 2012, as the Timbers U-23s earned a 2-1 win before a PDL-record crowd of 8,147 on a Providence Health & Fitness Day at JELD-WEN Field. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Timbers U-23s forward Mark Sherrod assisted on two goals in a five-minute span to lift the team to victory. Portland holds a 6-1-1 record in the all-time series against Whitecaps FC U-23, with a 3-0-1 mark at home.

The Whitecaps FC U-23 (1-1-0, 3pts) are in third place in the Northwest Division and are coming off a 3-2 loss to the first-place Victoria Highlanders FC on May 17. Forward Niall Cousins scored both goals for Whitecaps FC U-23 in the loss to Victoria and leads the team scoring, while midfielder Cam Hundal has recorded one goal and one assist on the season.