Portland Timbers at Sporting Kansas City
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 – 7:30 p.m. CT
LIVESTRONG Sporting Park | Kansas City, Kansas
English TV: KSMO
Spanish TV: Time Warner Cable Channel 5
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 1340 AM
Tickets | LSP Box Offices | Parking Info
Sporting Kansas City will resume MLS play following a week without any matches when they host the Portland Timbers on Wednesday night at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT. Wednesday’s match will be broadcast live by KSMO and is presented by the Kansas Lottery.
In the first meeting between the two sides, first half goals from rookie forward C.J. Sapong and defender Aurelien Collin cancelled out a spectacular volley from Timbers rookie midfielder Darlington Nagbe in a 2-1 win for Sporting Kansas City at JELD-WEN Field inPortland on July 2nd.
Portland (7-11-5), currently sitting in seventh place in the Western Conference, enter Wednesday night’s contest following a 2-1 road loss to the Houston Dynamo on Sunday. The Timbers conceded first half strikes from Adam Moffat and Brian Ching before a Jack Jewsbury volley pulled a goal back for John Spencer’s side, but an equalizer couldn’t be found as Portland’s three-match unbeaten streak was snapped.
Wednesday’s match will feature the return of the former Sporting Kansas City midfielder Jewsbury. A Springfield, MO native, Jewsbury was drafted by Sporting Kansas City in the fifth round of the 2003 MLS Superdraft before going on to make a total 204 appearances for the club in MLS competition, including postseason. Since arriving in Portland, Jewsbury has assumed the captaincy for the expansion side while tallying seven goals and six assists on his way tobeing named an MLS All-Star.
Timbers forward Eddie Johnson will miss Wednesday’s match after suffering a concussion in the first half of Sunday’s contest in Houston. Other injury doubts for Portland include Jewsbury (hamstring strain), defender Jeremy Hall (groin soreness), defender Rodney Wallace (hamstring strain) and goalkeeperTroy Perkins (hip soreness).
Sporting Kansas City will be without captain Davy Arnaud (sports hernia surgery), midfielder Craig Rocastle (R knee sprain), midfielder Luke Sassano (R knee sprain), defender Aurelien Collin (lower back fracture) and defender Daneil Cyrus (L foot fracture). Designated Player Jeferson is listed as questionable with a right quad strain suffered against Seattle.
Sporting Kansas City Designated Player Omar Bravo is suspended for the clash with Portland, having been shown a red card in Sporting Kansas City’s match against Seattle Sounders FC on August 6th for a tackle on Seattle forward Pat Noonan. Portland will be missing newly-acquired midfielder Lovel Palmer due to yellow card accumulation.
Tickets for the match are still available, and can be purchased here. KSMO will air a 30-minute pre-game show hosted by play-by-play announcer Callum Williams and color analyst Jake Yadrich beginning at 7:00 p.m. CT.
Fans are encouraged to arrive to LIVESTRONG Sporting Park as early as possible on Wednesday as the first 10,000 fans toenter the stadium will receive a Bravo bobblehead courtesy of Sprint. Immediately following the match, ‘Capybara’ will perform in the Sprint Plaza as part of the Live at LSP concert series.
