Whitecaps vs. Timbers | AT A GLANCE
THREE THEMES
1. Forget the Amway Whitecaps players and coaches will be hard pressed to put this week’s devastating loss to Toronto FC in the Amway Canadian Championship behind them but that’s exactly what they have to do. With one- third of the season behind it, the club is in MLS playoff contention and a road win against a Western Conference rival might ease the pain of the BMO Field debacle. The Caps are looking for their first win against Portland in MLS play, following 2- 1 and 1- 0 losses to the Timbers last season. 2. Omar vs. Darlington The top two picks in the 2011 MLS Superdraft — Caps winger Omar Salgado and Timbers midfielder/ forward Darlington Nagbe — might start against each other for the first time. Nagbe, three years older than the 18- year- old Salgado, made 28 MLS appearances last year and scored the Goal of the Year. Salgado made just 14 appearances in 2011 but has earned a regular spot on left wing and his bulked- up 6- 4 frame and aggressive attitude have caused fits for opposing defenders this season. 3. May Madness Ends This is the Whitecaps’ eighth and final match in the month of May before the team gets a welcome two- week break. Coach Martin Rennie has engaged in massive lineup juggling to keep his players as fresh as possible and it will be interesting to see if he calls upon certain veterans, such as defender Young- Pyo Lee, to dig deep for one more game before getting a well- earned rest.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Whitecaps: Davide Chiumiento The playmaking midfielder didn’t start against Toronto this week, which makes him a decent bet to start for the rosterrotating Caps at Jeld- Wen Field. Had a recent streak that saw him set up five straight Whitecaps goals, including three in one game against FC Edmonton. Hard to fault his work rate in most games this season — an issue last year — as he tries to earn a regular spot in Martin Rennie’s evolving starting 11. Timbers: Kris Boyd The former Kilmarnock and Rangers scoring machine — with 164 goals in 296 Scottish Premier League appearances — has three MLS goals so far this year but has gone five games without scoring. That’s hardly a Hassli- like nightmare goalless streak but Timbers fans hope the $ 1.25- million- a- year designated player has a breakout performance soon. At his best, the 6- 1 striker is what head coach John Spencer calls Portland’s “fox in the box.”