Preview: Portland Timbers vs West Bromwich Albion | English Side West Brom Return To Portland
July 20, 2011 — PDXPIPELINEBy Will Conwell
FRIENDLY 3: Portland Timbers vs West Bromwich Albion
Wednesday, July 20, 8:00 p.m. Streaming at PortlandTimbers.com
Previous match-up(s): 5/13/1981 Timbers 0 – West Brom 1
Thirty years after playing a friendly against the NASL Timbers, West Bromwich Albion return to the Rose City tonight to mark the Timbers return to the first division of American soccer.
Following the Timbers away victory against Chicago over the weekend, Coach Spencer will field a team of reserves and bench players, looking for them to impress as the Timbers seek any spark to start a run of successive wins. With no reinforcements coming into the team during the summer transfer window, this will be a prime opportunity for fringe players to stand out.
The Timbers opponents, the “Baggies”, find themselves coming into their second successive year in the English Premier League where they finished in the middle of the table. Known for a “tough, really hard to beat” style of play, according to native Englishman and Timbers forward Eddie Johnson, the Baggies are home to many national team players. Congo DR, Nigeria, Sweden, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland are among the countries represented on West Brom’s roster. Players to watch out for include forward Peter Odemwingie who scored 15 goals in 32 games for West Brom last season and Chris Brunt, the left winger and club captain who has played in 139 matches for the club.
NEXT 5 MATCHES
7/23 @ Columbus
7/26 vs Independiente
7/30 vs Toronto
8/3 vs Los Angeles
8/6 @ San Jose
BOTTOM LINE
The Baggies will test Portland’s depth and give the reserves a chance to shine against a quality Premier League side.
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Pipeline's Portland Timbers coverage by:
Will Conwell
Will Conwell is an aspiring novelist who spends his free time unloading trucks in warehouses. His passions in life are soccer, beer, and writing, which he has found are best enjoyed in concert. Will can be contacted at william.conwell@gmail.com or on twitter at TimbersPipeline.
