Image: Tomás Del Coro

• Portland Timbers 2 currently occupies 15^th spot in the Western Conference table, with 15 points from 31 games. Rising are in 5^th, with 55 from 31.
• Portland has won only 1 match since the start of August – a 1-0 victory away to Vancouver Whitecaps 2 on September 30^th.
• Rising and Portland last met at the end of September. Goals from Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jason Johnson lifted Phoenix to a 2-0 win, guaranteeing a 2017 playoff spot.  Since that game, Portland has won 1 (Whitecaps 2), and lost 2 (away to Los Dos and San Antonio).  The defeat at Los Dos was particularly disappointing, with Portland conceding in the 94^th minute.

• Portland have failed to score in 12 league games this season.  They are also least likely to score during the first 15 minutes of either half.
• Victor Arboleda is their leading scorer. The 20-year-old Colombian has scored 4 goals in 13 appearances. New Zealander Bill Poni Tuiloma is next with 3 goals in 10 appearances, including one in the midweek loss at San Antonio.  The 22 year old, who usually plays as a full back or defensive midfielder, has 21 full international caps, including three 2017 Confederations Cup appearances for the All Whites.  He will be hoping to feature in New Zealand’s 2018 World Cup playoff against Peru in November.
• No Portland player has provided more than 2 assists this season.

• Portland have managed only 4 league shutouts all season.  They are most likely to concede during the first 15 minutes of the second half.
• Portland have also conceded 5 league goals in second half stoppage time this season.
• Kendall McIntosh, Portland’s goalkeeper, is ironically one of the best players on the team. He’s made a total of 90 saves from 133 shots in 20 games this season – the third highest save rate in the Western Conference.