Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Thursday 9 augusT 2018
Timbers on 15-game unbeaten streak with rivalry looming

By ANNE M. PETERSON a Cascadia Cup rivalry against Houston. The team
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — match at home this Satur- is on the road again this
What slow start? The Port- day against the Whitecaps, weekend for its first meet-
land Timbers have recov- who sit in seventh place in ing with expansion LAFC
ered and then some. the West. But first Vancou- (10-6-6), which is in fourth
A 15-match unbeaten ver faces Toronto FC in the and jostling with Sporting
streak has moved the Tim- first leg of the Canadian for playoff position. LAFC
bers into second place in Championship on Wednes- was coming off a 2-1 loss
the Western Conference day night. on the road to the New
behind FC Dallas. The streak The Cascadia Cup is the York Red Bulls on Sunday.
started with a 3-2 victory at three-way rivalry between PLAYER OF THE WEEK: San
home over Minnesota on the Timbers, Whitecaps and Jose's Vako was named
April 8. Seattle Sounders that was the MLS Player of the Week
The latest win was a 3-0 started by rivalry groups for his two goals last Satur-
victory over the Philadel- before the teams joined day against FC Dallas. The
phia Union last weekend In this July 28, 2018, file photo, Portland Timbers' Fanendo Adi, MLS. Portland and Seattle Earthquakes pulled off the
that gave the Timbers their second from right, celebrates with teammates after scoring a sit atop the table with three 3-1 upset on the road.
goal in the second half goal of an MLS soccer game against the
longest MLS undefeated Houston Dynamo in Portland, Ore. points apiece, while Van- Vako scored in the 19th
streak since they also went Associated Press couver has none. and 88th minutes for the
15 games without a loss in The Whitecaps were com- Quakes. He has six goals on
2013. Portland is the only ously as the last one. We're drop a game at home this ing off a 2-2 draw on the the season.
team with two streaks that just going to try and keep it season. In fact, the team road to NYCFC, stretching WATCHING ATLANTA: The
long. The longest unbeaten rolling." has not lost at home in 16 their undefeated streak to Timbers were continuing
streak is 19 games, set in It has been a dramatic regular-season matches three games. their upward swing, but At-
2010 by Dallas. shift from the start of the dating back to last season. "We have confidence in lanta remains the hottest
Portland's streak is also the season when the Timbers "We are doing well," said the team, so we've just got team in the league.
longest in the league this started with five games on Diego Valeri, the league's to keep pushing forward," By far.
season. the road — because of reigning MVP who leads Whitecaps forward Erik The Union, the first team in
"Everyone is buying into construction at Providence Portland with eight goals Hurtado said. MLS to hit the 50-goal mark
what we're preaching," Park — and were unable to this season. "I am very MATCH OF THE WEEK: Sport- this season, sit atop the
goalkeeper Jeff Attinella come home with a win. happy about the run we're ing Kansas City (10-6-6) Eastern Conference at 14-
said. "Everyone is fighting And home has been key having." moved into third place in 4-6 with 10 games left. They
each game and we're tak- to Portland's success. The Portland, which has 14 the West with a 1-0 victory are also atop the race for
ing each game just as seri- Timbers (10-3-7) have yet to games left, is heading into last weekend on the road the Supporters' Shield.q

ADVICE TO ACES Right now we will land in the WNBA to make travel
Continued from Page 17 DC at 245pm that has us easier, they'll be known as
The flagship team plays going straight to the gym the first team to miss the
most of its games in a 2,500- bc of traffic and bags...and postseason because play-
seat arena, and many you want us to play?" All- ers didn't get enough sleep.
players compete in over- Star guard Kayla McBride That's a consideration
seas leagues to boost their tweeted . "Oh ok." when trying to grow a fan
paychecks. The WNBA tried to accom- base in a new city. The
And everyone flies com- modate the Aces, moving Aces haven't exactly fol-
mercial. the start of the game back lowed the Vegas Golden
The last fact seems to be the an hour to give them more Knights in taking Las Vegas
sticking point with the WN- time to prepare. It was by storm, and casino oper-
BA's players' union, which breast cancer awareness ator MGM owner has been
would love nothing better day in Washington, and offering free tickets to cred-
than to have all players fly a decent-sized crowd of it card holders to boost at-
charter jets to games. Bar- some 5,000-6,000 was ex- tendance in the arena on
ring that, the union at least pected for the game. the Las Vegas Strip.
wants restrictions on games But when the Aces finally In a perfect world, WNBA
played while crossing two got to their hotel, they de- players would make more
time zones or more. cided they would be risking money and get charter jets.
The Aces provided a per- injury by playing tired. But the league has been
fect test case, along with "We had hopes of resched- Connecticut Sun guard Jasmine Thomas (5) drives past Las around 22 years now and,
Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) in the first half half of WNBA
a chance to dramatize the uling," Aces union represen- basketball game action Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018, in Uncasville, despite improved television
difficulties of travel. Their tative Carolyn Swords told Conn. ratings this season, there
original flight canceled, the The Associated Press the Associated Press is no indication it will ever
Aces spent 26 hours travel- next day. "We are competi- grow big enough for the
ing from Las Vegas to Wash- tors and value every oppor- necticut in 2003 and a mas- should show up and play," players to be lavished with
ington, arriving midafter- tunity to play. Every game sive blackout hit the East Thibault said. the same riches and perks
noon in the nation's capital is critically important with Coast while the team was Indeed, they should. But the men get.
for a game that night. the new playoff format, but in Cleveland. The team no one seemed able to Meanwhile, the fans in
A tough day of travel, yes. we couldn't put our health took buses to Connecticut explain that to the Aces, Washington missed out on
Some of it documented by and safety on the line." and then to New York City, or warn them of the con- a game. The fans in Las Ve-
players themselves, who The decision not to play showing up 52 minutes be- sequences should they de- gas will likely miss out on the
weren't afraid to go on Twit- didn't sit well with Mystics fore tipoff. cide against playing. playoffs.
ter to complain about it. coach Mike Thibault, who They won the game. Now, instead of being All because the Aces de-
"No shoot around. No night told a story about when "If you're there and in the known as the team that cided not to show up and
of sleep. No beds. No food. he was coaching in Con- city and can play, you took a stand and forced play.