BY PAUL DANZER
The Portland Timbers were the best team in the United Soccer Leagues First Division this season.
But if they are going to be champions, they will have to find success in a place it has historically eluded them.
The Timbers meet the Vancouver Whitecaps in a two-game, total goals, semifinal series that begins at 7:30 p.m. today in Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, B.C. The second leg of the series is at 4 p.m. Sunday in PGE Park.
The winner of this series will face the winner between Montreal and Puerto Rico in the two-game league finale.
The Timbers, who went 24 matches between losses in the regular season, have won just once in Vancouver since 2001. Since the Timbers joined this league in 2001, they are 10-21-7 against the Whitecaps.
But coach Gavin Wilkinson said he likes this matchup.
"We’ve never played well in Vancouver," Wilkinson said. "But I think it’s a good matchup for us when you look at the players."
Vancouver — the defending USL-1 champion — was the last team to qualify for the playoffs, finishing in seventh place in the 11-team league. The Whitecaps then beat No. 2 seed Carolina, 1-0, in a first-round home-and-home series.
As the regular season champions (16-4-10), the Timbers sat out the first round, and Wilkinson said that time off was valuable for healing some injuries. He is also pleased his club can ride a bus to British Columbia instead of flying cross country for the semifinal round.
"I think things worked out perfectly for us," he said.
Portland was the best team in USL-1 this season, but Vancouver might be the hottest right now. The Whitecaps only lost once in their final 12 regular-season matches (5-1-6), and knocked off the second-seeded Rail Hawks 1-0 with consecutive shutouts.
Vancouver forward Charles Gbeke (12 goals) led the league in goals during the regular season and was the MVP of the 2008 league finals.
Wilkinson said one of the keys to this series will be containing Vancouver’s speed on the wings. On the flip side, the Portland coach said he is confident his attackers have an edge on the Whitecaps defense.
That could make for an entertaining series. Wilkinson said he was not planning on a conservative approach tonight because Portland has the second leg at home.
