10 Things Newcastle Fans Need To Know About Portland Timbers 2

Steve McClaren is now three matches into his Newcastle United reign and, with two wins and a loss to date, it has been a mixed and unspectacular start to his tenure on the playing field. Following the comfortable if unspectacular 1-0 victory over Gateshead at the International Stadium and the disappointing 2-1 loss to Club Atlas last week, the Magpies returned to winning ways with a 1-0 win over Sacramento Republic at the weekend. Next for McClaren and his men - who will be bolstered by the £12.3 million acquisition of Aleksandar Mitrovic from Anderlecht, even if the 20-year-old Serbian is not over in the USA - are Portland Timbers 2. Up against the reserve team for Major League Soccer side Portland Timbers at Providence Park, Newcastle face arguably their weakest opposition yet on their US tour. However, Timbers 2 are set to be bolstered by a few players loaned from their parent club, and so could cause the Magpies any number of problems on Tuesday night (in the US)/Wednesday morning (in the UK). Having started their trip in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in north-east USA, the Magpies then visited Sacramento, California, and they will now conclude their US tour at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, with a game against Portland Timbers. Before returning back to the UK for the final stint of the pre-season schedule, Newcastle must first overcome the Timbers on Tuesday night (7.30pm PT kick-off in America)/Wednesday morning (3.30am BST kick-off in the UK). So who exactly are the Portland Timbers 2? And which players should the Magpies be wary of? Well, here€™s 10 things Newcastle United fans need to know about Portland Timbers 2 ahead of the club€™s pre-season friendly against the USL side€