Timbers defender Chris Duvall said the decision to not play against San Jose on Wednesday came quickly.
Kristian Foden-Vencil
The Portland Timbers say they’re planning to play their game Saturday against Real Salt Lake, after canceling the San Jose match over racial injustice.
Players were nearly at the stadium Wednesday, when they decided to cancel their game against San Jose. They wanted to make a statement in solidarity with other professional athletes, about racial injustice and the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.
Timbers defender Chris Duvall said the decision to not play was quick, “We felt like it was the right thing to do, to not participate in the game,” he said.
“With the locker room that we have, that’s so together and so strong, there was no push-back. It was very quick. Everyone was on the same page. And I think we care about each other and we care about what’s happening in each others lives, so to be affected by this, it affects all of us."
The Timbers had been enjoying an eight-game winning streak when the team was beaten by the Seattle Sounders Sunday. The Real Salt Lake match is the Portland team’s first chance to restore that streak.