History The origin of Portland Timbers Football Club
The club was founded in 2009, when the city of Portland was awarded an expansion berth to Major League Soccer. The team is owned by Merritt Paulson who acquired the then USL Pro team in 2007.
The club is the fourth soccer franchise based in Portland to share the legacy of the Timbers name, which originated with the original team, in the North American Soccer League in 1975.
In 2013, the Timbers finished the regular season in first place in the Western Conference, clinching both their first-ever playoff appearance and a CONCACAF Champions League berth. The franchise won the Western Conference Finals in the playoffs, and their first major trophy, the MLS Cup in 2015.
Soccer in Portland, Oregon can be traced to the soccer team that competed in the NASL as an expansion team until the club's seventh season in 1982. The club's major achievement was in their inaugural season during the league's playoffs, having won the league's division final, and runners-up in Soccer Bowl '75 losing to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the championship match.
In 1985, F.C. Portland had established and was a charter club in the Western Soccer Alliance League and competed until folding in 1990. There would be no soccer club in the city until 2001, when the USL Timbers was founded and competed in Division 2 soccer in USL pro till the club ceased operations in 2010. The USL pro club finished with the best record in the league in both the 2004 and 2009 regular seasons.
The announcement of the Timbers' entry into MLS was the culmination of a nearly two-year-long process for Merritt Paulson, dating back at least to May 2007, when Paulson led a group that bought the Portland Beavers and the USL Timbers. The group included former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Meritt Paulson's father.
The biggest issue for the city of Portland at that time was that due to league concerns about seating configuration, field surface and scheduling, obtaining an MLS club would require a new stadium.
In October 2007, Paulson was told PGE Park could be upgraded for about $20 million, and a new baseball stadium (with 8,000 to 9,000 seats) would cost about $30 million.By November 2008, Paulson told The New York Times he expected Portland taxpayers would spend $85 million to "build a new baseball stadium for his Beavers and renovate PGE Park just remodeled in 2001 at a cost to taxpayers of $38.5 million for soccer", and that in exchange, he would spend $40 million for the franchise fee to bring a new Major League Soccer team to Portland.
MLS was in support of the proposal, wanting to continue to expand the number of owners in the league (for a while, all of its teams were owned by three men: Philip Anschutz, Lamar Hunt, and Robert Kraft).
Though supporting the acquisition of an MLS franchise raised numerous issues for Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland City Council, the Timbers were announced as Major League Soccer's eighteenth team on March 20, 2009 by Commissioner Don Garber. The announcement occurred during the first and second-round games of the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament that were held in Portland. The announcement noted that the team would retain the Portland Timbers name.
Former forward and Colorado Rapids assistant coach John Spencer was named the first head coach of the Timbers on August 10, 2010. It was also announced that former head coach Gavin Wilkinson of the USL-1/USSF D-2Timbers, was promoted as the general manager/technical director of the team.
The Timbers signed five players before the MLS Expansion Draft on November 24, 2010. Three were part of the Timbers D-2 Pro League squad in 2010 (Steve Cronin, Bright Dike, and Ryan Pore), one was signed from D-2 Pro League team Austin Aztex (forward Eddie Johnson) and one was acquired via trade with New York Red Bulls (midfielder Jeremy Hall).
On November 24, 2010, the Timbers, along with the other 2011 expansion team, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, participated in an MLS Expansion Draft, each selecting 10 players from existing teams. Immediately after the Expansion Draft, the Timbers announced the trade of their first pick (midfielder Dax McCarty), from FC Dallas to D.C. United for defender Rodney Wallace.
The Timbers and Whitecaps also participated in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft on January 13, 2011 with the Whitecaps having the first pick, and the Timbers having the second pick. Vancouver surprised some by selecting youngster Omar Salgado and Portland swiftly selected Akron midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe.
FIRST SEASONS (2011–2012)
The Timbers played their first MLS game on March 19, 2011, against reigning MLS champions Colorado Rapids, but lost 3–1. The first goal in the Timbers' MLS era was scored by Kenny Cooper. In their first season, Portland Timbers were in 6th place in the Western Conference and 12th place overall.
On July 9, 2012, John Spencer was fired after a 0–3 loss to Real Salt Lake. He was replaced by Caleb Porter who was previously head coach of the United States U-23 team, and the University of Akron Zips men's team from 2006 to 2012. Gavin Wilkinson took over on an interim basis for the rest season. The Timbers finished 2012 with the 3rd worst record in the league and was 8th out of 9th in the Western Conference.
CALEB PORTER ERA PRE-CHAMPIONS (2013–2014)
Under head coach Caleb Porter, the Portland Timbers achieved immediate success in the 2013 MLS regular season. They were first place in the Western Conference and third place overall. The main player has been Diego Valeri, whom the Timbers had acquired from CA Lanus on loan with an option to purchase (which they exercised later in the season).
In the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cuptournament, the club reached the semifinals, where they were eliminated by Real Salt Lake. The Timbers also earned their first MLS playoff appearance in franchise history. They defeated their archrival Seattle Sounders FC in the conference semifinals 5–3 on aggregate. The Timbers were eliminated in the conference finals, again losing to Real Salt Lake in a two–game aggregate series (5–2 aggregate).
Due to a change by the United States Soccer Federation of how American-based MLS teams can qualify in the CONCACAF Champions League, the Portland Timbers qualified for the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League, which was their first international tournament they would later take part in.
In the 2014 MLS season, the Timbers could not replicate the success they had in the previous season. They struggled defensively in the beginning of the season with a 1–3–6 (W-L-D) record over the first ten games. They were able to mount a comeback late in the season, still having a chance on the final weekend to appear in the MLS playoffs but ultimately failing to qualify.
The Timbers finished the season in 6th place in the Western Conference, 11th place overall. For the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League, the Timbers were drawn with Club Deportivo Olimpia and Alpha United in the group stage of the tournament. They were eliminated in the group stage on away goals.
During the offseason, Portland's main focus was to avoid a slow start as they did in the 2014 season, made more difficult with Diego Valeri and Will Johnson being unavailable for the first several weeks due to injuries suffered in the final games of the 2014 season. New acquisitions included Nat Borchers from Real Salt Lake, and Ghanaian keeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey.
MLS CUP CHAMPIONS (2015)
The 2015 season marked the franchise's fifth anniversary as an MLS franchise and the fortieth anniversary of the Timbers' legacy that traces back to the original North American Soccer League, which has been recognized by the team.
In 2015, the Timbers began their campaign without Diego Valeri and Will Johnson, who were still recovering from their injuries they obtained in the previous season. They would eventually return later in the season. The 2015 US Open Cup pitted Portland against arch-rival Seattle in the fourth round of the tournament, where they would eliminate the Sounders 3–1 in overtime, Seattle finished the match with only seven men after three players (which including Clint Dempsey) were given red cards, and Obafemi Martins leaving due to a groin injury.
Portland would be defeated by Real Salt Lake in the fifth round. In a highly competitive Western Conference, the Timbers once again qualified for the MLS Playoffs, finishing strong in the final matches of the regular season which included a 5–2 win against LA Galaxy.[citation needed] Portland finished the regular season third in the Western Conference, fifth overall.
Portland played against Sporting Kansas City in the MLS playoffs' Knockout round that went to penalties after Sporting's Kevin Ellis scored a late tying goal in the final minutes of regulation ending in 1–1. Maxi Urruti scored late in overtime tying 2–2 after Sporting had the lead from a goal from Kristen Nemeth in the 97th minute. Kwarasey scored the winning goal and made the winning save in the suspenseful penalties.
The Timbers advanced to defeat Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the second leg of their two-game series, winning the Conference Semifinals 2–0. Portland defeated FC Dallas in the Conference Final series 5-3 aggregate with a 3-1 win at home and tying 2-2 in the second match in Toyota Park, becoming Western Conference Champions and advancing to their first-ever MLS Cup appearance.
The Timbers won the 2015 MLS Cup against Columbus Crew SC 2–1 from the fastest MLS Cup goal from Diego Valeri, followed by a header from Rodney Wallace in the first half. Despite conceding a goal from Columbus striker Kei Kamara, the Portland Timbers held on to win their first MLS Cup and in doing so became the first team in the Cascadia rivalry to win the championship.
CALEB PORTER ERA POST-CHAMPIONS (2016–)
Portland's offseason consisted of transfers of key players including Jorge Villafaña, Will Johnson, Maxi Urruti and Rodney Wallace. For the Timbers' 2016 campaign as defending champions, Portland's 2016 season began with a win in a sudden rematch against Columbus Crew SC.
Portland's season in 2016 overall has been as what Head Coach Caleb Porter described "A tale of two seasons." Although the team had a strong record at home, that performance was not reflected on the road, and the team dealt with injuries to key players throughout the season. The Timbers did not win a single match away from Providence Park in the 2016 MLS season, finishing with a road record of 0–11–6.
In 2017, the team made it a priority to improve the team's defense which had been one issue in the previous year along with more reinforcements in the midfield. Portland acquired Roy Miller and David Guzmán from C.D. Sapprissa. Nat Borchers, who was injured in 2016, was not offered a new contract with the Timbers. Ultimately the league veteran defender decided to retire.
The Timbers also signed Sebastian Blanco from San Lorenzo, who had been a teammate of Valeri's in Lanús. Mid-season, the Timbers also acquired Larrys Mabiala, a centre-back, from the Turkish club Kayserispor. Portland qualified for the playoffs once more in their second-to-last match of the regular season, a 4–0 rout of D.C. United at Providence Park. The Timbers finished the season in first place beating the Whitecaps at home, also winning the Cascadia Cup for the second time in the league.
MAIN STADIUM PORTLAND TIMBERS
- Providence Park; Portland, Oregon (2011–present) – known as Jeld-Wen Field from 2011 to 2014Merlo Field; Portland, Oregon (2011) 1 game in U.S. Open Cup qualifying
- The Timbers play at Providence Park, which they share with the Portland State Vikingsfootball team and, since 2013, Portland Thorns FC, a team in the National Women's Soccer League also owned by Peregrine Sports. The stadium's renovation in 2010–11 made it unsuitable for baseball, and former tenant the Portland Beavers moved to Tucson, Arizona, after failing to find a new venue.
Initially, city funding for renovation of the stadium (then known as PGE Park) was tied to simultaneous construction of a new baseball ballpark; Timbers owner Merritt Paulson was the owner of the Beavers at the time. Due to delays caused by public criticism of potential ballpark sites and an impending deadline to begin stadium renovation, the funding for the two projects was separated. The capacity of the renovated stadium was expected to be between 22,000 and 23,000. Operational capacity was limited to 18,627 for the 2011 MLS season and expanded to 20,323 for the 2012 season.
On February 10, 2014, the Timbers signed a long-term stadium naming rights sponsorship with Providence Health & Services, a non-profit health care provider. The stadium will be known as Providence Park until at least 2028.
The club is the fourth soccer franchise based in Portland to share the legacy of the Timbers name, which originated with the original team, in the North American Soccer League in 1975.
In 2013, the Timbers finished the regular season in first place in the Western Conference, clinching both their first-ever playoff appearance and a CONCACAF Champions League berth. The franchise won the Western Conference Finals in the playoffs, and their first major trophy, the MLS Cup in 2015.
Soccer in Portland, Oregon can be traced to the soccer team that competed in the NASL as an expansion team until the club's seventh season in 1982. The club's major achievement was in their inaugural season during the league's playoffs, having won the league's division final, and runners-up in Soccer Bowl '75 losing to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the championship match.
In 1985, F.C. Portland had established and was a charter club in the Western Soccer Alliance League and competed until folding in 1990. There would be no soccer club in the city until 2001, when the USL Timbers was founded and competed in Division 2 soccer in USL pro till the club ceased operations in 2010. The USL pro club finished with the best record in the league in both the 2004 and 2009 regular seasons.
The announcement of the Timbers' entry into MLS was the culmination of a nearly two-year-long process for Merritt Paulson, dating back at least to May 2007, when Paulson led a group that bought the Portland Beavers and the USL Timbers. The group included former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Meritt Paulson's father.
The biggest issue for the city of Portland at that time was that due to league concerns about seating configuration, field surface and scheduling, obtaining an MLS club would require a new stadium.
In October 2007, Paulson was told PGE Park could be upgraded for about $20 million, and a new baseball stadium (with 8,000 to 9,000 seats) would cost about $30 million.By November 2008, Paulson told The New York Times he expected Portland taxpayers would spend $85 million to "build a new baseball stadium for his Beavers and renovate PGE Park just remodeled in 2001 at a cost to taxpayers of $38.5 million for soccer", and that in exchange, he would spend $40 million for the franchise fee to bring a new Major League Soccer team to Portland.
MLS was in support of the proposal, wanting to continue to expand the number of owners in the league (for a while, all of its teams were owned by three men: Philip Anschutz, Lamar Hunt, and Robert Kraft).
Though supporting the acquisition of an MLS franchise raised numerous issues for Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland City Council, the Timbers were announced as Major League Soccer's eighteenth team on March 20, 2009 by Commissioner Don Garber. The announcement occurred during the first and second-round games of the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament that were held in Portland. The announcement noted that the team would retain the Portland Timbers name.
Former forward and Colorado Rapids assistant coach John Spencer was named the first head coach of the Timbers on August 10, 2010. It was also announced that former head coach Gavin Wilkinson of the USL-1/USSF D-2Timbers, was promoted as the general manager/technical director of the team.
The Timbers signed five players before the MLS Expansion Draft on November 24, 2010. Three were part of the Timbers D-2 Pro League squad in 2010 (Steve Cronin, Bright Dike, and Ryan Pore), one was signed from D-2 Pro League team Austin Aztex (forward Eddie Johnson) and one was acquired via trade with New York Red Bulls (midfielder Jeremy Hall).
On November 24, 2010, the Timbers, along with the other 2011 expansion team, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, participated in an MLS Expansion Draft, each selecting 10 players from existing teams. Immediately after the Expansion Draft, the Timbers announced the trade of their first pick (midfielder Dax McCarty), from FC Dallas to D.C. United for defender Rodney Wallace.
The Timbers and Whitecaps also participated in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft on January 13, 2011 with the Whitecaps having the first pick, and the Timbers having the second pick. Vancouver surprised some by selecting youngster Omar Salgado and Portland swiftly selected Akron midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe.
FIRST SEASONS (2011–2012)
The Timbers played their first MLS game on March 19, 2011, against reigning MLS champions Colorado Rapids, but lost 3–1. The first goal in the Timbers' MLS era was scored by Kenny Cooper. In their first season, Portland Timbers were in 6th place in the Western Conference and 12th place overall.
On July 9, 2012, John Spencer was fired after a 0–3 loss to Real Salt Lake. He was replaced by Caleb Porter who was previously head coach of the United States U-23 team, and the University of Akron Zips men's team from 2006 to 2012. Gavin Wilkinson took over on an interim basis for the rest season. The Timbers finished 2012 with the 3rd worst record in the league and was 8th out of 9th in the Western Conference.
CALEB PORTER ERA PRE-CHAMPIONS (2013–2014)
Under head coach Caleb Porter, the Portland Timbers achieved immediate success in the 2013 MLS regular season. They were first place in the Western Conference and third place overall. The main player has been Diego Valeri, whom the Timbers had acquired from CA Lanus on loan with an option to purchase (which they exercised later in the season).
In the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cuptournament, the club reached the semifinals, where they were eliminated by Real Salt Lake. The Timbers also earned their first MLS playoff appearance in franchise history. They defeated their archrival Seattle Sounders FC in the conference semifinals 5–3 on aggregate. The Timbers were eliminated in the conference finals, again losing to Real Salt Lake in a two–game aggregate series (5–2 aggregate).
Due to a change by the United States Soccer Federation of how American-based MLS teams can qualify in the CONCACAF Champions League, the Portland Timbers qualified for the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League, which was their first international tournament they would later take part in.
In the 2014 MLS season, the Timbers could not replicate the success they had in the previous season. They struggled defensively in the beginning of the season with a 1–3–6 (W-L-D) record over the first ten games. They were able to mount a comeback late in the season, still having a chance on the final weekend to appear in the MLS playoffs but ultimately failing to qualify.
The Timbers finished the season in 6th place in the Western Conference, 11th place overall. For the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League, the Timbers were drawn with Club Deportivo Olimpia and Alpha United in the group stage of the tournament. They were eliminated in the group stage on away goals.
During the offseason, Portland's main focus was to avoid a slow start as they did in the 2014 season, made more difficult with Diego Valeri and Will Johnson being unavailable for the first several weeks due to injuries suffered in the final games of the 2014 season. New acquisitions included Nat Borchers from Real Salt Lake, and Ghanaian keeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey.
MLS CUP CHAMPIONS (2015)
The 2015 season marked the franchise's fifth anniversary as an MLS franchise and the fortieth anniversary of the Timbers' legacy that traces back to the original North American Soccer League, which has been recognized by the team.
In 2015, the Timbers began their campaign without Diego Valeri and Will Johnson, who were still recovering from their injuries they obtained in the previous season. They would eventually return later in the season. The 2015 US Open Cup pitted Portland against arch-rival Seattle in the fourth round of the tournament, where they would eliminate the Sounders 3–1 in overtime, Seattle finished the match with only seven men after three players (which including Clint Dempsey) were given red cards, and Obafemi Martins leaving due to a groin injury.
Portland would be defeated by Real Salt Lake in the fifth round. In a highly competitive Western Conference, the Timbers once again qualified for the MLS Playoffs, finishing strong in the final matches of the regular season which included a 5–2 win against LA Galaxy.[citation needed] Portland finished the regular season third in the Western Conference, fifth overall.
Portland played against Sporting Kansas City in the MLS playoffs' Knockout round that went to penalties after Sporting's Kevin Ellis scored a late tying goal in the final minutes of regulation ending in 1–1. Maxi Urruti scored late in overtime tying 2–2 after Sporting had the lead from a goal from Kristen Nemeth in the 97th minute. Kwarasey scored the winning goal and made the winning save in the suspenseful penalties.
The Timbers advanced to defeat Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the second leg of their two-game series, winning the Conference Semifinals 2–0. Portland defeated FC Dallas in the Conference Final series 5-3 aggregate with a 3-1 win at home and tying 2-2 in the second match in Toyota Park, becoming Western Conference Champions and advancing to their first-ever MLS Cup appearance.
The Timbers won the 2015 MLS Cup against Columbus Crew SC 2–1 from the fastest MLS Cup goal from Diego Valeri, followed by a header from Rodney Wallace in the first half. Despite conceding a goal from Columbus striker Kei Kamara, the Portland Timbers held on to win their first MLS Cup and in doing so became the first team in the Cascadia rivalry to win the championship.
CALEB PORTER ERA POST-CHAMPIONS (2016–)
Portland's offseason consisted of transfers of key players including Jorge Villafaña, Will Johnson, Maxi Urruti and Rodney Wallace. For the Timbers' 2016 campaign as defending champions, Portland's 2016 season began with a win in a sudden rematch against Columbus Crew SC.
Portland's season in 2016 overall has been as what Head Coach Caleb Porter described "A tale of two seasons." Although the team had a strong record at home, that performance was not reflected on the road, and the team dealt with injuries to key players throughout the season. The Timbers did not win a single match away from Providence Park in the 2016 MLS season, finishing with a road record of 0–11–6.
In 2017, the team made it a priority to improve the team's defense which had been one issue in the previous year along with more reinforcements in the midfield. Portland acquired Roy Miller and David Guzmán from C.D. Sapprissa. Nat Borchers, who was injured in 2016, was not offered a new contract with the Timbers. Ultimately the league veteran defender decided to retire.
The Timbers also signed Sebastian Blanco from San Lorenzo, who had been a teammate of Valeri's in Lanús. Mid-season, the Timbers also acquired Larrys Mabiala, a centre-back, from the Turkish club Kayserispor. Portland qualified for the playoffs once more in their second-to-last match of the regular season, a 4–0 rout of D.C. United at Providence Park. The Timbers finished the season in first place beating the Whitecaps at home, also winning the Cascadia Cup for the second time in the league.
MAIN STADIUM PORTLAND TIMBERS
- Providence Park; Portland, Oregon (2011–present) – known as Jeld-Wen Field from 2011 to 2014Merlo Field; Portland, Oregon (2011) 1 game in U.S. Open Cup qualifying
- The Timbers play at Providence Park, which they share with the Portland State Vikingsfootball team and, since 2013, Portland Thorns FC, a team in the National Women's Soccer League also owned by Peregrine Sports. The stadium's renovation in 2010–11 made it unsuitable for baseball, and former tenant the Portland Beavers moved to Tucson, Arizona, after failing to find a new venue.
Initially, city funding for renovation of the stadium (then known as PGE Park) was tied to simultaneous construction of a new baseball ballpark; Timbers owner Merritt Paulson was the owner of the Beavers at the time. Due to delays caused by public criticism of potential ballpark sites and an impending deadline to begin stadium renovation, the funding for the two projects was separated. The capacity of the renovated stadium was expected to be between 22,000 and 23,000. Operational capacity was limited to 18,627 for the 2011 MLS season and expanded to 20,323 for the 2012 season.
On February 10, 2014, the Timbers signed a long-term stadium naming rights sponsorship with Providence Health & Services, a non-profit health care provider. The stadium will be known as Providence Park until at least 2028.
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