History of Portland Timbers
Encyclopedia
The history of the Portland Timbers stretches back to 1975, when the original Timbers club joined the North American Soccer League, to the present club that plays in Major League Soccer.
awarded an expansion franchise to Portland, Oregon
. The name was selected on March 8, 1975 from more than 3,000 entries in an open contest. They began play in 1975. In their inaugural season, the Timbers went to the championship game Soccer Bowl
but lost to the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-0. It was during this season that the Timbers endeared themselves to the City and Portland became known as "Soccer City USA". While the Timbers boasted some of the league's best fan support, they sometimes struggled on the field. Despite going to the championship game in their first season, they missed the playoffs in 1976 and 1977. In 1978, they went to the Conference Finals before falling to the New York Cosmos
. The team folded at the end of the 1982 season as player salaries outpaced team revenue. These Timbers established soccer as a sport in the greater Portland area. Their legacy lives on in the current Timbers following and the many thousands who continue to play and follow the game. Many of these Timbers continued to live in the area after their playing careers and helped establish the soccer as a vital local sport.
and San Jose Earthquakes and the Canadian Victoria Riptides
in a home and away round robin tournament, known as the Western Alliance Challenge Series
. The four teams also played the Canadian Edmonton Brickmen
and the Canadian national team
. The games against the Brickmen counted in the standings which determined the end of series champions.
F.C. Portland had the honor of hosting the first game of the series, against Seattle. The game, played in Portland’s Civic Center, attracted 2,906 fans.
F.C. Portland also played a game against the Houston Dynamos in Houston.
After the success of 1985, the three U.S. teams elected to form a league, which they named the Western Soccer Alliance. While the Victoria Riptides opted out of the league, the Edmonton Brickmen
joined the alliance, along with the Hollywood Kickers
, Los Angeles Heat
and San Diego Nomads
. The teams continued the first year practice of playing outside teams ( and Dundee
this year) with results counting in the alliance standings.
F.C. Portland saw a significant improvement over the previous season. Behind the production of forwards Brent Goulet
(league leading 9 goals and 2 assists), and Mark Miller
(7 goals and 5 assists), the team finished second in the standings with a 6-6-2 record. At the time, Goulet played for Warner Pacific College
, a local school. He played with F.C. Portland as an amateur.
In 1986, former Timbers player Clive Charles
began coaching the University of Portland
(U.P.) men’s soccer team, bringing this team to national prominence. This led to an infusion of U.P. players into F.C. Portland in later years.
In 1987, Edmonton dropped from the alliance to join the Canadian Soccer League and the Hollywood Kickers changed their name to the California Kickers. The league also reduced the number of games from 12 to 10. Despite the Brent Goulet’s outstanding play, which led to his selection as the season MVP, F.C. Portland finished fourth in the standings and missed out on the alliance’s first playoff, won by the San Diego Nomads
.
At the end of the season, the team lost Goulet when he finished his four years at Warner Pacific College
and signed with British club AFC Bournemouth.
1988 saw F.C. Portland drop to the bottom of the end of year standings despite once again having the alliance’s leading scorer, Scott Benedetti
with 8 goals and no assists. At the time Benedetti was between his junior and senior year playing soccer for Clive Charles
at the University of Portland. The alliance kept the same teams as the 1987 season, but played 12 games, including games against Canadian Soccer League teams, Calgary Kickers
and Vancouver 86ers. F.C. Portland finished 1-11.
This year the alliance named an All Star team. Ironically, not only did Portland have the alliance’s top scorer, but also had its goalkeeper, Todd Strobeck
, named to the alliance’s All Star team.
In 1989, F.C. Portland went through several changes. First, Art Dixon, a local businessman, took control of F.C. Portland and renamed it the Portland Timbers. Dixon was a long time Timbers fan, holding season tickets from 1979 through the team's last season in 1982. Dixon brought more than a name change, he also injected money and a higher level of professionalism into the team, bringing former Timbers great John Bain
back as a player/coach. Then, the Western Soccer Alliance became the Western Soccer League (WSL). More importantly for Portland, the WSL added three new teams, Real Santa Barbara
, Arizona Condors
and Sacramento Senators
. To accommodate the new teams, the Western Soccer League split into two divisions – North and South. The Portland Timbers joined the former San Jose Earthquakes, now known as the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
; the F.C. Seattle
, now known as the Seattle Storm
; and the new Sacramento Senators
in the North Division.
Portland made yet another wild swing in the standings from the previous season. Improving from 1-11, Portland finished the year at 11-5 and tied with the Blackhawks for the North Division lead. The Blackhawks won the division championship, and the playoff berth, based on goal differential.
The team continued its tradition of placing its players on the end of year honors lists. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller
was selected as the league’s MVP. Additionally, Portland placed Keller, midfielder/coach John Bain
and forward Scott Benedetti
on the WSL All Star team. At the time, Keller was also playing NCAA soccer
with the University of Portland.
In February 1990, the WSL announced it had reached a merger agreement with the American Soccer League
, which had teams along the east coast. The new league was named the American Professional Soccer League
. The APSL was split into East and West Conferences, both with North and South Divisions. The Portland Timbers remained in the North Division, which also had the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
, Seattle Storm
and newly established Salt Lake Sting
and Colorado Foxes
.
This year, Portland’s final, the team finished with a 10-10 record and out of playoff contention. This was also the first year the team failed to garner any individual player honors. Its leading goal scorer, Shawn Medved
with 10 goals and 2 assists, was seventh on the league’s scoring list. Kasey Keller
had also moved on after playing in the 1990 FIFA World Cup
and then signing with British club Millwall
and Scott Benedetti
had transferred to Seattle.
At the end of the season, the high hopes which had come with the merger between the WSL and APSL crashed. Over half of the teams from the 1990 season, including Portland, would not return for the 1991 season. Team owner Art Dixon folded the team, having lost more than $500,000 over the two years he owned the team.
Through the 2003 season, the Timbers compiled an inconsistent record, qualifying for league playoffs two out of the three years. Nonetheless, they established themselves as one of the best-drawing teams in the A-League
, averaging attendance above 5,000 in each of their four years of existence.
In the 2004 season, the Timbers finished first in the Western Conference, with a record of 18 wins, 7 losses, and 3 draws (57 points). However, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by their long-standing rival, the Seattle Sounders
.
2005 proved to be a bittersweet year for the Portland Timbers. A sweet end of the year playoff run ended by a bitter playoff loss once again to arch-rival Seattle Sounders. However, many exciting moments went along with the 2005 season, including a 6-1 thumping of the Atlanta Silverbacks
on September 8, 2005; Portland being the only team to give the Montreal Impact
a home loss, and Timbers players Scot Thompson
, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar
, and Dan Antoniuk
winning league awards.
2006 was a very disappointing season for many reasons for the Portland Timbers, and their fans. The team finishing tied for last in the table with a franchise worst 7-15-6 (27 points) record, the Offensive production was last in the league as the club only netted 25 goals, and the Timbers lost their derby with heated rival Seattle Sounders.
2007 had many moments for the Timbers. Portland finished second in the league, with first going to rival [Seattle Sounders. They enjoyed successful friendlies against (2-1), Club Necaxa (1-0) and Toronto FC
(4-1) whilst drawing even with the A.C. Milan
Primavera squad (1-1) and winning on penalties, and went unbeaten at home during the regular season.
2008 was a disappointing year to most Timbers' fans for many reasons, although this was offset by the record high season attendances. The team finished dead last with a 7-13-10 record, scored a league worst 26 goals, while conceding 33. However, the 2008 Portland Timbers attendance grew 25.5% averaging 8,567 fans (second in the USL-1 behind Montreal Impact), and Cameron Knowles
won an All-League Second Team spot.
2009 was a record-setting season for the Timbers. They went unbeaten for a USL-1 record 24 matches in a row, which started following a 1-0 loss to Vancouver in the first game of the season, and ended with a Sept 3 defeat to Rochester Rhinos at PGE Park. They finished their season at the top of the table (16-4-10 58 points) winning The Commissioner's Cup and a first round bye in the playoffs. With their 3-1 victory over the Miami FC Blues, the Timbers also were the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the 2009 season. The Timbers were eliminated from the playoffs in their first two games (1-2, 3-3) on goal aggregate to Cascadia rival Vancouver Whitecaps.
The announcement 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) who holds a 20% stake. The biggest issue for the city of Portland was that due to league concerns about seating configuration, field surface, and scheduling, obtaining an MLS franchise would require a new stadium.
In October 2007, Paulson 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: Phil Anschutz, Lamar Hunt
, and Robert Kraft
).
Supporting the MLS franchise raised numerous issues for Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland City Council, in spite of a subsequent commitment from Paulson that Peregrine LLC would contribute $12.5 million towards stadium construction. In order to justify the $88.8 million of city dollars Peregrine LLC wanted for PGE Park renovation and Beavers relocation, the city had to assume that Paulson's revenue projections were accurate (e.g. "2011 ticket revenues from baseball will be 95 percent higher than revenues in 2008"), cut some street maintenance and cleaning, and cut about $150,000 from the streetlight budget. The city's use of existing urban renewal
district funds and establishment of a new district that "stretches the statutory requirement that a district suffer urban blight" creates budgetary and potentially legal problems and drain millions of dollars from Multnomah County
's general fund.
The Portland franchise was announced as Major League Soccer's eighteenth team on March 20, 2009 by Commissioner Don Garber
. The announcement occurred in the middle of the first and second round games of the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
being held in Portland the same week. The announcement noted that the team would retain the Portland Timbers name.
The team owner is Peregrine, LLC, a group led by Merritt Paulson
. Paulson is also the head of Shortstop LLC, which previously owned the USL-1 Timbers as well as the Pacific Coast League
's Portland Beavers
.
Former MLS forward and assistant coach John Spencer was named the first head coach of the MLS-era Timbers on August 10, 2010. It was also announced that Gavin Wilkinson
, head coach of the USL-1
/USSF D-2
Timbers, will stay on as the general manager/technical director of the MLS side.
NASL Days (1975–1982)
In January 1975, the North American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
awarded an expansion franchise to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. The name was selected on March 8, 1975 from more than 3,000 entries in an open contest. They began play in 1975. In their inaugural season, the Timbers went to the championship game Soccer Bowl
Soccer Bowl
The Soccer Bowl was the championship game of the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1983. The event was created by NASL Commissioner Phil Woosnam who was trying to build a neutral-site championship event in the mold of the NFL's Super Bowl....
but lost to the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-0. It was during this season that the Timbers endeared themselves to the City and Portland became known as "Soccer City USA". While the Timbers boasted some of the league's best fan support, they sometimes struggled on the field. Despite going to the championship game in their first season, they missed the playoffs in 1976 and 1977. In 1978, they went to the Conference Finals before falling to the New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
. The team folded at the end of the 1982 season as player salaries outpaced team revenue. These Timbers established soccer as a sport in the greater Portland area. Their legacy lives on in the current Timbers following and the many thousands who continue to play and follow the game. Many of these Timbers continued to live in the area after their playing careers and helped establish the soccer as a vital local sport.
F.C. Portland Days (1985–1990)
In 1985, F.C. Portland joined with three other independent clubs, the U.S. based F.C. SeattleSeattle Storm (soccer)
Football Club Seattle Storm, also known as the F.C. Seattle Storm, was an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. F.C. Seattle was a "super club" created to provide Seattle players an opportunity to play at a higher level than the local recreational and semi-pro leagues. In addition to...
and San Jose Earthquakes and the Canadian Victoria Riptides
Victoria Riptides
Victoria Riptides were a soccer team based out of Victoria, British Columbia. The team played a single season in the Western Alliance Challenge Series in 1985.-History:...
in a home and away round robin tournament, known as the Western Alliance Challenge Series
Western Soccer League
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alliance...
. The four teams also played the Canadian Edmonton Brickmen
Edmonton Brickmen
The Edmonton Brickmen were an Edmonton, Alberta-based soccer club that competed in two now-defunct leagues: the Western Soccer Alliance and the Canadian Soccer League.-History:...
and the Canadian national team
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
. The games against the Brickmen counted in the standings which determined the end of series champions.
F.C. Portland had the honor of hosting the first game of the series, against Seattle. The game, played in Portland’s Civic Center, attracted 2,906 fans.
F.C. Portland also played a game against the Houston Dynamos in Houston.
After the success of 1985, the three U.S. teams elected to form a league, which they named the Western Soccer Alliance. While the Victoria Riptides opted out of the league, the Edmonton Brickmen
Edmonton Brickmen
The Edmonton Brickmen were an Edmonton, Alberta-based soccer club that competed in two now-defunct leagues: the Western Soccer Alliance and the Canadian Soccer League.-History:...
joined the alliance, along with the Hollywood Kickers
California Kickers
California Kickers were a soccer club based in Hollywood, California. They joined the Western Soccer Alliance in 1986. They initially played as Hollywood Kickers before changing their name for the following season. In 1990 the team name was changed again, becoming the California Emperors when they...
, Los Angeles Heat
Los Angeles Heat
Los Angeles Heat joined the Western Soccer Alliance in 1986. They joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the WSL merged with the American Soccer League...
and San Diego Nomads
San Diego Nomads
-History:The Nomads joined the Western Soccer Alliance in 1986. In 1989, the WSA changed its name to the Western Soccer League and in 1990, the team joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the WSL merged with the American Soccer League. After winning the WSL championship in...
. The teams continued the first year practice of playing outside teams ( and Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
this year) with results counting in the alliance standings.
F.C. Portland saw a significant improvement over the previous season. Behind the production of forwards Brent Goulet
Brent Goulet
Brent Goulet is a retired American soccer forward and later coached SV Elversberg from 2004 to 2008. He began his career in the United States before moving to England and Germany, and also earned eight caps with the U.S. national team. He was the 1987 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year and was a...
(league leading 9 goals and 2 assists), and Mark Miller
Mark Miller (soccer)
Mark Miller is a retired U.S. soccer Forward. A native of Tacoma, Washington, Miller attended the University of Portland where he played on the men’s soccer team under coach Clive Charles. Miller was on the team from 1981 to 1984. In 1985 and 1986, he played with F.C. Portland of the Western...
(7 goals and 5 assists), the team finished second in the standings with a 6-6-2 record. At the time, Goulet played for Warner Pacific College
Warner Pacific College
Warner Pacific College is an urban, Christian liberal arts college located in Southeast Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1937, the college is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities...
, a local school. He played with F.C. Portland as an amateur.
In 1986, former Timbers player Clive Charles
Clive Charles
Clive Charles was a football player, coach and television announcer. Charles began his career with West Ham United and finished it in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He later coached at the high school, collegiate and international levels in the United States.-Player:Charles was born in London,...
began coaching the University of Portland
Portland Pilots
The Portland Pilots were a Class-B minor league baseball team in Portland, Maine out of the New England League. Created in 1946 as the Portland Gulls, the Pilots lasted until 1949, when the New England League collapsed...
(U.P.) men’s soccer team, bringing this team to national prominence. This led to an infusion of U.P. players into F.C. Portland in later years.
In 1987, Edmonton dropped from the alliance to join the Canadian Soccer League and the Hollywood Kickers changed their name to the California Kickers. The league also reduced the number of games from 12 to 10. Despite the Brent Goulet’s outstanding play, which led to his selection as the season MVP, F.C. Portland finished fourth in the standings and missed out on the alliance’s first playoff, won by the San Diego Nomads
San Diego Nomads
-History:The Nomads joined the Western Soccer Alliance in 1986. In 1989, the WSA changed its name to the Western Soccer League and in 1990, the team joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the WSL merged with the American Soccer League. After winning the WSL championship in...
.
At the end of the season, the team lost Goulet when he finished his four years at Warner Pacific College
Warner Pacific College
Warner Pacific College is an urban, Christian liberal arts college located in Southeast Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1937, the college is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities...
and signed with British club AFC Bournemouth.
1988 saw F.C. Portland drop to the bottom of the end of year standings despite once again having the alliance’s leading scorer, Scott Benedetti
Scott Benedetti
Scott “Benny” Benedetti is a retired American soccer player. He began his professional career with the semi-professional F.C. Portland in 1986 and ended it with the U.S. second division club Portland Timbers in 2005. While he spent most of his career in the lower U.S...
with 8 goals and no assists. At the time Benedetti was between his junior and senior year playing soccer for Clive Charles
Clive Charles
Clive Charles was a football player, coach and television announcer. Charles began his career with West Ham United and finished it in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He later coached at the high school, collegiate and international levels in the United States.-Player:Charles was born in London,...
at the University of Portland. The alliance kept the same teams as the 1987 season, but played 12 games, including games against Canadian Soccer League teams, Calgary Kickers
Calgary Kickers
Calgary Kickers were a Canadian soccer team which competed in the Canadian Soccer League from 1987 to 1989. They were named the Calgary Strikers for the 1989 season. Their home stadium was Mewata Stadium in Calgary.-History:...
and Vancouver 86ers. F.C. Portland finished 1-11.
This year the alliance named an All Star team. Ironically, not only did Portland have the alliance’s top scorer, but also had its goalkeeper, Todd Strobeck
Todd Strobeck
Todd Strobeck is a retired U.S. soccer goalkeeper who four seasons in the Western Soccer Alliance, one in the American Professional Soccer League, on in Major Indoor Soccer League and at least one in USISL....
, named to the alliance’s All Star team.
In 1989, F.C. Portland went through several changes. First, Art Dixon, a local businessman, took control of F.C. Portland and renamed it the Portland Timbers. Dixon was a long time Timbers fan, holding season tickets from 1979 through the team's last season in 1982. Dixon brought more than a name change, he also injected money and a higher level of professionalism into the team, bringing former Timbers great John Bain
John Bain
John Bain is a retired Scottish-U.S. soccer midfielder who currently coaches youth soccer in the U.S. Bain began his professional career in England before moving to the United States in 1978. Over his twenty year playing career, Bain played for numerous leagues and teams, both indoors and out...
back as a player/coach. Then, the Western Soccer Alliance became the Western Soccer League (WSL). More importantly for Portland, the WSL added three new teams, Real Santa Barbara
Real Santa Barbara
Real Santa Barbara was a former football team. The name real, meaning royal, came from the Spanish teams , just like current MLS club Real Salt Lake. The club played in the city of Santa Barbara, California...
, Arizona Condors
Arizona Condors
The Arizona Condors was an American soccer team founded in 1989 as a member of the Western Soccer League. The team folded following the 1990 season.-History:In January 1989, the amateur Arizona Condors entered the Western Soccer League as an expansion team...
and Sacramento Senators
Sacramento Senators (soccer)
The Sacramento Senators are a defunct U.S. soccer team which spent a single season in the Western Soccer League in 1989. The Senators played in Sacramento, California.Carlos Azevedo, a defender,was later entered into the Sacramento Hall of Fame in 1989....
. To accommodate the new teams, the Western Soccer League split into two divisions – North and South. The Portland Timbers joined the former San Jose Earthquakes, now known as the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks was a professional soccer team which came into existence in 1989 as a team in the Western Soccer League . The Blackhawks spent time in the American Professional Soccer League and the United States Interregional Soccer League...
; the F.C. Seattle
Seattle Storm (soccer)
Football Club Seattle Storm, also known as the F.C. Seattle Storm, was an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. F.C. Seattle was a "super club" created to provide Seattle players an opportunity to play at a higher level than the local recreational and semi-pro leagues. In addition to...
, now known as the Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm (soccer)
Football Club Seattle Storm, also known as the F.C. Seattle Storm, was an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. F.C. Seattle was a "super club" created to provide Seattle players an opportunity to play at a higher level than the local recreational and semi-pro leagues. In addition to...
; and the new Sacramento Senators
Sacramento Senators (soccer)
The Sacramento Senators are a defunct U.S. soccer team which spent a single season in the Western Soccer League in 1989. The Senators played in Sacramento, California.Carlos Azevedo, a defender,was later entered into the Sacramento Hall of Fame in 1989....
in the North Division.
Portland made yet another wild swing in the standings from the previous season. Improving from 1-11, Portland finished the year at 11-5 and tied with the Blackhawks for the North Division lead. The Blackhawks won the division championship, and the playoff berth, based on goal differential.
The team continued its tradition of placing its players on the end of year honors lists. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller
Kasey Keller
Kasey Keller is a retired American soccer player who last played for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer....
was selected as the league’s MVP. Additionally, Portland placed Keller, midfielder/coach John Bain
John Bain
John Bain is a retired Scottish-U.S. soccer midfielder who currently coaches youth soccer in the U.S. Bain began his professional career in England before moving to the United States in 1978. Over his twenty year playing career, Bain played for numerous leagues and teams, both indoors and out...
and forward Scott Benedetti
Scott Benedetti
Scott “Benny” Benedetti is a retired American soccer player. He began his professional career with the semi-professional F.C. Portland in 1986 and ended it with the U.S. second division club Portland Timbers in 2005. While he spent most of his career in the lower U.S...
on the WSL All Star team. At the time, Keller was also playing NCAA soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
with the University of Portland.
In February 1990, the WSL announced it had reached a merger agreement with the American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
, which had teams along the east coast. The new league was named the American Professional Soccer League
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
. The APSL was split into East and West Conferences, both with North and South Divisions. The Portland Timbers remained in the North Division, which also had the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks was a professional soccer team which came into existence in 1989 as a team in the Western Soccer League . The Blackhawks spent time in the American Professional Soccer League and the United States Interregional Soccer League...
, Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm (soccer)
Football Club Seattle Storm, also known as the F.C. Seattle Storm, was an American soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. F.C. Seattle was a "super club" created to provide Seattle players an opportunity to play at a higher level than the local recreational and semi-pro leagues. In addition to...
and newly established Salt Lake Sting
Salt Lake Sting
The Salt Lake Sting was a professional soccer team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They played in the American Professional Soccer League. The franchise lasted two seasons, but financial concerns caused the team's ownership to shut the franchise down on July 5, 1991...
and Colorado Foxes
Colorado Foxes
The Colorado Foxes were a professional soccer team, based in Commerce City, Colorado, that played in the APSL between 1990 and 1997. The Foxes won two APSL titles, in 1992 and 1993. When Major League Soccer started and the Colorado Rapids became the region's premier team, the Foxes tried to stay...
.
This year, Portland’s final, the team finished with a 10-10 record and out of playoff contention. This was also the first year the team failed to garner any individual player honors. Its leading goal scorer, Shawn Medved
Shawn Medved
Shawn Medved is a retired American soccer forward and midfielder. He coaches youth soccer.-Youth:Medved was born and grew up in Issaquah, Washington. His father, Ron Medved, was a noted American football player for the University of Washington and Philadelphia Eagles. Despite his father's success...
with 10 goals and 2 assists, was seventh on the league’s scoring list. Kasey Keller
Kasey Keller
Kasey Keller is a retired American soccer player who last played for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer....
had also moved on after playing in the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
and then signing with British club Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
and Scott Benedetti
Scott Benedetti
Scott “Benny” Benedetti is a retired American soccer player. He began his professional career with the semi-professional F.C. Portland in 1986 and ended it with the U.S. second division club Portland Timbers in 2005. While he spent most of his career in the lower U.S...
had transferred to Seattle.
At the end of the season, the high hopes which had come with the merger between the WSL and APSL crashed. Over half of the teams from the 1990 season, including Portland, would not return for the 1991 season. Team owner Art Dixon folded the team, having lost more than $500,000 over the two years he owned the team.
USL Days (2001–2010)
A-League (1995–2004)
The A-League was a professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. The A-League emerged out of the restructured American Professional Soccer League in 1995 and operated until 2004, after which it was re-branded the USL First Division...
, averaging attendance above 5,000 in each of their four years of existence.
In the 2004 season, the Timbers finished first in the Western Conference, with a record of 18 wins, 7 losses, and 3 draws (57 points). However, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by their long-standing rival, the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (USL)
Seattle Sounders was an American professional soccer team founded in 1994 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League. In 1997, the team became a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid, until 2008, after which the majority of the team's...
.
2005 proved to be a bittersweet year for the Portland Timbers. A sweet end of the year playoff run ended by a bitter playoff loss once again to arch-rival Seattle Sounders. However, many exciting moments went along with the 2005 season, including a 6-1 thumping of the Atlanta Silverbacks
Atlanta Silverbacks
Atlanta Silverbacks is an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, having previously sat out the 2009 and 2010 seasons while the ownership...
on September 8, 2005; Portland being the only team to give the Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
a home loss, and Timbers players Scot Thompson
Scot Thompson
Scot Thompson is an American soccer player who currently play for Portland Timbers U23's in the USL Premier Development League....
, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar
Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar
Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar is a Mexican footballer who most recently played for the Seattle Sounders of the USL First Division.Alcaraz-Cuellar initially began playing soccer with the San Diego Flash in 2001...
, and Dan Antoniuk
Dan Antoniuk
Dan Antoniuk is an American soccer player.-College:Antoniuk attended Wheaton College, playing on the men’s soccer team from 1999 to 2002...
winning league awards.
2006 was a very disappointing season for many reasons for the Portland Timbers, and their fans. The team finishing tied for last in the table with a franchise worst 7-15-6 (27 points) record, the Offensive production was last in the league as the club only netted 25 goals, and the Timbers lost their derby with heated rival Seattle Sounders.
2007 had many moments for the Timbers. Portland finished second in the league, with first going to rival [Seattle Sounders. They enjoyed successful friendlies against (2-1), Club Necaxa (1-0) and Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
(4-1) whilst drawing even with the A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
Primavera squad (1-1) and winning on penalties, and went unbeaten at home during the regular season.
2008 was a disappointing year to most Timbers' fans for many reasons, although this was offset by the record high season attendances. The team finished dead last with a 7-13-10 record, scored a league worst 26 goals, while conceding 33. However, the 2008 Portland Timbers attendance grew 25.5% averaging 8,567 fans (second in the USL-1 behind Montreal Impact), and Cameron Knowles
Cameron Knowles
Cameron Knowles is a New Zealand footballer who is currently without a club.-College and Amateur:Knowles played college soccer for the University of Akron, captaining the team his senior year. Knowles anchored an Akron defense that allowed only three goals in league play and recorded 13 shutouts...
won an All-League Second Team spot.
2009 was a record-setting season for the Timbers. They went unbeaten for a USL-1 record 24 matches in a row, which started following a 1-0 loss to Vancouver in the first game of the season, and ended with a Sept 3 defeat to Rochester Rhinos at PGE Park. They finished their season at the top of the table (16-4-10 58 points) winning The Commissioner's Cup and a first round bye in the playoffs. With their 3-1 victory over the Miami FC Blues, the Timbers also were the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the 2009 season. The Timbers were eliminated from the playoffs in their first two games (1-2, 3-3) on goal aggregate to Cascadia rival Vancouver Whitecaps.
MLS Days (2011–)
Merritt Paulson
Henry Merritt Paulson III is the majority owner of Peregrine Sports, LLC which owns the Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer team based in Portland, Oregon.-Personal:...
, dating back at least to May 2007, when Paulson led a group that bought the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
and the USL Timbers. The group included former Treasury Secretary
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
Henry Paulson
Henry Paulson
Henry Merritt "Hank" Paulson, Jr. is an American banker who served as the 74th United States Secretary of the Treasury. He previously served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs.-Early life and family:...
(Meritt Paulson's father) who holds a 20% stake. The biggest issue for the city of Portland was that due to league concerns about seating configuration, field surface, and scheduling, obtaining an MLS franchise would require a new stadium.
In October 2007, Paulson 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: Phil Anschutz, Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
, and Robert Kraft
Robert Kraft
Robert K. Kraft is an American business magnate. He is the Chairman and was the Chief Executive Officer of The Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development and a private equity portfolio...
).
Supporting the MLS franchise raised numerous issues for Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland City Council, in spite of a subsequent commitment from Paulson that Peregrine LLC would contribute $12.5 million towards stadium construction. In order to justify the $88.8 million of city dollars Peregrine LLC wanted for PGE Park renovation and Beavers relocation, the city had to assume that Paulson's revenue projections were accurate (e.g. "2011 ticket revenues from baseball will be 95 percent higher than revenues in 2008"), cut some street maintenance and cleaning, and cut about $150,000 from the streetlight budget. The city's use of existing urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
district funds and establishment of a new district that "stretches the statutory requirement that a district suffer urban blight" creates budgetary and potentially legal problems and drain millions of dollars from Multnomah County
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
's general fund.
The Portland franchise was announced as Major League Soccer's eighteenth team on March 20, 2009 by Commissioner Don Garber
Don Garber
Donald Garber is the commissioner of Major League Soccer, CEO of Soccer United Marketing, and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and league...
. The announcement occurred in the middle of the first and second round games of the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
being held in Portland the same week. The announcement noted that the team would retain the Portland Timbers name.
The team owner is Peregrine, LLC, a group led by Merritt Paulson
Merritt Paulson
Henry Merritt Paulson III is the majority owner of Peregrine Sports, LLC which owns the Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer team based in Portland, Oregon.-Personal:...
. Paulson is also the head of Shortstop LLC, which previously owned the USL-1 Timbers as well as the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
's Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
.
Former MLS forward and assistant coach John Spencer was named the first head coach of the MLS-era Timbers on August 10, 2010. It was also announced that Gavin Wilkinson
Gavin Wilkinson
Gavin Wilkinson is a former New Zealand footballer and current technical director of Portland Timbers. Prior to this position, Wilkinson was manager of Portland Timbers in the United Soccer Leagues before their promotion to Major League Soccer beginning with the 2011 season...
, head coach of the USL-1
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
/USSF D-2
USSF Division 2 Professional League
USSF Division 2 Professional League was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation in 2010 to last just one season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding United Soccer Leagues and the North American Soccer League...
Timbers, will stay on as the general manager/technical director of the MLS side.
Ownership History
| Ownership Group | Led by | Years | League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Soccer Inc. | 1975–1979 | NASL North American Soccer League North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:... |
|
| Louisiana-Pacific Louisiana-Pacific Louisiana-Pacific Corporation , commonly known as "LP", is a United States building materials manufacturer. It was founded in 1973 and is currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. LP pioneered the U.S. production of oriented strand board panels. Today, LP is the world’s largest producer of OSB, and... |
Harry Merlo | 1979–1982 | |
| 1985 | WACS | ||
| 1986–1988 | WSA | ||
| Art Dixon | 1989 | WSL Western Soccer League Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alliance... |
|
| 1990 | APSL American Professional Soccer League The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League... |
||
| Portland Family Entertainment LP | Mark Gardiner and Marshall Glickman | 2001 | A-League A-League (1995–2004) The A-League was a professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. The A-League emerged out of the restructured American Professional Soccer League in 1995 and operated until 2004, after which it was re-branded the USL First Division... |
| Several limited partners | 2001–2004 | ||
| Beavers PCL Baseball LLC | Pacific Coast League Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The... |
2004 | |
| 2005–2006 | USL-1 USL First Division The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.... |
||
| Portland Baseball Investment Group LLC | Abe Alizadeh | 2006–2007 | |
| Shortstop LLC | Merritt Paulson Merritt Paulson Henry Merritt Paulson III is the majority owner of Peregrine Sports, LLC which owns the Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer team based in Portland, Oregon.-Personal:... |
2007–2009 | |
| 2010 | D-2 Pro League USSF Division 2 Professional League USSF Division 2 Professional League was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation in 2010 to last just one season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding United Soccer Leagues and the North American Soccer League... |
||
| Peregrine Sports LLC | 2011– | MLS Major League Soccer Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada... |
Managerial History
| Name | Nat. | Years | League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vic Crowe Vic Crowe Victor Herbert Crowe was a Wales international football player and later football manager.-Career:Crowe was born in Abercynon, South Wales but moved to Handsworth, Birmingham with his family when he was two years old... |
 |
1975–1976 | NASL North American Soccer League North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:... |
| Brian Tiler Brian Tiler Brian Tiler was an English footballer. Tiler, a central defender, began his career at his hometown club Rotherham United where he made his debut in 1962-63... |
 |
1977 | |
| Don Megson Don Megson Donald Harry Megson is an English former footballer and football manager.Don Megson is regarded as one of Sheffield Wednesday's greatest servants. He was signed from Mossley in the Cheshire League by Wednesday in 1952... |
|
1978–1980 | |
| Peter Warner | |
1980 (interim) | |
| Vic Crowe Vic Crowe Victor Herbert Crowe was a Wales international football player and later football manager.-Career:Crowe was born in Abercynon, South Wales but moved to Handsworth, Birmingham with his family when he was two years old... |
|
1980–1982 | |
| Bernie Fagan Bernie Fagan Bernard "Bernie" Fagan is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. Fagan is currently active in the United States as a coach.-Playing career:... |
|
1985 | WACS |
| 1986–1988 | WSA | ||
| John Bain John Bain John Bain is a retired Scottish-U.S. soccer midfielder who currently coaches youth soccer in the U.S. Bain began his professional career in England before moving to the United States in 1978. Over his twenty year playing career, Bain played for numerous leagues and teams, both indoors and out... |
 |
1989 | WSL |
| 1990 | APSL American Professional Soccer League The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League... |
||
| Bobby Howe Bobby Howe (footballer born 1945) -Career:Howe originally played for West Ham United F.C. youth system before progressing through their ranks and appearing in the first team at the age of 21 in 1966. He played at Upton Park until 1971 when he switched to A.F.C. Bournemouth. He played there until his retirement from league football... |
|
2001–2004 | A-League A-League (1995–2004) The A-League was a professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. The A-League emerged out of the restructured American Professional Soccer League in 1995 and operated until 2004, after which it was re-branded the USL First Division... |
| 2005 | USL-1 USL First Division The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.... |
||
| Chris Agnello Chris Agnello Chris Agnello an American soccer coach. His most recent position was as Coach/General Manager of the Portland Timbers soccer team in the USL First Division.... |
 |
2006 | |
| Gavin Wilkinson Gavin Wilkinson Gavin Wilkinson is a former New Zealand footballer and current technical director of Portland Timbers. Prior to this position, Wilkinson was manager of Portland Timbers in the United Soccer Leagues before their promotion to Major League Soccer beginning with the 2011 season... |
 |
2007–2009 | |
| 2010 | D-2 Pro League USSF Division 2 Professional League USSF Division 2 Professional League was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation in 2010 to last just one season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding United Soccer Leagues and the North American Soccer League... |
||
| John Spencer John Spencer (footballer) John Spencer is the head coach for Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. Spencer is a former professional football player, who represented Scotland at international level... |
|
2011– | MLS Major League Soccer Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada... |