Portland Timbers

History

Soccer roots in Portland and first MLS seasons

Following England's World Cup victory in 1966, there was a significant increase in popularity of soccer in english speaking countries. The United States were heavily influenced and it paved the way for cities like Portland, Oregon to embrace the sport. The growth of professional soccer in Portland can be traced to the Portland Timbers, the city's expansion team in the top-level North American Soccer League (NASL) as an expansion team from 1975 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. This achievement helped to not only bring significantly more attention to the sport in Portland, but also bring more fans and more recognition to the Portland Timbers name. In 1985, F.C. Portland had established and was a charter club in the Western Soccer Alliance League and competed until folding in 1990. Professional soccer was dormant in the city until 2001, when the USL Timbers was founded and competed in Division 2 soccer in USL pro until the club folded in 2010. The USL club finished with the best record in the league in both the 2004 and 2009 regular seasons.

Back when the Portland Timbers joined the NASL in 1975, their first manager was Vic Crowe, who was Welsh and brought many of that inaugural 1975 team's players from the West Midlands of England. Numerous members of the team were on loan for the summer from clubs in that area. Chris Dangerfield was one of the members of the 1975 team on loan from the Wolverhampton Wanderers in Birmingham. Like many of his teammates, he spent his time off the pitch talking to Portlanders and was a key part of building the culture of not only soccer in Portland, but also helping the Timbers to become a key part of the identity of the city. While there is much less of a need for building awareness of soccer now in Portland as there once was, team members maintaining relationships and volunteering in the community has stuck as part of the culture of the modern era Portland Timbers.

Prior to the Timbers's first season in NASL, they made their first signing, a player named Michael 'Mick' Hoban. Hoban spent his early career in England for Aston Villa, and played a few seasons in the United States for the Denver dynamos and the Atlanta Chiefs. He was a part of that team that made it to the Soccer Bowl 75', and Hoban once said that the team were very interactive with the fans, which was unusual to him compared to his time with other teams, and he said he believed this helped build a great community. Off the field, Hoban was crucial to the growth of the Timbers attention and sport in the city. Hoban took on the role of the team's Community Relations Manager, where he strived to spread awareness for the game. He helped the team host clinics in which the rules of soccer were explained and people were given the chance to experience the game for themselves to adults and children alike. Hoban stated that they hosted around a thousand community events in the first three years. Hoban has continued his contributions to the city for years onward and as a coach for youth amateur and professional levels. The Portland Timbers acknowledged his contributions by awarding him the Ring of Honor in 2014.

Caleb Porter era (2013–2017)

The 2013 season began with new head coach 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. Under Porter, the Timbers achieved immediate success in the 2013 MLS regular season. They finished in first place in the Western Conference and third place in MLS overall. An important player was Diego Valeri, whom the Timbers had acquired from Club Atlético Lanús on loan with an option to purchase (which they exercised later in the season). In the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament, 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/Norwegian keeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey.

The 2015 season, marked the franchise's fifth season 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 U.S. Open Cup pitted Portland against arch-rival Seattle in the fourth round of the tournament, where the Timbers eliminated the Sounders 3–1 in overtime. Seattle finished the match with only seven players after three were given red cards, including Clint Dempsey, who received his in dramatic fashion by tearing up the referee's notebook, and Obafemi Martins, who left the match with 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. Portland finished the regular season third in the Western Conference, fifth overall.

Giovanni Savarese era (2018–2023)

On Dec 18, the Timbers officially announced former New York Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese as the team's new head coach, making him the third non-interim head coach for the Timbers since entering MLS. Despite starting their 2018 season without a win in their first five games, Savaraese and the Timbers finished their campaign strong, and would earn their second trip to the MLS Cup on December 8, 2018, where they would be defeated 2–0 by Atlanta United.

The 2019 season was overshadowed by the large renovation to Providence Park, which resulted in the addition of 4,000 seats on the east side of the stadium. The extensive construction meant that the Timbers played the first 12 matches of the season away from home. The team emerged from this extensive road trip with a marginal record of 4–6–2. Portland would largely fail to improve in their remaining home games. The Timbers finished the season with 49 points overall, which placed them 6th in the Western Conference. They went on to face Real Salt Lake in the 2019 playoffs in Salt Lake, which resulted in a 2–1 loss.

The Timbers began the 2020 Major League Soccer season with a loss at home against Minnesota United FC and a win against MLS expansion side Nashville SC. On March 12, 2020, the season then entered a lengthy suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America. On June 10, MLS announced that a bracket format dubbed the "MLS is Back Tournament" would begin July 8 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World, and end with the final on August 11.

Portland began the tournament drawn with LAFC, LA Galaxy, and the Houston Dynamo in Group F, which was dubbed the "Group of Death" by the media. The Timbers defeated Chicharito and the Galaxy 2–1 to open the tournament, downed Houston by the same score 5 days later, and then, assured of passage to the next round, came back to tie LAFC 2–2 while playing mostly their reserves to finish on top of the group.

In the Round of 16, Portland led FC Cincinnati before a late gaffe from goalkeeper Steve Clark forced the Timbers into a tie and penalty kicks. Cincinnati's players celebrated the equalizer by humorously mimicking a "parked bus" after defending for most of the match. Clark redeemed himself in the shootout and Portland won 1–1 (4–2) to advance to the next round of knockout games. In the Round of 8, Portland fell behind New York City FC after conceding an early goal but scored 3 in a row in the second half to cruise to an easy 3–1 win, which was capped off by a stunning outside-the-box strike from Andy Polo. Playing the Philadelphia Union next in the semifinals, the Timbers rose to the challenge with goals from Jeremy Ebobisse and Sebastián Blanco and held on to score a 2–1 victory and advance to the finals for the club's first title game appearance since the 2018 MLS Cup.

Phil Neville era (2024−2026)

The Timbers started their 2024 season with a 4−1 defeat of the Colorado Rapids and a new shirt sponsor in the roofing company DaBella. The shirt sponsorship was canceled on February 28 due to sexual harassment allegations against the company's owner, which had further implications due to the strained relations the club had achieved with fans in the wake of the NWSL fallout (the Thorns were sold in the 2023 offseason). Ultimately, Tillamook would become the replacement sponsor. For the second time in MLS era history, the Timbers and Thorns played a co-ed charity match at Providence Park, the Green is Gold Charity Match, raising around $100,000 for the environmental nonprofits The Nature Conservancy and Keep Oregon Green.

The Timbers' attack shone through an otherwise difficult season for the club, as Brazilian attacker Evander and Uruguayan forward Jonathan Rodriguez, and Chilean forward Felipe Mora combined for 45 of the side's 65 total MLS goals. The team itself finished ninth in the Western Conference, good enough to make a play-in game in the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs. Hosted at Providence Park due to scheduling conflicts at eighth-seed Vancouver Whitecaps' BC Place, the Timbers would fall decisively to Vancouver, 5−0. In the 2024−25 offseason, amidst public discontent from Evander regarding Timbers management, the club sold their star attacker and MLS Best XI honoree to FC Cincinnati, utilizing the new MLS intra-league transfer method, for $12 million.

The Timbers would end their 2025 season in eighth place and back in the Western Conference play-in spot, with the punctuation mark being a 4−0 home loss to expansion side San Diego FC on the last day of the season.

The 2026 season started in disappointing fashion, culminating in a May 23 1-3 home loss to San Jose, in which the Timbers Army called for Phil Neville to be fired. On May 25, it was announced Phil Neville had parted ways with the Timbers by mutual consent. The Timbers had accumulated 14 points from their first 14 games.

Jack Cassidy, the Timbers2 coach, was named interim head coach on June 5, 2026, after Neville's departure. Cassidy's first game as head coach was against the Seattle Sounders and ended with a statement victory over their rivals, a 5-1 win that marked Portland's largest margin of victory in the clubs' head-to-head series during the MLS era. His final match as Timbers head coach came against Club América in the Leagues Cup on August 9, 2026, ending in a defeat. The loss was his only defeat during his tenure with the Timbers, which also included an undefeated regular-season record and two victories over the club’s rivals, the Seattle Sounders.

The Martí Cifuentes era (2026−Present)

The Timbers hired Martí Cifuentes on July 21, while Jack Cassidy continued to serve as interim coach until his arrival.

Colors and badge

The Portland Timbers' MLS logo incorporates elements of the former USL design. The primary reference to the original crest is the circular shape that represents unity, wholeness, and the pursuit of perfection. The axe pays homage to the Pacific Northwest's logging industry, as loggers traditionally used axes to cut down trees. There are three chevrons organized to resemble a pine tree that refer to the Timbers' membership in three separate leagues: the original North American Soccer League, the United Soccer Leagues, and Major League Soccer. The team's colors, ponderosa green and moss green, represent the state of Oregon's forests.

Sponsors

It was announced in September 2010 that the Portland Timbers' jerseys would be sponsored by Alaska Airlines. On December 9, 2010, the jersey was revealed at a runway show at Portland International Airport. The home jersey was a two-tone halved green shirt, while the alternate jersey was red in honor of Portland being known as the Rose City.

On February 23, 2021, it was announced that Portland had made a deal with TikTok, as team's sleeve sponsor beginning in the same year. Part of the deal included collaborative work for the company's 'TikTok for Good' campaign. Alaska withdrew their sponsorship at the conclusion of the 2023 season, a year after it donated a portion of its financial contributions to the NWSLPA in response to allegations of abuse within the Thorns organization. They were replaced in November 2023 by DaBella, an Oregon-based home renovations contractor with 46 locations. The sponsorship was terminated one game into the regular season by the Timbers on February 28, 2024, after DaBella CEO Donnie McMillan Jr. was accused of sexual harassment. Beginning with the launch of MLS Season Pass in 2023, the Timbers began featuring their first left sleeve jersey sponsor, Apple TV+.

Midway through the 2024 season, on May 12, 2024, the Timbers announced a multi-year deal with the Tillamook County Creamery Association as their new front of jersey sponsor. For the 2025 MLS season, Apple created custom-designed Apple TV patches for the left sleeves of all clubs' kits, with the Timbers' patch featuring green and gold. The right sleeve spot is became vacant at the start of the 2025 season, with the long-term TikTok deal having ended at the conclusion of the 2024 season. On December 9, 2025, the Timbers announced that their new primary sponsor will be Bank of America beginning in the 2026 season, replacing the previous sponsor Tillamook, which will move to the front right sleeve.

Uniform evolution

Home, away, and alternative uniforms.

Home

Away

Alternate

Stadium

Providence Park; Portland, Oregon (2011–present)

The Timbers play at Providence Park in downtown Portland, which they share with the Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League. Before joining MLS, the Timbers played at PGE Park, which was renamed Jeld-Wen Field in 2011 for the inaugural MLS season, and later became Providence Park in 2014. What is now known as Providence Park has existed in Portland since 1893 and as a complete stadium since 1926, when it was constructed by the nearby Multnomah Athletic Club, which still borders the stadium on the southern end. Providence Park is the oldest soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer and one of the most historic grounds used by any United States professional soccer team.

The stadium has played host to many watershed moments in United States soccer history, including the Soccer Bowl '77, the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women's World Cups, the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2014 MLS All-Star Game, the 2015 NWSL Championship Game, and MLS Cup 2021. Providence Park has been the home of the Portland Timbers in all of their iterations since 1975.

In July 2009, the Portland City Council approved a $31 million renovation to make the stadium ready for the 2011 Major League Soccer season, reconfiguring the grounds primarily for men and women's soccer. Operational capacity was 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.

In December 2017, the Portland City Council approved for construction a US$85 million expansion project to increase seating capacity for Providence Park. The project, whose terms were already approved in June of the same year, added an additional 4,000 seats to the near 22,000 seats already built, increasing overall capacity by 20%. The stadium plan was in the works for several seasons as the Timbers had a season ticket waitlist of approximately 13,000.

The new remade steel stand was inspired by the legendary Boca Juniors' stadium La Bombonera as well as the classic raised stage of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, creating a unique layered appearance that also paid homage to the original, unfinished 1926 Multnomah Field plans. Spelled out across the green seats on the East End in white lettering is "SC USA", a direct nod to Portland's history as "Soccer City USA".

Club culture

Supporters

The Timbers sold out every home game from their transition to MLS in 2011 until the pandemic of 2020–2021, a league-record streak of 163 games. The Timbers cap season-ticket sales at 15,300, and at one point had a waitlist of 10,000 season tickets, larger than almost every college football team.

The main supporters group of the Portland Timbers is the Timbers Army. Its members are known for their loud, enthusiastic support and the raucous atmosphere they create at Timbers games, as well as their leftist political positions. The Timbers Army is consistently referred to by American media as one of the best, or very best, supporting groups in the country, with Timbers fans often given the same distinction.

The Timbers Army was founded in 2001 as the Cascade Rangers, a reference to the Cascade Range of mountains in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The group began congregating in section 107 ("The Woodshed") of PGE Park ("The Piggy") to create a European-style rooting section for the club, complete with drumming, flags, scarves, smoke bombs and constant chanting and cheering. By 2002, the group had changed its name to the Timbers Army in order to lose any perception of partiality toward Scottish soccer club Rangers and because the Timbers uniforms at the time resembled those of Rangers rival Celtic. By 2012, the Timbers Army numbered more than 4,000 people in the north-end on match day.

Supporters often organized outside of match days, meeting through the Soccer City USA message board. Here fans discussed the club and its future during the USL era. Many supporters also contributed to the "MLS to Portland" website, which supported the broader idea of moving the club to MLS. These efforts eventually led to the formation of the 107ist, a structured supporters' group with a democratically elected board to function as a liaison for the fans to the club. The 107ist manages supporter activities and provides a framework for fan involvement in club-led initiatives.

In 2019, the Timbers Army made national news as they clashed with the MLS front office over the use of the Iron Front symbol on flags flown by Timbers supporters. MLS banned the anti-fascist symbol along with far-right regalia in a blanket ban of "political signage", which the Army contested, arguing in a statement that opposition to fascism, racism, and sexism was not political. A protracted public battle between the Army and MLS brass occurred, culminating in a protest during the August game against Seattle where the TA deliberately stayed silent for the first 33 minutes of the nationally televised clash to commemorate 1933, the year that the Iron Front was disbanded in Nazi Germany.

Rivalries

The Cascadia Cup is a trophy and competition between the three soccer clubs of the Cascadia bioregion: the Timbers, Seattle Sounders FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Portland was the third and final addition to what later came to be known as the Cascadia rivalry when it entered the NASL in 1975, following Seattle and Vancouver who had both begun competing in 1974. The three clubs' rivalry in the original NASL during the 1970s continued into the USL from 2001 to 2008, and followed into the modern-day MLS rivalry.

In 2004 supporters of the three clubs created the Cascadia Cup, a yearly trophy handed out to the club with the best overall head-to-head record between the Pacific Northwest three. The Cup moved to MLS in 2011 as all three clubs again played together in the same league. Portland has won the Cup six times: in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2022, and 2024.

Portland became the first team in Cascadia to win the MLS Cup, doing so in 2015.

The Portland Timbers have a long-running rivalry with Seattle Sounders FC dating to the original North American Soccer League, as far back as 1975. Natural regional rivals from 1975 to 1982 in the North American Soccer League and from 2001 to 2008 in the USL First Division, the Portland Timbers–Seattle Sounders rivalry was continued after Portland entered MLS as an expansion team in 2011.

With the close proximity of the two cities, traveling fans of both sides witness hostile environments while visiting the opposing stadium. According to many players, the Seattle–Portland rivalry is one of the only true derbies that is present in American soccer. The rivalry has been cited by multiple sources as one of the most intense rivalries in not just MLS but North American soccer.

The Seattle-Portland rivalry rose to higher levels when they faced each other in the 2013 MLS playoffs in their two-game series where the Timbers eliminated their arch-rivals in their first-ever MLS postseason matchup. Portland faced the higher-seeded Seattle in the 2018 Western Conference Semifinals in another two-game series, forcing the Sounders into a dramatic tie on aggregate in extra time in their home stadium and subsequently advancing to the Conference Finals on penalty kicks.

Mascot

During the NASL and USL years the team's mascot was a grizzled lumberjack named Timber Jim. On January 24, 2008, Jim announced his retirement. His final farewell was a game played against Puerto Rico Islanders on April 17, 2008, which the Timbers won 1–0.

Timber Joey served as the unofficial mascot from then on, and was inaugurated as the new official mascot at an exhibition game vs Juventus Primavera on June 14, 2008, a game the Timbers won 1–0, and has served in that capacity ever since, leading into their MLS inauguration in 2011. Joey continues Jim's trademark of cutting a round (or "cookie") from a large log with a chainsaw every time the Timbers score a goal. This round is presented to the goal-scoring player after the game. If the team achieves a shutout (clean sheet), the goalkeeper also receives a round. Timber Joey has his own custom jersey with Portland-based outdoor tool manufacturer Leatherman as the shirt sponsor.

Broadcasting

From 2023, every Timbers match is available to stream via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. Prior to Apple, the Timbers were a regular staple on local television in the Portland area, both cable and over-the-air.

Before 2023, regular-season games not televised by Major League Soccer's national television partners were broadcast by Root Sports Northwest. Selected games were broadcast in English by Fox affiliate KPTV (channel 12) or its co-owned MyNetworkTV affiliate KPDX (channel 49). It was formerly broadcast in Spanish by Estrella TV affiliate KGW-DT3 (channel 8.3) from its inception until 2018 when the station ended its affiliation on the subchannel. Beginning in 2012, the team launched a regional syndication network, the Portland Timbers Broadcast Network, which provides the Timbers' over-the-air game coverage to additional markets. Partners of the network included the second digital subchannel of NBC affiliate KTVZ (channel 21.2) in Bend, Fox affiliate KEVU (channel 23) in Eugene and MyNetworkTV affiliate KFBI-LD (channel 48) in Medford. KPTV also airs a weekly highlight show, Timbers in 30, on Friday evenings; any future Timbers content remains unaffected by the 2023 Apple deal and teams will still be allowed to have local TV partners.

On the radio, all Timbers games are broadcast in English on KXTG (750 AM, "The Game") and are simulcast in Spanish on KXET (1150 AM and 93.FM, "La Gran D"). KXTG also airs Talk Timbers, a weekly radio show dedicated to the team and soccer.

Roster and staff

For details on former players, see All-time Portland Timbers roster.

Current roster

As of September 4, 2026

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Ring of Honor

Given to those involved with the Portland Timbers deserving of special honors. Currently there are only six members of this exclusive group:

Those inducted have their names displayed in the upper northeast corner of what is now Providence Park. Clive Charles' number was retired in a halftime ceremony on August 29, 2003, just three days after his death. Timber Jim's number was retired in a halftime ceremony on April 17, 2008. Timber Jim is currently the only non-player to be inducted to the Ring of Honor. Both John Bain and Jimmy Conway were unveiled as new members at halftime of the club's first ever MLS home game on March 19, 2011.

Mick Hoban was inducted on during a halftime ceremony on March 8, 2014. Diego Valeri is the first MLS-era player to be inducted into the Timbers Ring of Honor, which took place on July 15, 2023, during a match against Columbus Crew SC at Providence Park.

Honors

MLS Cup

Champions (1): 2015

Runners-up (2): 2018, 2021

Western Conference (Playoff)

Champions (3): 2015, 2018, 2021

Western Conference (Regular Season)

Champions (2): 2013, 2017

MLS is Back Tournament

Champions (1): 2020

Awards

MLS Fair Play Award: 2011

Portland Timbers 2 (T2)

Portland Timbers 2 (T2) is the farm club of the Portland Timbers. In October 2014, Merritt Paulson announced the creation of their USL Pro team, Portland Timbers 2 (T2). T2 began play in the 2015 USL pro season, having Merlo Field as their stadium to play for their home games. The purpose of T2 is to bridge a gap between the academies and the first level team, while having a better way to observe the players' progress and development as well.

Records

Year-by-year

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Timbers. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Portland Timbers seasons.

^1. Average attendance include statistics from league matches only.

^2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, MLS is Back Tournament, CONCACAF Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

Attendance by season

All regular-season home games since the Timbers' entry into MLS in 2011 until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had been sold out, with the 100th such sell-out on September 10, 2016.

DNQ = Did not qualify

CONCACAF Champions League

Portland has qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League three times, the first time being the 2014–15 edition of the tournament.

Scores and results list Portland's goal tally first.

Player statistics

As of August 5, 2024. Not all competitions included.

USOC = U.S. Open Cup; CCL = CONCACAF Champions League

Bolded players are currently on the Portland Timbers roster.

As of April 25, 2023. Not all competitions included.

USOC = U.S. Open Cup; CCL = CONCACAF Champions League

Bolded players are currently on the Portland Timbers roster.

As of February 10, 2022. Not all competitions included.

USOC = U.S. Open Cup; CCL = CONCACAF Champions League

Bolded players are currently on the Portland Timbers roster.