Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers The story of Opening Day 2016 at Providence Park was, in so many ways, a continuation of the story of the final day of 2015. Had the Columbus Crew beaten the Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup Final last December, this curtain-raiser would have been played in central Ohio. Instead, the Crew […]
Abe Asher
Abe Asher covers city news, politics, and soccer for the Portland Mercury. His reporting has appeared in The Nation, VICE News, Sahan Journal, and other outlets.
Posted inTimbers
Timbers v. Columbus Match Preview
Portland Timbers To the victor go the spoils. The Portland Timbers will host the first marquee match of MLS’ 21st season when they host the Columbus Crew at 1:30 pm this Sunday at Providence Park, and in many ways, this game will serve as a continuation of the Timbers’ 2015 title celebrations. But once the […]
Posted inTimbers
Meet Your 2016 Portland Timbers
Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers The 2016 MLS season starts this Sunday, and for the Portland Timbers, this campaign will have a unique feel. The core group of players that won the Rose City’s first major professional sports championship since 1977 and paraded down Broadway last December is still very much intact at Providence Park, with names […]
Posted inTimbers
Timbers Surprised by Chicago in Final Preseason Match
Portland Timbers Caleb Porter isn’t known around MLS as a man who particularly enjoys losing, but it’s a good bet that the Timbers’ MLS Cup-winning manager has never greeted defeat with such open arms as he did tonight. In the Simple Invitational and preseason finale at Providence Park on Saturday night, the Timbers lost 2-0 […]
Posted inTimbers
Timbers Trounce Minnesota United: Three Thoughts
Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers began the Simple Invitational in terrific form on Sunday night at Providence Park, running circles around Minnesota United in a 4-0 win. The Timbers’ goals came from Fanendo Adi, Lucas Melano, Darlington Nagbe, and Diego Valeri, and while this was a preseason game against a minor league team, it served […]
Posted inTimbers
What to Watch For at the Simple Invitational
Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers With just two weeks to go until the start of the 2016 season, the Portland Timbers will take the field at Providence Park for the first time as defending MLS champions. On Sunday night at 5 PM, the Timbers take on NASL side Minnesota United in the first game of the club’s […]
Posted inTimbers
Timbers Preseason: The Perils of Defending A Championship
Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers Some 56 days after reaching the pinnacle of American soccer in Columbus, Ohio, Caleb Porter stood on the field at the Kino Sports Complex North Stadium decrying the performance of his MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers in their first preseason game of 2016. The Timbers — using 22 players in total — […]
Posted inTimbers
Timbers Add Three, Lose Rodney Wallace
Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers It’s been a busy week at Providence Park, where offseason activity for the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns has ramped up again after a holiday lull. The Timbers this week have announced two additions to their 2016 roster and are expected to announce a third shortly. They’ve also, unofficially, announced a major […]
Posted inTimbers
Five Thoughts on the Portland Timbers’ 2016 MLS Schedule
Portland Timbers Just one month and one day after they won MLS Cup 2015, the Portland Timbers got their assignments for their title defense. The 2016 MLS regular season will span eight months, kicking off on March 6th and finishing on October 23rd. The Timbers will play 34 games. Fifteen of those games will be […]
Posted inTimbers
Timbers Trade Will Johnson To Toronto FC
Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers On Friday morning, what was long rumored became official: The Portland Timbers traded away Will Johnson. The 28 year old, who was named Timbers captain in 2013, is off to Toronto FC in exchange for a conditional second round pick in the 2017 MLS draft, and targeted allocation money. In many ways, […]
Posted inTimbers
A Report Card for 2015’s Portland Timbers
Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers This year’s Portland Timbers team had it all. They were superbly built—balanced, deep, cohesive, and, by the last day of the season, there wasn’t a club on the continent that could hang with them. As a result, these Timbers’ player grades for the 2015 season are unusually high across the board. GOALKEEPERS […]
Posted inFeature
Portland Timbers Win 2015 MLS Cup
And Everything is Right with the World
Portland Timbers: What a ride. What a special team.