The Portland Timbers tied Carolina 0-0 on the first of four Saturday road matches in a row. Next up, Puerto Rico.

The Timbers clinched a playoff berth the week before, so the team will now be jockeying for playoff position the rest of the season – the top eight teams make it to the playoffs with conference champs the top two seeds. Currently the Timbers are in 3rd place in the USL Conference, behind Rochester and Austin.

Timbers blog Dropping Timber has a new look. And check out the relatively pristine message board!

Check out the great story at KPTV about the 107ist‘s efforts to help the Jefferson Democrats‘s soccer teams.

Over at PortlandTimbers.com, Futty Danso talks about his recent national team experience. The Gambia called him up for help qualifying for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations against Namibia.

2004 A-League rookie of the year with the Portland Timbers, Alan Gordon, received MLS Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career. He had a couple nice assists in a 2-0 Chivas win over the Revolution.

And of course by now you no doubt have heard about the cheeky Portland Timbers MLS billboard in Seattle?

Timbers end an era with sunflowers and a 1-0 win by Allison Andrews at The Timber Mill

It was a night for the ages at PGE Park. It would be a momentous match for many reasons: The last home regular season match for the current USSF Division-2 Pro League Timbers, as well as the last match before the stadium renovations for the Major League Soccer Timbers that will start play there next year. It was also undoubtedly the last time many of these players will play in front of the Timbers fans, and they gave quite a sendoff as a shower of sunflowers from the north end starting in the 80th minute will quickly become legend as Ryan Pore would score the lone goal of the match shortly afterwards for a 1-0 win over the Puerto Rico Islanders. But the to 15,418 in attendance, the fifth sellout of the season, it will go down as an example of what makes the beautiful game in Portland so special. [more]

Timbers set new attendance records in home finale at PortlandTimbers.com

PORTLAND, Ore. – With a sellout crowd of 15,418 in attendance at Thursday night’s final home game of the 2010 regular season, the Portland Timbers set a new modern-franchise (2001-10) record for regular-season attendance.

The Timbers also set a new record for sellouts in a season (5) since 2001 and welcomed their one millionth fan over that 10-year span. [more]

On to the MLS

Alaska Airlines unveiled as Timbers’ MLS jersey sponsor at PortlandTimbers.com

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Major League Soccer (MLS) Portland Timbers and Alaska Airlines today announced that Alaska Airlines is the team’s official airline. The multi-year deal is highlighted by the Alaska Airlines’ logo prominently featured on the team’s jerseys beginning with the Timbers’ debut MLS season in March 2011. [more]

Timbers and Beavers: One’s movin’ up, one’s movin’ out by Aaron Fentress at The Oregonian

The Timbers faithful might never threaten Blazermania in Portland, but make no mistake: Timbers fans are growing exponentially. They’ve gobbled up 7,500 season tickets for next season, when the team moves up to Major League Soccer. And they are one of the more vivid reasons why baseball will be displaced from Portland after the Triple-A Beavers play their final game in PGE Park on Monday.

The decisions that left the Beavers homeless and the Timbers looking forward to occupying a renovated stadium have generated local political controversy, as well as questions from outsiders puzzled by the notion of soccer booting baseball. [more]

Short clock for PGE Park’s soccer remodel by Daniel Savickas at the Daily Journal of Commerce

After a decade of playing at PGE Park, the Portland Beavers will play their last home game at the stadium on Sept. 6 against the Las Vegas 51s.

A few days later, while the Beavers are packing up their bats and leaving Portland in search of a new owner and a new home, the stands of PGE Park will begin to fill up with construction workers pushing to complete renovations in time for the first home game of the Timbers, the city’s new Major League Soccer team. [more]

In player news

Thompson named 2010 Community Player of the Year at PortlandTimbers.com

PORTLAND, Ore. –In recognition of his exemplary efforts in making a difference off the playing field this season, Portland Timbers defender Scot Thompson today was named the club’s Community Player of the Year for the 2010 season.

Thompson, 29, most exemplified the goals of the Timbers Community Outreach Program by making a positive impact on community values and lending his time and energy to a number of causes and philanthropic activities throughout the season. [more]

Alhassan Impresses as Timbers End an Era by Oakley Brooks at EnzymePDX

He’s been in town only a week and played only 44 minutes but already he has the Timbers’ coaches giddy with expectation.

Nineteen-year-old Ghanaian midfielder Kalif Alhassan made his second appearance in as many games Thursday night in Portland’s 1-0 victory over Puerto Rico, running the wings, knocking balls across the width of the field and building expectations of what could be. [more]

Timbers Insider: Who will move on to MLS? by Geoffrey C. Arnold at The Oregonian

With the regular season coming to an end, the Timbers will eventually announce which players from the current roster will move on to the MLS roster for 2011.

No announcements have been made – though I’ve heard an announcement could come in early September – and most players don’t know their fate. However, with five games remaining in the regular season, I would suspect that general manager/technical director Gavin Wilkinson and new coach John Spencer have already made some decisions about the personnel as the team goes forward. [more]

Mandjou Keita Officially Leaves Portland Timbers by mao at the Portland Timbers USL Blog at The Offside

Pune FC of the I-League, India’s top-flight, have signed Mandjou Keita as their fourth foreign player. Indian sides are allowed what’s locally known as the Foreign Four, though only three are allowed on the pitch at any one time. Keita of course flamed out at Portland Timbers this season, having been reduced to a substitute’s role with the rise of young Bright Dike. [more]

In supporter news

Timbers and Timbers Army – Reaching out to the community to lend a hand by Kip Kesgard at OregonLive.com

The Portland Timbers provide quality entertainment each time they take the pitch at PGE Park, but they also strive to help the community make Portland a better place for everybody. One of their major initiatives is the Timbers Community Fund, where the team provides assistance to various groups around town through their outreach programs. [more]