The Portland Timbers start the 2011 season on the road this Saturday, March 19th, when they face the defending Major League Soccer champion, Colorado Rapids. Watch the match on ROOT, Fox Soccer Channel, or listen to the play by play on KXL 750. Better yet, join the Timbers Army (minus the 300 or so members who traveled to Colorado) at the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd) for a live, free, all-ages screening of this historic match. Doors open at 4:30, kickoff is at 6pm.

TEAM AND LEAGUE

The first Portland Timbers team played in the NASL from 1975 through 1982. The team name was selected in a contest held in early 1975 (other entries included Pioneers, RainDrops, Steelheaders, Trappers, and Volcanos).

In the last decade (2001-2010) the Portland Timbers were one of the best supported teams in the United Soccer Leagues (USL).

In 2011 they enter their first year in Major League Soccer, the top soccer league in the United States and Canada.

The 2011 schedule stretches from Saturday, March 19 all the way to October 22nd, with playoffs (of course!) to follow. The home opener, against the Chicago Fire, takes place on Thursday, April 14 2011 at 8pm.

Recommended Reading:

• A Timbers Cheatsheet by Zach Dundas and Martin Patail at Portland Monthly
• Timbers Soccer History at PortlandTimbers.com
• USL Timbers Archive at SoccerCityUSA.com
• Know Your History archive at Dropping Timber

THE STADIUM

The Timbers play their home matches at Portland’s venerable (but newly christened) Jeld-Wen Field (SW 18th and Morrison). Nicknames include the House of Pane (or just HOP) and Defenestration Field [okay, I made up that last one]. The stadium has been known previously as PGE Park (aka The Piggie), Civic Stadium, and Multnomah Stadium (and Multnomah Field before that).

Recommended Reading:

• Coming Soon to MLS: Hoodoo Yaller Dogs, Bizarre Tennis Cults, and a New Portland Stadium with Old Soccer History by Andrew Guest at Pitch Invasion

TIMBERS ARMY

By American standards, the Portland Timbers football club has a long and storied history, and sport one of the most boisterous, and best known, supporters groups in the country – The Timbers Army. The Timbers Army is a veritable grass roots organization consisting of fans of all ages, professions, and political persuasions. The group receives no official imprimatur by the team, has no official leadership or structure [the 107ist organization not withstanding – see below], and primarily serves to have a hell of a time in the North End at Timbers matches.

Required reading:

• History at TimbersArmy.org
• Portland in MLS: The Origins of the Timbers Army by Zach Dundas at Pitch Invasion

How do you join the Timbers Army? Come to a match, buy a General Admission ticket, and follow the noise and scarves and green. The entire North End of PGE Park is unassigned seating. At the beginning of the USL years the Army filled only the first few rows of section 107, but since about the mid-oughts the passion has spread throughout the entire North End. Come on down! If you’re shy sit or stand on the periphery of these sections for a game or two learning the chants and songs and observing the ruckus. Unless you’re soulless, you will be drawn in.

Required Reading:

• A Fan’s Guide to Attending Portland Timbers Games by Bob Kellett at the Timbers Offside Blog

107 INDEPENDENT SUPPORTERS’ TRUST

In 2010 a large contingent of long time Timbers Army veterans established the 107 Independent Supporters’ Trust (107ist). The Timbers Army is still simply a grass roots, organization consisting of fans, but the 107ist organization, made up of Timbers Army members, is involved in planning tifo, organizing bus trips to away matches, and more:

The 107 Independent Supporters’ Trust is the machinery behind the Timbers Army. It supports soccer in and around Portland, Oregon, from the grass roots to the highest professional level. It fuels the Army and supports soccer charities and soccer events in Soccer City USA.

Required Reading:

• Timbers Army Establishes 107 Independent Supporters’ Trust by yours truly at this blog

TIMBERS DISCUSSION

The Soccer City USA Message Board, aka Talk Timbers has traditionally been the information headquarters for the Timbers Army (and really all things soccer in Portland, Oregon). Sign up for an account and contribute to the discussion. Keep up with the latest news, learn about and contribute to the latest chant or tifo efforts, and get to know your fellow Timbers Army members virtually. Many of the folks you’ll meet in the stands are better known amongst the group by their message board moniker than their real names.

The Timbers Army website is becoming a great resource as well. Look to it for events, tifo announcements, merchandise information, chants, and game day preparations.

MORE RESOURCES

Websites

• Dropping Timber
• Portland Timbers USL Blog at The Offside.
• OregonLive Timbers blog
• SoccerCityUSA.com
• Portland Timbers website
• The Oregonian’s Timbers coverage
• Timbers Insider
• Soccer Watcher
• Stumptown Footy

Podcasts

• mao’s Football Show
• Shed Culture with Hermes
• Popinski Presents

Sundry

• Timbers Army on Facebook
• Portland Timbers on Facebook
• Portland Timbers on Flickr
• Timbers Away Game Viewing Guide at PortlandSoccerBars.com
• Soccer City USA: A Footie Fan Guide to Portland, OR Google map
• Google Alerts are your friend. Set one up for “Portland Timbers” and get linkage emailed to you.
• On Twitter look for the hash tag #RCTID

Player News

Jorge Perlaza adjusting to Timbers by Geoffrey C. Arnold at The Oregonian

Even with the language barrier, the Timbers head coach and the prized unsigned Colombian forward have managed to communicate and connect through the universal language of soccer. [more]

Brian Umony works his way into discussion for playing time by Geoffrey C. Arnold at The Oregonian

Few would have predicted that the 5-foot-7 Ugandan forward would have even a chance of making the roster when training camp started in January. But Umony scored the Timbers’ goal and nearly netted a second one in the Timbers 1-1 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy Feb. 8. [more]

Coach

Accent on victory by Stephen Alexander at the Portland Tribune

When John Spencer began as an assistant coach with the Houston Dynamo in 2006, the players knew that one day he would be leading a club himself. [more]

Team News

Portland Timbers Midfield: Is This Our Weakest Link? by Geoff Gibson at Stumptown Footy

I think it’s safe to say at this point that our mystery midfielder who was supposed to be “best in the league” is a no-show. [more]

Preseason Play

Exhibition: Montreal 0 – Timbers 1 by mao at the Portland Timbers blog at The Offside

The game’s only goal came in the seventh minute when trialist Roberto Merino sent a cross toward the back post where Eddie Johnson headed in for his first goal as a Timber. [more]

Ambassadors

Timbers name four former players as ambassadors by Geoffrey C. Arnold at The Oregonian

Former players John Bain, Bernie Fagan, Lee Morrison and Mick Hoban were among the five individuals named as alumni ambassadors for the 2011 season. Former Timbers goalkeeper coach Jim Brazeau was also named as an ambassador. [more]

Supporter News

POSTPONED: 2nd Annual Timber Harvest at TimbersArmy.org

Due to the likelihood of inclement weather on Sunday, we are rescheduling the second annual Timber Harvest expedition for the weekend of March 12-13. We’ll have more details soon. Thank you for your patience.

Last year, we had a great crowd of over 50 supporters take part in the Great Timber Harvest and it was a truly memorable way to start the season… so let’s do it again! [more]

Oh, and go check out the new TimbersArmy.org blog. Some highlights so far:

• NASL thinking and the dangers of hubris by Dave Hoyt
• USL Memories: The Sunshine Goal by Lucas Grzybowski
• USL Memories: Extra-Time Eddie by Lucas Grzybowski