Timbers Updates – Postseason ticket is punched before team heads out on the road (original) (raw)
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The Portland Timbers USSF Division 2 logo
The Portland Timbers finished their regular season matches at home last week, and now finish their 2010 campaign with four straight games on the road. As the club prepares for their match in Carolina this weekend, there is news about postseason games, stadium construction and the future of Division 2 soccer in America.
Post Season News: By virtue of the results in the USSF Division 2 last weekend and the Timbers' home finale win against Puerto Rico, the league announced that the Timbers had indeed qualified for the 2010 playoffs. With a current record of 11 wins, eight draws, 7 losses and 41 total points, the Timbers cannot be overtaken by the teams fighting for the eighth and final berth. As of now, the Timbers sit in fourth place in the playoff table and would face Carolina in the first round. More details about playoff dates, venue and ticket availability will be announced very soon.
They will get an up close look at the RailHawks this weekend, as the team travels to Cary to play their USSF rivals on Saturday, September 11. The game kicks off at 4 p.m. Portland time, and you can listen to game coverage locally at NewsRadio 750 KXL. The Timbers website will also have a live feed of the match for viewing; just visit http://www.portlandtimbers.com for more information.
View full sizeKip Kesgard, community blogger. Carolina hosts the Timbers this coming weekend, and the Timbers have a bit of payback in mind. Ryan Pore scored in the second half and the Timbers thought they had secured the three points, but the RailHawks scored a late goal in stoppage time to salvage a draw.
Stadium Construction: Soon after the Portland Beavers completed their season, the construction at PGE Park to transform the site into a soccer/football venue began. The editors at MLS Insider were visiting the Rose City this week, and shared a few pictures of the progress achieved so far. With the compressed schedule necessary to meet the 2011 MLS season, construction crews needed to start immediately to make sure the stadium would be ready in time. During the offseason, I will be dropping by the stadium to provide pictures and updates so you can track how things are going.
View full sizeKip Kesgard, community blogger. Puerto Rico was the last USL team to play in PGE Park before significant changes happen for the Timbers. However, Puerto Rico will also be changing things for the 2011 campaign, as the long time USL member moves to the NASL.
Division 2 Soccer Updates: We've spent plenty of time talking about the future of Division 2 soccer, and what league ends up carrying the torch of lower division teams. The United Soccer Leagues (USL) and the North American Soccer League (NASL) are the two entities competing to earn sanctioning from the United States Soccer Federation, and both groups had significant announcements this week affecting their futures.
The NASL expanded their potential team lineup for 2011, as the Puerto Rico Islanders have left the USL to join NASL. Puerto Rico was one of three former USL-1 franchises from 2009 that remained with the USL throughout the offseason drama, joining Portland and Austin as the only holdovers. However, the Islanders have been pleased with the progress and potential future of the NASL, and decided to jump leagues.
The USL didn't allow the defection to alter their plans for 2011, as they held league meetings in Tampa, Florida to plan their future. As a result of those discussions, the USL announced that they would be merging their current division 2 and division 3 alignments into one combined league called the USL-Pro division. USL President Tim Holt was quoted as saying, "We'll have the strongest league below MLS"
Based on reports from Inside Minnesota Soccer and the WV Hooligan websites, it appears that both leagues are trying to take a regional approach to setting up their franchise roster. The USL will join Austin with six existing USL-3 franchises while adding Orlando and two other rumored cities, while Puerto Rico joins a franchise lineup familiar to Timbers fans in creating their grouping: Carolina, Montreal Impact, FC Tampa Bay, Miami FC, Rochester Rhinos, NSC Minnesota, Crystal Palace Baltimore, and AC St. Louis. Apparently, this is the first move, as both leagues will be announcing additional franchises and divisions during their offseason. They are also looking to expand on their footprints in the West, as the USL loses their two Northwest members to MLS while the NASL added Edmonton, Alberta as a franchise.
While I’m encouraged that both groups are being proactive in planning their future, I worry about the ability for two leagues to peacefully co-exist and still be financially viable. While NASL has been bolder in making moves, the USL remains very deliberate and prudent in their planning. I believe that both leagues are trying to do what they think is best to promote soccer in America; I’m just hoping the USSF will work with each league to create a more stable arrangement for the betterment of the game. I’m all for free enterprise, but nobody is helped if both leagues implode trying to outdo each other.
Rivalry News: As if the Portland – Seattle rivalry needed more fuel, this billboard appeared near Qwest Field on September 9. Personally, I can't wait to see what happens with the next move in this chess match.
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