| Full name | Portland Timbers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Timbers | ||
| Founded | 1975 | ||
| Dissolved | 1982 | ||
| Stadium | Civic Stadium Portland, Oregon (Capacity: 35,000) |
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| League | North American Soccer League | ||
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The Portland Timbers were an American professional soccer club based in Portland, Oregon that competed in the original North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1975 to 1982. The name has been used by two other soccer franchises: the Timbers of the WSA/APSL, Portland Timbers of the USL and the current team which began play as part of Major League Soccer in 2011.
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In January 1975, the NASL awarded an expansion franchise to Portland, Oregon. The name was selected on March 8, 1975 from more than 3,000 entries in an open contest.[1] They began play in 1975. In their inaugural season, the Timbers went to the championship game Soccer Bowl but lost to the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-0. It was during this season that the Timbers endeared themselves to the City and Portland became known as "Soccer City USA". While the Timbers boasted some of the league's best fan support, they sometimes struggled on the field. Despite going to the championship game in their first season, they missed the playoffs in 1976 and 1977. In 1978, they went to the Conference Finals before falling to the New York Cosmos. The team folded at the end of the 1982 season as player salaries outpaced team revenue. These Timbers established soccer as a sport in the greater Portland area. Their legacy lives on in the current Timbers following and the many thousands who continue to play and follow the game. Many of these Timbers continued to live in the area after their playing careers and helped establish the soccer as a vital local sport.
| Year | League | W | L | T | Pts | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Avg. Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | NASL | 16 | 6 | — | 138 | 1st, Western Division | Won Quarterfinal (Seattle) Won Semifinal (St. Louis) Lost Soccer Bowl '75 (Tampa Bay) |
14,503 |
| 1976 | NASL | 8 | 16 | — | 71 | 4th, Pacific Conference, Western Division | Did not qualify | 17,429 |
| 1977 | NASL | 10 | 16 | — | 98 | 4th, Pacific Conference, Western Division | Did not qualify | 13,216 |
| 1978 | NASL | 20 | 10 | — | 167 | 2nd, National Conference, Western Division | Won 1st Round (Washington) Won Conference Semifinal (Vancouver) Lost Conference Championship (Cosmos) |
11,803 |
| 1979 | NASL | 11 | 19 | — | 122 | 4th, National Conference, Western Division | Did not qualify | 11,172 |
| 1979/80 | NASL Indoor | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1980 | NASL | 15 | 17 | — | 133 | 4th, National Conference, Western Division | Did not qualify | 10,210 |
| 1980/81 | NASL Indoor | 10 | 8 | — | — | 2nd, Western Division | Lost 1st Round (Chicago) | 5,229 |
| 1981 | NASL | 17 | 15 | — | 141 | 3rd, Northwest | Lost 1st Round (San Diego) | 10,516 |
| 1981/82 | NASL Indoor | 7 | 11 | — | — | 2nd, National Conference, West Division | Did not qualify | 5,073 |
| 1982 | NASL | 14 | 18 | — | 122 | 4th, Western Division | Did not qualify | 8,786 |
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