1975 Portland Timbers season

Portland Timbers
1975 season
President United States John Gilbertson
Manager Wales Vic Crowe
Stadium Civic Stadium
NASL Division: 1st
Playoffs: Soccer Bowl '75
U.S. Open Cup Did not enter
Top goalscorer League:
England Peter Withe (16 goals)
All:
England Peter Withe (18 goals)
Highest home attendance League: 27,310
vs. SEA (Jul 26)
All: 33,503
vs. STL (Aug 17)
Lowest home attendance 6,918
vs. ROC (May 27)
Average home league attendance League: 14,503
All: 17,274
1976

The 1975 Portland Timbers season was the inaugural season for the Portland Timbers, an expansion team in the now-defunct North American Soccer League. In the Timbers first year of existence, the club won the Western Division title while amassing more points than any other club in the league. In the playoffs, the Timbers needed overtime to get past the Seattle Sounders and then defeated the St. Louis Stars en route to a berth in Soccer Bowl '75. Portland lost the championship game 20 to fellow expansion side Tampa Bay Rowdies at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, California on August 24.

Squad

The 1975 squad[1]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 England GK Graham Brown
2 England DF Ray Martin
3 England DF Barrie Lynch
4 United States DF Mick Hoban
5 England DF Graham Day
6 Wales MF Brian Godfrey
7 Scotland MF Tommy McLaren
8 England MF Barry Powell
9 England FW Peter Withe
No. Position Player
10 Jamaica FW Don Gardner
11 Northern Ireland FW Jimmy Kelly
12 England FW Willie Anderson
13 England FW Chris Dangerfield
14 England FW Tony Betts
16 United States FW Roger Goldingay
18 Canada DF Nick Nicolas
22 Canada GK Dave Landry

North American Soccer League

Regular season

Western Division standings

Pos Club Pld W L GF GA GD Pts
1Portland Timbers 221664327+16138
2Seattle Sounders 221574228+14129
3Los Angeles Aztecs 2212104233+9107
4Vancouver Whitecaps 2211113828+1099
5San Jose Earthquakes 2281437481183

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Source:[2]

League results

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
May 2, 1975 Seattle Sounders H 01 6,913
May 7, 1975 Toronto Metros-Croatia H 10 8,500 Withe
May 11, 1975 Denver Dynamos A 13 4,267 Withe
May 16, 1975 Vancouver Whitecaps A 20 7,815 Powell, Betts
May 27, 1975 Rochester Lancers H 32 (OT) 6,918 Godfrey, Withe, Anderson
May 30, 1975 Chicago Sting H 20 9,526 Withe, Anderson
June 7, 1975 Vancouver Whitecaps H 32 (OT) 11,335 Day, Godfrey, Betts
June 14, 1975 San Jose Earthquakes A 12 17,889 Kelly
June 18, 1975 Dallas Tornado H 30 14,688 Powell, Betts, Kelly
June 21, 1975 San Antonio Thunder H 10 (OT) 14,080 Anderson
June 27, 1975 Los Angeles Aztecs A 21 (OT) 6,609 Withe (2)
June 28, 1975 San Jose Earthquakes A 21 18,883 Withe, Dangerfield
July 3, 1975 Vancouver Whitecaps H 21 18,278 Betts, Dangerfield
July 8, 1975 Los Angeles Aztecs H 41 17,765 Withe, Betts, Kelly, Dangerfield
July 11, 1975 Hartford Bicentennials A 31 2,582 Day, Withe, Betts
July 12, 1975 Boston Minutemen A 12 2,800 Dangerfield
July 16, 1975 New York Cosmos A 21 13,423 Godfrey, Withe
July 19, 1975 St. Louis Stars A 32 (OT) 6,902 Lynch, McLaren, Withe
July 26, 1975 Seattle Sounders H 21 27,310 Withe (2)
July 29, 1975 San Jose Earthquakes H 32 23,003 Withe (2), Powell
August 2, 1975 Seattle Sounders A 23 (OT) 17,925 Powell, Withe
August 9, 1975 Los Angeles Aztecs A 01 10,231

Source:[3]

Postseason

Playoff bracket

Quarterfinals Semifinals Soccer Bowl '75
         
Portland Timbers (OT) 2
Seattle Sounders 1
Portland Timbers 1
St. Louis Stars 0
St. Louis Stars (OT) 1*
Los Angeles Aztecs 0
Portland Timbers 0
Tampa Bay Rowdies 2
Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
Toronto Metros-Croatia 0
Tampa Bay Rowdies 3
Miami Toros 0
Boston Minutemen 1
Miami Toros (OT) 2

* = Won coin-flip
Source:[2]

Playoff results

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
August 12, 1975 Seattle Sounders H 21 (OT) 31,523 Powell, Betts
August 17, 1975 St. Louis Stars H 10 33,503 Withe
August 24, 1975 Tampa Bay Rowdies N 02 17,009

Source:[3]

References

  1. "Portland Timbers rosters". North American Soccer League Jerseys. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "The Year in American Soccer - 1975". American Soccer History Archives. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "1975 Portland Timbers". Timbers Fan Page. Retrieved May 6, 2011.