Desperate to secure the first post-season berth in franchise history, the Portland Timbers are in the stretch run and EVERY GAME COUNTS. Don’t miss the action at Jan-Weld Field as the Timbers look to make history in 2013. A Brief History Although the Portland Timbers didn’t join MLS until 2011, previous iterations of the team form a rich history in Portland dating back to the 1970s. The club was originally established as an expansion team in the North American Soccer League and has been a staple of the city’s sports landscape ever since. After shutting down operations in the waning days of the NASL, the Timbers (then known as FC Portland) rebooted in 1985 as an independent club, helping form the Western Soccer Alliance that later merged with the American Professional Soccer League before shuttering once again in 1990. Resuming operations in the early 2000s, the Portland Timbers played in the USL, where, in 2009, the club would record a 24-game unbeaten streak. Meanwhile, negotiations to join MLS were well underway. Led by Merritt Paulson, the ownership group successfully lobbied the league with the promise of a substantial renovation to the stadium now known as Jeld-Wen Field. With incredible fan support, a strong ownership group and one of the most promising young teams in the MLS, the Timbers are already well on their way to upholding the club’s sterling legacy. [Link to MLS] With young stars like Darlington Nagbe, Diego Chara, and recent-addition Diego Valeri on the roster, the team is off and running in the 2013 season. World Class Soccer. Epic Good Times. Though they have yet to make it to the MLS Cup Playoffs in their first two seasons, the Portland Timbers beat out the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Seattle Sounders FC in 2012 to win the Cascadia Cup, a trophy given to the best team in the Pacific Northwest. The Portland Timbers are supported loudly and proudly by the dedicated members of the ever-expanding Timbers Army, an independent fan group that takes over the North End of Jeld-Wen Field during home games. Beating drums, waving flags, and cheering relentlessly, the Timbers know how to create a sensational game-time atmosphere. Get into ScoreBig.com for guaranteed savings on Portland Timbers tickets and enjoy one of the best sports experiences in the country.