PORTLAND, Ore.
- The Portland Timbers will kick off their 2005 regular season against the Toronto Lynx on Saturday, April 23 at PGE Park, it was announced today as the club unveiled its 28-game schedule for the upcoming USL First Division campaign.
Season tickets, club seats, group packages, party suites, flex plans and mini-plans for the 2005 campaign are currently on sale. Timbers’ ticket plans start as low as $77.00 and are available by contacting the team’s ticket office at (503) 553-5555.
Winners of the A-League regular season championship in 2004, the Timbers will look to build on last year’s 18-7-3 record in the restructured USL First Division. Under the new alignment, fans will have the chance to see all 11 First Division opponents at least once at PGE Park, with traditional rivals Seattle, Vancouver and Minnesota making the trip to Portland twice.
The Timbers will play all 11 opponents on the road as well, marking the first time since Portland joined the league in 2001 that every club will play each other in a home-and-away set.
“It's going to be an exciting year because for the first time fans are going to have the opportunity to see every team in the USL play here at least once this season,” said Timbers general manager Jim Taylor.
The defending A-League (now known as the USL First Division) champion Montreal Impact will make an appearance at PGE Park on Thursday, June 30, while the Atlanta Silverbacks, Richmond Kickers and Toronto Lynx will make their first-ever trips to Portland this season.
The home schedule is a great combination of Thursday and weekend games, including the following breakdown: Thursdays (5), Fridays (2), Saturdays (6), Sundays (1). Standard home game times are 7 p.m., and 5 p.m. on Sunday.
“Thursdays are obviously very popular here at PGE Park, as are Fridays and Saturdays, so from that standpoint hopefully our fans will find the 2005 schedule very accessible,” Taylor said.
Portland will be featured on the newly named Fox Soccer Channel on Friday, July 8 at Seattle and Friday, Aug. 5 against Minnesota at PGE Park. Both games have a special 8 p.m. start time to accommodate the national broadcast.
Road highlights for the Timbers include first-time trips to Montreal and Puerto Rico.
The Timbers will play at non-traditional road venues twice this season when they take on the Minnesota Thunder on Saturday, May 7 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis and on Saturday, July 9 in a match against the Vancouver Whitecaps at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, B.C.
The Timbers wrap up the regular season with two games at PGE Park on Sept. 8 against Atlanta and Sept. 10 against Richmond. The First Division playoffs begin the following weekend.
2005 PORTLAND TIMBERS SCHEDULE
APRIL
Saturday, April 23 - TORONTO (7 p.m.)
Friday, April 29 - MINNESOTA (7 p.m.)
Saturday, April 30 - @Seattle (7 p.m.)
MAY
Saturday, May 7 - @Minnesota (5:05 p.m.)
Thursday, May 12 - CHARLESTON (7 p.m.)
Saturday, May 28 - VIRGINIA BEACH (7 p.m.)
JUNE
Friday, June 3 - @Rochester (4:35 p.m.)
Saturday, June 4 - @Toronto (4:30 p.m.)
Monday, June 6 - @Puerto Rico (5:30 p.m.)
Friday, June 10 - @Vancouver (7 p.m.)
Thursday, June 16 - PUERTO RICO (7 p.m.)
Saturday, June 18 - ROCHESTER (7 p.m.)
Thursday, June 30 - MONTREAL (7 p.m.)
JULY
Saturday, July 2 - VANCOUVER (7 p.m.)
Friday, July 8 - @Seattle (8 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel)
Saturday, July 9 - @Vancouver (7 p.m.)
Thursday, July 14 - VANCOUVER (7 p.m.)
AUGUST
Friday, Aug. 5 - MINNESOTA (8 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel)
Sunday, Aug. 7 - SEATTLE (5 p.m.)
Wednesday, Aug. 10 - @Montreal (4:30 p.m.)
Saturday, Aug. 13 - @Minnesota (5:05 p.m.)
Saturday, Aug. 20 - SEATTLE (7 p.m.)
Saturday, Aug. 27 - @Charleston (4:30 p.m.)
Sunday, Aug. 28 - @Atlanta (3:30 p.m.)
SEPTEMBER
Friday, Sept. 2 - @Virginia Beach (4:30 p.m.)
Saturday, Sept. 3 - @Richmond (4 p.m.)
Thursday, Sept. 8 - ATLANTA (7 p.m.)
Saturday, Sept. 10 - RICHMOND (7 p.m.)
All times Pacific
Home games in all caps, green
*Dates and times subject to change
