Portland Timbers announce schedule for 2015 season presented by Simple

PORTLAND, Ore. – Major League Soccer today unveiled the full 34-game, 2015 regular-season schedule for the Portland Timbers. The Timbers kick off the 2015 season presented by Simple with a pair of home games on March 7 and March 15 as they play host to Real Salt Lake and defending MLS Cup-champion LA Galaxy at Providence Park.

Starting on Feb. 20, fans can purchase single-game tickets, starting at $18, for the first half of the season (through June 20) online at www.timbers.com or by calling (888) 736-6849. A special presale for Timbers season ticket holders and members of the Timbers Season Ticket Waiting List and corporate partners will take place on Feb. 19. Single-game tickets for the second half of the season will go on sale in June. Group opportunities for Timbers home matches are available by contacting the Timbers ticket office at (503) 553-5555 or ticketsales@timbers.com. Additional group information can be found at www.timbers.com/tickets.

In 2015, the Timbers will have at least 12 matches featured on national television, featuring back-to-back games against MLS expansion teams Orlando City SC at Providence Park on ESPN2 on Sunday, April 12, at 2 p.m. (Pacific) and on the road against New York City FC on Sunday, April 19, at 4 p.m. (Pacific) on FOX Sports 1. The Timbers also square off against Pacific Northwest-rival Seattle Sounders FC in three nationally televised matches. Portland’s first national TV game of the season comes in its second home match on March 15 against the LA Galaxy. In total, the Timbers play six matches on ESPN2, four on FOX Sports 1 and two on UniMás (Spanish). Seven of the club’s 12 nationally televised matches will originate from Providence Park.

In conference play, the Timbers will play host to Western Conference newcomers Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City twice, along with Cascadia-rival Vancouver Whitecaps FC twice at Providence Park, and visit each of those three clubs once. Conversely, the Timbers travel to face the LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC twice, with each of those sides making one appearance in Portland during the regular season. Portland will play home-and-away games against the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas and San Jose Earthquakes in 2015, rounding out the team’s slate of Western Conference matches.

The Timbers open play for the Cascadia Cup on Saturday, March 28, against Whitecaps FC at BC Place in Vancouver, and will play three of their six regular-season meetings against rivals Seattle and Vancouver in the Rose City. The Timbers play host to Sounders FC on Sunday, June 28, while Whitecaps FC visit Providence Park on Saturday, May 2, and Saturday, July 18. Portland will take to the road Saturday, March 28, against Vancouver and Sunday, April 26 and Sunday, Aug. 30, against Seattle. All three of Portland’s regular-season matches against Sounders FC will be featured on national television.

After starting the season with five consecutive Western Conference opponents, the Timbers play Eastern Conference clubs in six of their next 10 matches of the 2015 regular season, with Orlando (April 12), D.C. United (May 27) and New England (June 6) visiting Providence Park in that span. Portland travels to face five Eastern Conference opponents during the season, including trips to face New York City FC (April 19) and Philadelphia (July 11). Fans can check the Timbers schedule page at a later date to see discounted flight options available through Alaska Airlines.

The Timbers play home matches on four different days of the week this season, including 15 weekend contests. In addition to playing seven Saturday home games, the Timbers play host to two Friday and six Sunday fixtures at Providence Park.

Portland closes out the 2015 regular season with four of its final seven games at home and finishes the campaign at home for the second time in the team’s MLS history on Sunday, Oct. 25, against the Colorado Rapids.

Newly created schedule enhancements will ensure fans have access to the league’s most meaningful games during the season’s climax.  MLS and its broadcast partners have introduced flex scheduling for the second-to-last weekend of the regular season which will allow FOX Sports 1, ESPN and Univision Deportes to decide to telecast the matches that matter most to fans late in the season. 

The last day of the 2015 regular season will see MLS unveil a new scheduling format – dubbed “Decision Day” – which will be one final flurry of action to settle the standings and determine who is in, and who is out, of the MLS Cup Playoffs. Games across each conference will be played simultaneously with the most meaningful playoff-race games broadcast nationally. Five games in the Eastern Conference will be played concurrently on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. (Pacific) with one game airing on FOX Sports 1 and one game airing on UniMás. Immediately following, all five Western Conference matches will be played at 4 p.m. (Pacific), with one game airing on ESPN2 and one game on Univision Deportes Networks. All other games will be showcased across network and league digital platforms to ensure fans do not miss a minute of the action.

The Timbers’ full television and radio broadcast schedule for the 2015 season presented by Simple will be announced at a later date.

Schedule Breakdown:
Home Dates by Day of the Week:
Wednesday (2), Friday (2), Saturday (7), Sunday (6)

Road Dates by Day of the Week:
Wednesday (2), Saturday (10), Sunday (5)

Home Dates by Month:
March (2), April (2), May (2), June (3), July (2), August (2), September (2), October (2)

Road Dates by Month:
March (2), April (2), May (4), June (1), July (2), August (3), September (1), October (2)

Western Conference Opponents Played Twice at Home:
Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Western Conference Opponents Played Once at Home:
Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC

Western Conference Opponents Played Twice Away:
LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders FC

Western Conference Opponents Played Once Away:
Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, San Jose Earthquakes, Sporting Kansas City, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Eastern Conference Opponents at Home:
Chicago Fire, D.C. United, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City SC

Eastern Conference Opponents Away:
Columbus Crew SC, Montreal Impact, New York City FC, Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC

2015 Portland Timbers Schedule (home matches in bold, CAPS)