Timbers to face MLS' Seattle, San Jose in preseason

PORTLAND
, Ore.
– The Portland Timbers will face Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC in a preseason match Thursday, March 11, at 6 p.m. at Qwest Field in Seattle, Wash., it was announced today. The Northwest rivals meet in Seattle’s inaugural “Community Shield” match.




Tickets for the event, priced at $10 for adults and $5 for youth (6-17), go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m. through area Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000. Children under the age of six are free.




Seattle and Portland have a long-standing rivalry that dates back to the 1970s as members of the North American Soccer League. The two sides last met in the third round of the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup before a sold-out PGE Park. After eight seasons as opponents in United Soccer Leagues (2001-08), the tournament fixture was Portland’s first match against Seattle as an MLS club; the Timbers will begin MLS play in 2011.




The model for Seattle’s new event is based upon the “Charity or Community Shield” matches in England, where they are a long-standing tradition. Proceeds from the event benefit Northwest community organizations. Following the match, the teams will sign autographs from the field.




Additionally, the Timbers will travel to play the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS for a preseason match Saturday, March 20, at 7 p.m. at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The game will mark the third consecutive season the two sides have met for a preseason contest.




Tickets for the preseason game against San Jose are $10, and can be purchased online at www.sjearthquakes.com or by calling (408) 556-7700. Tickets go on sale on Monday, Feb. 15, at 10 a.m.


The Timbers are scheduled to open preseason training camp in early March; the club’s regular-season schedule begins April 17 against the Rochester Rhinos at PGE Park.