Timbers open training camp March 19

The Portland Timbers begin preparation for the upcoming 2007 season on Monday, March 19, when players and coaches report for preseason training camp at PGE Park. Two feature exhibition matches are included in the Timbers preseason schedule – including one against the Vancouver Whitecaps on April 15 – as the team prepares for its season home opener on April 21 against Puerto Rico.  
Reporting for the five-week camp are signed Timbers players and other invited players competing for final roster spots. Under new coach
Gavin Wilkinson
, players will participate in daily training sessions and a series of informal scrimmages against local northwest colleges. These informal scrimmages are not open to the public.
Exhibition matches against the University of Portland Pilots and Vancouver Whitecaps highlight the Timbers’ preseason camp schedule. The Timbers and Pilots square off April 13 at 7 p.m. at Merlo Field on the UP campus. On April 15, the Timbers meet long-time rival Vancouver at Alder Creek Middle School in Milwaukie, Ore., at 4 p.m. Tickets for the Whitecaps match are $6 with proceeds benefiting Portland Parks and Recreation.
Tickets for the April 15 match are available beginning April 2 at the Parks and Recreation Reservation Center, located at 1120 SW 5
^th
in downtown Portland. Tickets for both matches are also available on game days at the specified locations.
“With a lot of new players on the roster this year, I feel these two preseason games will be a good test for us,” said Wilkinson. “To play good teams at different levels gives us a good indication on where we stand as a unit and will allow us to make the final preparations heading into the season.”
2007 Preseason Schedule
Friday, April 13
– Timbers vs. UP Pilots at Harry A. Merlo Field (Portland, Ore.), 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 15
– Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps presented by Portland Parks and Recreation at Alder Creek Middle School (Milwaukie, Ore.), 4 p.m. Tickets are $6 and can be purchased at the Parks and Recreation Reservation Center in Portland or at the door.
The Timbers’ 2007 Home Opener is April 21, against the Puerto Rico Islanders at PGE Park; kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. A variety of season ticket packages are available by contacting the Timbers’ ticket office at (503) 553-5555. Individual game tickets go on sale March 24.