Harry A. Merlo Field at the
Clive Charles Soccer Complex is a 4,892-capacity
soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi-pu ...
in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
on the campus of the
University of Portland
, mottoeng = The truth will set you free
, established = 1901
, type = Private university
, religious_affiliation = Catholic (Congregation of Holy Cross)
, endowment = $218 million
, president = Robert D. Kelly
, students = 3,731 (fall 20 ...
where it serves as home to the school's
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
teams. From March 29, 2015 until the end of 2016, the stadium played host to the
Portland Timbers
The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at P ...
' USL side
Portland Timbers 2.
History
The stadium was constructed in 1990. It is named after
Harry A. Merlo, a businessman and philanthropist. Merlo Field hosted a quarter-final game in the 2001
Women's NCAA Division I Championship and then first and second-round games of the tournament in 2003. In 2004, the school added six light standards to illuminate the field to allow for night games at the venue. Pilots’ alumna
Tiffeny Milbrett
Tiffeny Carleen Milbrett (born October 23, 1972) is an American former professional soccer forward who was a longtime member of the United States women's national team. In May 2018 the National Soccer Hall of Fame announced Milbrett will be enshr ...
scored her 100th international goal at Merlo in a game for the
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's Association football, soccer. The team is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four FIFA Women's World Cup, Wom ...
against
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
in July 2005.
In 2005, the Lady Pilots hosted an NCAA tournament semifinal game on their way to a national title. During the 2007 season the Pilots averaged 3,652 people per game in attendance at the 4,892 seat stadium for the women's home matches, leading the country in average attendance for the third straight year. In March 2008, the
Portland Timbers
The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at P ...
used the facility to host an exhibition match against
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
’s
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...
.
Army to invade North Portland.
''The Sentinel'', March 28, 2008. Retrieved on April 3, 2008. on July 17, 2010, the Portland Timbers held an exhibition match against English Premier league power and Europa League qualifier Manchester City at this facility.
The Portland Timbers
The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at P ...
used Merlo Field as their home pitch during the 2010 USSF D-2 playoffs.
Due to the renovation of Jeld-Wen Field
Providence Park (formerly Jeld-Wen Field; PGE Park; Civic Stadium; originally Multnomah Stadium; and from 1893 until the stadium was built, Multnomah Field) is an outdoor soccer venue located in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland, Oregon ...
, in their first home match as a MLS team, the Timbers used Merlo Field as their home pitch in their US Open Cup match against Chivas USA
Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club played from 2005 to 2014 in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a subsidiary of Mexican club C.D. Guada ...
, winning 2-0.
The playing surface is managed by sports turf managers Kevin White CSFM, and Graham Harrison.
See also
* List of sports venues in Portland, Oregon
References
External links
University of Portland Athletic Facilities
{{coord, 45, 34, 28, N, 122, 43, 38, W, display=title
Portland Timbers
Portland Pilots soccer
Sports venues in Portland, Oregon
Soccer venues in Oregon
Sports venues completed in 1990
1990 establishments in Oregon