Portland Timbers, previously known as F.C. Portland, came into existence in 1985 as an independent U.S. soccer team based in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

. In 1989, the team adopted the name Portland Timbers. Portland was composed of both professional and amateur players. The amateur players largely came from local Portland amateur leagues. It played its games in Portland's Civic Stadium.

History

1985 – Western Alliance Challenge Series

In 1985, F.C. Portland joined with three other independent clubs, the U.S. based

F.C. Seattle FC may refer to: Businesses, organisations, and schools * Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India * Finncomm Airlines (IATA code) * FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC * Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Paki ...

and San Jose Earthquakes and the Canadian Victoria Riptides in a home and away round robin tournament, known as the

Western Alliance Challenge Series Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alli ...

. The four teams also played the Canadian

Edmonton Brick Men The Edmonton Brick Men (also Edmonton Brickmen) were a Canadian soccer team in Edmonton, Alberta that competed in the Canadian Soccer League and the Western Soccer Alliance. During their time in the WSA and the CSL, the team played at both John D ...

and the Canadian national team. The games against the Brick Men counted in the standings which determined the end of series champions. F.C. Portland had the honor of hosting the first game of the series, against Seattle. The game, played in Portland's Civic Stadium, attracted 2,906 fans. F.C. Portland also played a game against the

Houston Dynamos Houston Dynamos was a U.S. soccer team that existed in various forms from 1983 to 1991. In 1991, the team's owners changed the name to Houston International, but the team lasted only through the 1992 season before folding. The Dynamos were foun ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

1986 – Western Soccer Alliance

After the success of 1985, the three U.S. teams elected to form a league, which they named the Western Soccer Alliance. While the Victoria Riptides opted out of the league, the

joined the alliance, along with the

Hollywood Kickers Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

Los Angeles Heat Los Angeles Heat joined the Western Soccer Alliance in 1986. They joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the WSL merged with the American Soccer League, then folded in 1990. The club played in Torrance, California at West H ...

and

San Diego Nomads Nomads Soccer Club (formerly San Diego Nomads) is an American soccer club based in San Diego, California. From 1986 to 1990, the club fielded a professional senior team, but has since operated as an amateur and youth club. History The Nomads we ...

. The teams continued the first year practice of playing outside teams ( Manchester City and

Dundee FC Dundee Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland, founded in 1893. The team are nicknamed "The Dark Blues" or "The Dee". The club plays its home matches at Dens Park. The club was formed after a me ...

this year) with results counting in the alliance standings. F.C. Portland saw a significant improvement over the previous season. Behind the production of forwards

Brent Goulet Brent Goulet (born June 19, 1964) is a retired American soccer forward who later coached SV Elversberg from 2004 to 2008. He began his career in the United States before moving to England and Germany, and also earned eight caps with the U.S. ...

(league leading 9 goals and 2 assists), and Mark Miller (7 goals and 5 assists), the team finished second in the standings with a 6-6-2 record. At the time, Goulet played for

Warner Pacific College Warner Pacific University is a private Christian university in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1937, the university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and affiliated with the Church of God. History The school w ...

, a local school. He played with F.C. Portland as an amateur. In 1986, former Timbers player

Clive Charles Clive Michael Charles (3 October 1951 – 26 August 2003) was an English football player, coach and television announcer. He was one of five National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) coaches to win more than 400 games. Born in Dagenham, E ...

began coaching 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 ...

(U.P.) men's soccer team, bringing this team to national prominence. This led to an infusion of U.P. players into F.C. Portland in later years.

1987 – Brent Goulet MVP

In 1987, Edmonton dropped from the alliance to join the Canadian Soccer League and the Hollywood Kickers changed their name to the California Kickers. The league also reduced the number of games from 12 to 10. Despite the Brent Goulet's outstanding play, which led to his selection as the season MVP, F.C. Portland finished fourth in the standings and missed out on the alliance's first playoff, won by the

. At the end of the season, the team lost Goulet when he finished his four years at

and signed with British club AFC Bournemouth.

1988

This year saw F.C. Portland drop to the bottom of the end of year standings despite once again having the alliance's leading scorer,

Scott Benedetti Scott "Benny" Benedetti (born November 13, 1966 in Portland, Oregon) is an American retired soccer player. He began his professional career with the semi-professional F.C. Portland in 1986 and ended it with the U.S. second division club Portla ...

with 8 goals and no assists. At the time Benedetti was between his junior and senior year playing soccer for

at the

. The alliance kept the same teams as the 1987 season, but played 12 games, including games against Canadian Soccer League teams,

Calgary Kickers The Calgary Strikers (formerly the Calgary Kickers) were a Canadian soccer team in Calgary, Alberta that competed in the Canadian Soccer League from 1987 to 1989. They were founded as the Calgary Kickers for the 1987 and 1988 seasons, winning the ...

and

Vancouver 86ers Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

. F.C. Portland finished 1-11. This year the alliance named an All Star team. Ironically, not only did Portland have the alliance's top scorer, but also had its goalkeeper, Todd Strobeck, named to the alliance's All Star team.

1989 – New name: Portland Timbers

In 1989, F.C. Portland went through several changes. First, Art Dixon, a local businessman, took control of F.C. Portland and renamed it the Portland Timbers. Dixon was a long time Timbers fan, holding season tickets from 1979 through the team's last season in 1982. Dixon brought more than a name change, he also injected money and a higher level of professionalism into the team, bringing former Timbers great John Bain back as a player/coach. Then, the Western Soccer Alliance became the Western Soccer League (WSL). More importantly for Portland, the WSL added three new teams, Real Santa Barbara,

Arizona Condors The Arizona Condors was an American soccer team founded in 1989 as a member of the Western Soccer League. The team folded following the 1990 season. History In January 1989, the amateur Arizona Condors entered the Western Soccer League as an ex ...

and Sacramento Senators. To accommodate the new teams, the Western Soccer League split into two divisions – North and South. The Portland Timbers joined the San Jose Earthquakes now known as the

San Francisco Bay Blackhawks San Francisco Bay Blackhawks were a professional soccer team which came into existence in 1989 as a team in the Western Soccer League (WSL). The Blackhawks spent time in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) and the United States Interreg ...

, the

now known as the Seattle Storm and the new Sacramento Senators in the North Division. Portland made yet another wild swing in the standings from the previous season. Improving from 1-11, Portland finished the year at 11-5 and tied with the Blackhawks for the North Division lead. The Blackhawks won the division championship, and the playoff berth, based on goal differential. The team continued its tradition of placing its players on the end of year honors lists. Goalkeeper

Kasey Keller Kasey C. Keller (born November 29, 1969) is an American former professional soccer player who played in Europe and the United States, as well as being the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. national team. He is a four-time FIFA World Cup partici ...

was selected as the league's MVP. Additionally, Portland placed Keller, midfielder/coach John Bain and forward

on the WSL All Star team. At the time, Keller was also playing

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

soccer with the

1990 – The final season

In February 1990, the WSL announced it had reached a merger agreement with the American Soccer League, which had teams along the east coast. The new league was named the American Professional Soccer League. The APSL was split into East and West Conferences, both with North and South Divisions. The Portland Timbers remained in the North Division, which also had the

, Seattle Storm and newly established Salt Lake Sting and

Colorado Foxes The Colorado Foxes were a professional soccer team, based in Commerce City, Colorado, that played in the American Professional Soccer League, and later in the A-League, between 1990 and 1997. The Foxes won two APSL titles, in 1992 and 1993. In 19 ...

. This year, Portland's final, the team finished with a 10-10 record and out of playoff contention. This was also the first year the team failed to garner any individual player honors. Its leading goal scorer,

Shawn Medved Shawn Medved is a retired American soccer forward and midfielder. Currently, he coaches youth soccer. Youth Medved was born and grew up in Issaquah, Washington. His father, Ron Medved, was a noted American football player for the University o ...

with 10 goals and 2 assists, was seventh on the league's scoring list.

had also moved on after playing in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and then signing with British club

Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...

and

had transferred to Seattle. At the end of the season, the high hopes which had come with the merger between the WSL and APSL crashed. Over half of the teams from the 1990 season, including Portland, would not return for the 1991 season. Team owner Art Dixon folded the team, having lost more than $500,000 over the two years he owned the team.

Coaches

Bernie Fagan Bernard Fagan (born 29 January 1949) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. Fagan is currently active in the United States as a coach. Career Playing career Born in Sunderland, Fagan began his career with the ...

1985–1988 * John Bain 1989–1990

League honors

MVP * 1987

* 1989

Leading scorer * 1986

* 1988

Top Goalkeeper * 1989

First Team All Star * 1988 Todd Strobeck * 1989

, John Bain,

Record

This is a complete list of seasons for the WSL/APSL club. For a season-by-season history including the current Portland Timbers MLS franchise, see

List of Portland Timbers seasons This is a list of seasons played by the Portland Timbers in American soccer, from 1975, when the original club first competed in the North American Soccer League, through the most recent completed season. All four incarnations of the Portland T ...

. 1. Avg. Attendance include statistics from league matches only.
2. Top Goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, League Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
3. Points and PPG have been adjusted from non-traditional to traditional scoring systems for seasons after 1986 to more effectively compare historical team performance across seasons.

All-time player roster

Goalkeepers :* Todd Strobeck: 1985–1988, 1990 :* Jeff Gadowski: 1986 :*

Greg Maas Greg Maas (born January 19, 1966 in Portland, Oregon) is a retired U.S. soccer goalkeeper who spent his entire professional career in Portland. He was the head coach of the Utah Valley University men's soccer team, starting the program from scrat ...

: 1985–1990 :* Glenn Rogers: 1987–1989 :*

: 1989 Defenders :* Paul Henningsen: 1985–1986 :* Mike dePinna: 1985–1990 :* Tim Newton: 1985–1986 :* Jim Riley: 1985-1986 :*

Grant Gibbs Grant Gibbs is a former U.S. soccer defender who spent his professional career in clubs F.C. Portland, Seattle Storm and Miami Freedom. Biography Gibbs grew up in Federal Way, Washington, where he attended Thomas Jefferson High School. Afte ...

: 1985–1987 :* Tohru Yamada: 1985, 1987–1989 :* Grant Rowe: 1986–1987 :*

Wade Webber Wade Webber (born January 12, 1967) is an American soccer coach and former player who spent most of his career with clubs in the Pacific Northwest. However, he did see three years in Major League Soccer with the Dallas Burn and Miami Fusion be ...

: 1986–1987, 1989 :* Eric Phillipi: 1986–1990 :* Gary Osterhage: 1987 :* Blake Pavlich: 1987 :* Garrett Smith: 1987–1989 :* John Ballew: 1988 :* Peter Cochran: 1988 :*

Chuck Codd Chuck Codd (born in Torrance, California) is a former U.S. soccer defender who played one season in the Western Soccer Alliance, six in the National Professional Soccer League, two in the USISL and two in the USL PDL. He is currently the assista ...

: 1988 :* Roger Gantz: 1988 :* Jerome LaChance: 1988 :* Trent Schultz: 1988 :* Steve Ancheta: 1988–1989 :* Jeff Brooks: 1989 :* Trent Schultz: 1989 :* Sam Singer: 1989 :* Billy Crook: 1990 :* Daryl Green: 1990 :* Ian MacLean: 1990 :* Bernd Strom: 1990 Midfielders :* Mike Iverzic: 1985 :* Eric Knapp: 1985 :* Ken Coplin: 1985–1986 :* Dan House: 1985–1987 :* Ezam Bayan: 1986–1988 :* Joe Halloway: 1986–1988, 1990 :* Steve Piercy: 1986–1987, 1990 :* Robb Sakamoto: 1987–1988 :* Horner Screws: 1987–1988 :* Jim Weber: 1987, 1989 :* Joey Leonetti: 1988 :* Ignacio Baez: 1988–1989 :*

Dick McCormick Dick McCormick (born September 9, 1968) is a former American soccer player and current youth soccer coach. McCormick played as a midfielder in six indoor and outdoor leagues over his fourteen-year professional career. He has served as an assista ...

: 1988–1990 :* Souk Ngonethong: 1988–1990 :* Paul Conway: 1989 :* Neftali Gomez: 1989 :* Doug Van de Brake: 1989 :* John Bain: 1989–1990 :* Tim Bartro: 1990 :*

Peter Hattrup Peter Hattrup (born March 31, 1964) is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in Major League Soccer and the USL A-League. Player Youth Hattrup was a four-year starter as a star player for the Seattle Preparatory School boys ...

: 1990 :*

Brian McManus Brian McManus is a Scottish former football midfielder who is currently a Director of Coaching for the La Jolla Impact Select soccer club and the head coach of the UC San Diego women's soccer team. He is a four-time NCAA Coach of the Year and ...

: 1990 :* Quinn Ross: 1990 Forwards :* Ronston Haylock: 1985 :* Mark Miller: 1985–1986 :* Jeff Fenske: 1985–1986, 1989 :* Jess Guthrie: 1986 :* Tony Hicker: 1985–1987 :*

: 1986–1989 :*

: 1986–1987 :* Mark Bioklund: 1987 :* Jeff Enquist: 1987, 1990 :* Jason Russ: 1987–1988 :* Brian Bacon: 1988 :* Clay Elrod: 1988 :* Michael Macchione: 1988 :* David Magistrale: 1988 :* Rob Baarts: 1989 :* Paul Goldsbrough: 1989 :* Robert Lang: 1989 :* Ron Skov: 1989 :*

: 1990 :*

Rob Paterson Best Western GB is an independently owned and managed hotel chain in Great Britain and the Channel Islands with over 260 two, three and four star properties. Best Western GB provides sales, revenue and marketing services to all of its member ho ...

: 1990

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Portland Timbers (1985-1990) Portland Timbers Western Soccer Alliance teams Timbers (1985-90) Defunct soccer clubs in Oregon Soccer clubs in Oregon 1985 establishments in Oregon 1990 disestablishments in Oregon Association football clubs established in 1985 Association football clubs disestablished in 1990