Post by Yeseeka on Mar 5, 2016 12:52:25 GMT -8
The Portland Timbers will look to defend their 2015 MLS Cup title as they embark on the 2016 season. The Timbers beat Columbus Crew SC, 2-0, on Dec. 6 to claim the Cup in just their fifth year in the league. The Timbers scored two goals in the first eight minutes of the match and held on for the win.
Roster
The Timbers brought back two veterans, Diego Valeri and Darlington Nagbe for several seasons. The duo have been with the Timbers since the team became an MLS franchise in 2011. Valeri scored the first goal of the MLS Cup match just 27 seconds after it started. Other key returning players include "Captain Jack" Jewsbury, Nat Borchers, Famendo Adi and Ben Zemanski.
Caleb Porter has helmed the team since mid way through the 2012 season and will look to be the first team to repeat as champions since the Los Angeles Galaxy repeated in 2011 and 2012. In the history of the MLS, DC United has repeated in 1996 and 1997, and the Houston Dynamo has repeated in 2006 and 2007. No team in the history of the league has ever three-peated.
Schedule
The Timbers open the season in a rematch of the 2015 MLS Cup, at home against the Columbus Crew on March 6. It is the only match against the teams this season. The Timbers play Cascadia Cup rivals Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC three times. They don't match up against Seattle until July 17. Including that match, the teams face each other all three times in a six week span. Portland visits Vancouver in their first match on May 22, and the three-game series concludes with the season finale on Oct. 23.
The Timbers play two other Western Conference teams (Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas) three times each, and the remaining five teams in the conference twice each.They play each Eastern Conference team just once each.
All Timbers' games will be broadcast on television. Fifteen games will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2, FOX or FoxSports1. Nine games will be available locally through KPTV and KPDX. The remaining 10 games can be seen on the cable channel, Root Sports.
The Timbers play their home games at Providence Park, located at 1844 SW Morrison in downtown Portland. Home games are noted in Bold Green.
All times on this schedule are pacific time and are subject to change.
MARCH
Sun., March 6 -- Columbus Crew (W 2-1)
Sun., March 13 -- at San Jose Earthquakes (L 1-2)
Sat., March 19 -- Real Salt Lake (D 2-2)
APRIL
Sun., April 3 -- at Orlando City SC (L 1-4)
Sun., April 10 -- at Los Angeles Galaxy (D 1-1)
Wed., April 13 -- FC Dallas (L 1-3)
Sat., April 16 -- San Jose Earthquakes (W 3-1)
Wed., April 27 -- at New England Revolution (D 1-1)
MAY
Sun., May 1 -- Toronto FC (W 2-1)
Sat., May 7 -- at Vancouver Whitecaps (L 1-2)
Wed., May 11 -- at FC Dallas (L 1-2)
Sun., May 15 -- New York City FC (L 1-2)
Sun., May 22 -- Vancouver Whitecaps FC (W 4-2)
Sat., May 28 -- at Chicago Fire (D 1-1)
JUNE
Wed., June 1 -- San Jose Earthquakes (W 1-0)
Sat., June 18 -- at Real Salt Lake (D 2-2)
Sun .,June 26 -- Houston Dynamo (W 3-2)
JULY
Mon., July 4 -- at Colorado Rapids (D 0-0)
Sun., July 10 -- at New York Red Bulls (D 0-0)
Wed., July 13 -- Montreal Impact (D 1-1)
Sun., July 17 -- Seattle Sounders FC (W 3-1)
Sat., July 23 -- Los Angeles Galaxy (L 1-2)
Sun., July 31 -- at Sporting Kansas City (L 0-1)
AUGUST
Sun., Aug. 7 -- Sporting Kansas City (W 3-0)
Sun., Aug. 13 -- at DC United (L 0-2)
Sun., Aug. 21 -- at Seattle Sounders FC (L - 1-3)
Sun., Aug. 28 -- Seattle Sounders FC (W 4-2)
SEPTEMBER
Sat., Sept. 3 -- at FC Dallas (L 1-3)
Sat., Sept. 10 -- Real Salt Lake, (W 1-0)
Sat., Sept. 17 -- Philadelphia Union (W 2-1)
Sat., Sept. 24 -- Houston Dynamo (L 1-3)
OCTOBER
Sat., Oct. 1 -- at Colorado Rapids (L 0-1)
Sun., Oct. 16 -- Colorado Rapids (L 0-1)
Sun., Oct. 23 -- at Vancouver Whitecaps FC (L 1-4)
OPPONENTS' HOME STADIUMS
Chicago Fire -- Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Illinois
Colorado Rapids -- Dick's Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colorado
DC United -- Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium; Washington, D.C.
FC Dallas -- Toyota Stadium; Frisco, Texas
Houston Dynamo -- BBVA Compass Stadium; Houston, Texas
Los Angeles Galaxy -- Stubhub Center; Carson, California
New England Revolution -- Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, Massachusetts
New York Red Bulls -- Red Bull Arena; Harrison, New Jersey
Orlando City SC -- Citrus Bowl; Orlando, Florida
Real Salt Lake -- Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
San Jose Earthquakes -- Avaya Stadium; San Jose, California
Seattle Sounders -- CenturyLink Field; Seattle, Washington
Sporting Kansas City -- Children's Mercy Park; Kansas City, Kansas
Vancouver Whitecaps FC -- BC Place; Vancouver, British Columbia
Note: The Timbers do not play Columbus Crew SC, Montreal Impact, New York City FC, Philadelphia Union and Toronto Union FC on the road this season.
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Graphic courtesy of David.
