“If we miss the opportunity this round, it is unlikely that MLS will ever come to Portland,” Merritt Paulson said at the Portland Task Force Meeting today. Taxpayers would likely pick up the $85-million tab for the new stadium and upgrades at PGE.
Image via Flickr
Today, Dec. 9, Portland will hold its first meeting of the Major League Taskforce at City Hall from 4:00 to 5:30. In attendance will be Don Garber, the commissioner of MLS, Mark Abbot, president of MLS, and Merritt Paulson, the owner of the Portland Timber and the Beavers.
Image via SoccerCityUSA
The man behind the Portland Timbers push to enter the MLS Expansion race is placing himself directly in the center of public debate as the conversations about how much Public Funding would be needed in renovating PGE Park into a 23,000 seat Soccer Specific Stadium begin.
With Owner Merritt Paulson and Portland City Commish Randy Leonard meeting with MLS honcho Don Garber last week in New York, it looks as if the tantalizing old school Northwest rivalries of Seattle, Portland and Vancouver could become a reality again one day.
image via Farm1
Portland Sports Reporter Dwight Jaymes is reporting that Portland City Commisioner Randy Leonard met with Timbers owner Merritt Paulson and MLS Commissioner Don Garber last week in NYC regarding the expansion bid. Portland’s bid will depend on the feasibility of improvements to PGE Park.
Jaymes has a tantalizing quote attributed to Portland City Commissioner Leonard…
“It’s clear to me that it’s ours to lose…”
Image via Shutterfly
As our boy Shawn already showed you…
Portland city leaders are willing to talk about borrowing as much as $75 million to help bring Major League Soccer to Portland.
At a news conference today, City Commissioner Randy Leonard and Merritt Paulson, owner of the Portland Timbers and the Portland Beavers, agreed it will take public participation to help turn the Rose City into a big-league sports town.
Paulson is applying for one of two MLS expansion teams that will begin play in 2011. If he succeeds, he wants city help making $40 million in improvements to PGE Park downtown and building a new home for the Triple A Beavers. A new minor-league park could cost $35 million.
Many more stories here…
Image via MLStoPortland
Timbers owner Merritt Paulson says bringing Major League Soccer to the city is no sure thing…(more)…
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UPDATE - Central Defender Nas Koubourous, the #13 who went out injured in the second half was diagnosed with a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee this morning.
Once again, big thanks to Micheal Janosz for his photos from last nights Lamar Hunt Open Cup match against the Portland Timbers.
Great glancing header on the goal by Portland’s Arsene Oka.
Junior cutting it back against Portland’s Dombrowski.
I never could keep my mouth shut.
Earl Alexander scoring the winner off a deflection with his second touch of the match.
While it’s a heartbreaking and frustrating result for the Portland Timbers (especially with 6 games in 9 days), if you knew the guys on this team, you’d be pretty amazed by their stories.
The players that make up Hollywood United come from all walks of life. From well off to struggling, from guys who’ve had a few opportunities to guys that had none, these guys show up twice a week to train and on for games on the weekends because they love the game.
They don’t play for money and to be honest, they lose money by making the sacrifice to be a part of this team to play.
Last night we lost our defensive leader Nas Koubourous to either a torn ACL or PCL when Takayuki Suzuki bungled into him just outside the 18 yard box. This morning at 4am, Nas headed to the airport to wait standby for a flight, caught it and by 8am was on site working this morning as a high rise welder.
I can’t even imagine..
I can never truly find the right words to express the admiration I have for these guys and I can’t even begin to tell you what that game meant to them. It was their one chance to play at the highest level, if only for one match.
For this group to come from behind twice and pull out a victory showed how bad the players wanted to prove themselves against a much higher standard.
They will always know that Portland didn’t field their first 11, but when they pulled that gold shirt over their heads last night before kickoff, they were pros for that 92+ minutes.
Matty Taylor, Jayson Boyce, Alex Bengard and myself headed over to the Kells for a few bevvies after the match. 
I think that Voodoo Doughnut might just be the best idea ever put to use. I killed the apple fritter while the boys knocked down peanut butter - oreo cookie doughnut.
Heaven..
