Western Soccer League (1989)
American Professional Soccer League (1990)
Tombstone
Born: January 30, 1989
Folded: 1990
First Game: April 28, 1989 (W 1-0 vs. California Kickers)
Last Game: July 29, 1990 (L 2-1 @ San Diego Nomads)
WSL Championships: None
APSL Championships: None
Stadium
Civic Stadium (30,000)
Marketing
Ownership
Owner: Art Dixon
Background
The 1989-1990 Portland Timbers of the Western Soccer League were the first of several efforts to revive the name, logo and colors of the original Timbers (1975-1982) of the North American Soccer League.
The club formed in January 1990 after Art Dixon of Wilsonville purchased and re-branded F.C. Portland of the Western Soccer Alliance. Former NASL Timbers goalkeeper Bill Irwin was named head coach of the Timbers for the 1989 season.
The Timbers signed U.S. U-20 National Team goalkeeper Kasey Keller to an amateur playing contract during his collegiate offseason from the University of Portland. Keller helped spark the Timbers to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. The 19-year old was named the WSL Most Valuable Player in 1989 for his performance.
The season came to an end in August with a heart-breaking 2-1 semi-final playoff loss to the San Diego Nomads. The deciding score came on an own goal by Timbers defender Wade Webber that snuck past Keller in the 51st minute.
At the end of the 1989 season, the Western Soccer League completed a long-planned merger with the East Coast-based American Soccer League. The new American Professional Soccer League nominally created a nationwide outdoor soccer league in the U.S. for the first time since the demise of the NASL in 1985. In practice, the East and West conferneces continued to play a separate, regional schedule in 1990. The two coasts met only in the league championship game in Boston in September.
Second Season & Demise
In 1990, Portland finished out of the playoff hunt with a 10-10 record. Shawn Medved led the team in scoring with 10 goals and 2 assists. The team averaged 3,149 fans at Civic Stadium for 10 home dates. In the fall of 1990, owner Art Dixon put the Timbers up for sale, claiming $600,000 in red ink over two seasons. Failing to find a buyer, the club folded late in the year, along with the 8 of the other 11 teams in the APSL’s West Conference.
Trivia
The Timbers mascots during this era were Timber Jim (1989), a lumberjack character who was replaced after the first season, and Timbear (1990), a costumed bear who sparked a minor trademark dispute with a children’s book publisher.
Portland Timbers Shop
Links
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