2010 Portland Timbers season

Portland Pilots (NCAA) v Portland Timbers trialists

2010-02-17	Portland Pilots (NCAA)	0–2	Portland Timbers trialists	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PST		Report	62', 64' DeMartin	Stadium: Merlo Field Attendance: 1,142

Oregon State Beavers (NCAA) v Portland Timbers

2010-03-06	Oregon State Beavers (NCAA)	0–2	Portland Timbers	Corvallis, Oregon
18:00 PST		Report	DeMartin  (pen.) López	Stadium: Paul Lorenz Field

The Timbers began their preseason schedule on February 17 against the Portland Pilots men's team at Merlo Field in a match to benefit Mercy Corps and their relief efforts in Haiti. The match featured mostly trialists for the Timbers including Doug DeMartin who scored both goals to lead the Timbers to a 2–0 victory over the off-season university squad.[8] DeMartin, as well as former St. Pauli defender Ian Joy, rookie goalkeeper Matt Pyzdrowski and midfielder Derek Gaudet, were signed to contracts by the Timbers after featuring in the match.[9][10]

Although just coming off of foot surgery, former U.S. national team goalkeeper Adin Brown was signed on February 23.[11] After serving as a consultant with the Timbers for the past year, former Portland Trail Blazers executive Mike Golub was named Chief Operating Officer of the Portland Timbers MLS club on March 1.[12]

The returning players from the 2009 season saw their first action in a training match versus the Oregon State Beavers men's team in Corvallis on March 6. On March 11 it was announced that Alex Nimo would once again be acquired on loan from Real Salt Lake for the season.[13]

Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) v Portland Timbers

2010-03-11	Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)	0–1	Portland Timbers	Seattle, Washington
18:00 PST		Report	44' Obatola	Stadium: Qwest Field Attendance: 18,606

Five days after their first game action together, the team traveled to Seattle on March 11 for the inaugural Seattle Sounders FC Community Shield. Trialist O. J. Obatola scored the only goal as the Timbers defeated Seattle Sounders FC of MLS, who were also in their preseason, in front of 18,606 spectators at Qwest Field.[14]

San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) v Portland Timbers

2010-03-20	San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)	1–1	Portland Timbers	Santa Clara, California
19:00 PDT	Glen  71'	Report	80' Thompson	Stadium: Buck Shaw Stadium Attendance: 3,152

Portland Timbers v Vancouver Whitecaps FC

2010-03-26	Portland Timbers	2–0	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Tukwila, Washington
10:30 PDT	DeMartin  12' Dike  41'	Report		Stadium: Starfire Sports Complex

Portland Timbers v Portland Pilots (NCAA)

2010-03-27	Portland Timbers	1–0	Portland Pilots (NCAA)	Portland, Oregon
14:00 PDT	Obatola			Stadium: Lincoln High School

Kitsap Pumas (PDL) v Portland Timbers

2010-04-03	Kitsap Pumas (PDL)	3–2	Portland Timbers	Bremerton, Washington
19:00 PDT	Perdido  48' Christner  61', 70'	Report	40' Pore  57' López  63' Marcelin	Stadium: Bremerton Memorial Stadium

Seattle Redhawks (NCAA) v Portland Timbers

2010-04-10	Seattle Redhawks (NCAA)	0–2	Portland Timbers	Seattle, Washington
14:00 PDT			Obatola Pore

On March 20, the Timbers went on the road to play the San Jose Earthquakes, their second MLS opponent in succession. The match ended in a 1–1 draw with long-time Timbers defender Scot Thompson scoring the 80th-minute equalizer.[15] After winning two closed-door training matches on back-to-back days in different states versus Vancouver Whitecaps FC[16] and the Portland Pilots men's team once again, Portland signed former FC Dallas defender Steve Purdy on April 2.[17]

On April 3, Portland were on the road once more in Bremerton, Washington to face the Kitsap Pumas of the Premier Development League. Kitsap defeated Portland 3–2 in a competitive match which saw Rodrigo López sent off by receiving two yellow cards in rapid succession after coming on as a substitute.

The Timbers made their final preseason player additions on April 7 when forwards O. J. Obatola and Bright Dike were signed to contracts.[18] The preseason culminated with another closed-door training match versus the Seattle Redhawks men's team in Seattle which the Timbers won thanks to goals from Obatola and returning first team midfielder Ryan Pore.

Portland Timbers v Rochester Rhinos

2010-04-17 D-2	Portland Timbers	1–0	Rochester Rhinos	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Pore  85' (pen.)	Report		Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 15,418 (SO)

Portland Timbers v AC St. Louis

2010-04-22 D-2	Portland Timbers	3–0	AC St. Louis	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Pore  1', 45+2' Obatola  62'	Report		Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 5,893

Montreal Impact v Portland Timbers

2010-04-25 D-2	Montreal Impact	1–1	Portland Timbers	Montreal
11:00 PDT	Pizzolitto  81' (pen.)	Report	67' Pore	Stadium: Saputo Stadium Attendance: 13,034 (SO)

Portland Timbers v Vancouver Whitecaps FC

2010-04-29 D-2 / CC	Portland Timbers	2–1	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Pore  7', 86' Danso  85'	Report	11' Akwari	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 5,808

The Portland Timbers began their 10th and final season in 2nd division soccer on April 17 by hosting the Rochester Rhinos at PGE Park. A sell-out crowd of 15,418 watched as a Ryan Pore penalty in the 85th minute was enough to earn Portland an opening day victory.[2] The club continued their positive start to the season by downing expansion club AC St. Louis 3–0 in a match which saw Pore score two goals and new signing O. J. Obatola get his first competitive goal for the Timbers.[19]

After earning a 1–1 draw with Montreal Impact in Portland's first road game of the year,[20] the Timbers rounded out a successful April with a 2–1 victory over Cascadia Cup rivals Vancouver Whitecaps FC.[21] Pore scored all three Timbers goals in the final two matches of April to give the midfielder six goals in four games as the Timbers stood atop the league.

Portland Timbers v Puntarenas

2010-05-01 Friendly	Portland Timbers	1–3	Puntarenas	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Dike  22'	Report	33' Leal  54' Díaz  57' Peña	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 7,478

Portland Timbers v Crystal Palace Baltimore

2010-05-13 D-2	Portland Timbers	0–1	Crystal Palace Baltimore	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT		Report	29' Perez	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 8,817

Portland Timbers v AC St. Louis

2010-05-15 D-2	Portland Timbers	1–1	AC St. Louis	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Keita  66'	Report	90+1' Ambersley	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 10,057

Portland Timbers v Montreal Impact

2010-05-19 D-2	Portland Timbers	0–1	Montreal Impact	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT		Report	31' Donatelli	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 6,573

Crystal Palace Baltimore v Portland Timbers

2010-05-22 D-2	Crystal Palace Baltimore	2–1	Portland Timbers	Catonsville, Maryland
16:00 PDT	Marshall  74' Patterson  90+1'	Report	60' (pen.) Pore	Stadium: UMBC Stadium Attendance: 1,106

Portland Timbers v Boca Juniors

2010-05-29 Friendly	Portland Timbers	3–2	Boca Juniors	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Pore  16' Keel  74' López  90+1'	Report	50' Giménez  52' Blandi	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 14,106

Portland's four league matches in May were flanked by exhibition games featuring top Latin American competition. On May Day, Puntarenas of Costa Rica came to Portland and handed the Timbers a 3–1 loss.[22] League play continued on May 13 with a loss at home to Crystal Palace Baltimore,[23] a club in its first year in the 2nd division after moving up from the 3rd division following the 2009 season. That loss would be the start of an eight-game winless streak in the league for the Timbers.

Mandjou Keita, Portland's leading scorer from 2009 and recently returned from a loan spell in India, scored the opening goal against AC St. Louis in a rematch at PGE Park on May 15, but a stoppage time goal from Mike Ambersley meant the Timbers had to settle for a draw.[24] Montreal Impact then traveled to Portland and took all 3 points from the suddenly struggling Timbers.[25]

A disappointing May in the league was concluded when Crystal Palace Baltimore hosted the Timbers on May 22. Portland lost to Baltimore 2–1 after giving up another goal in second half injury time.[26] The club's fortunes seemed to take a turn for the better when storied Argentinian club Boca Juniors came to town on May 29. In an exciting, back-and-forth game, the Timbers rallied to pull out a 3–2 victory thanks to a 91st minute free kick goal from Rodrigo López.[27]

Portland Timbers v Carolina RailHawks FC

2010-06-06 D-2	Portland Timbers	1–1	Carolina RailHawks FC	Portland, Oregon
18:00 PDT	Pore  61'	Report	90+3' Paladini	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 8,119

Miami FC v Portland Timbers

2010-06-12 D-2	Miami FC	1–0	Portland Timbers	Fort Lauderdale, Florida
16:30 PDT	Veris  26'	Report		Stadium: Lockhart Stadium Attendance: 1,004

Portland Timbers v Sonoma County Sol (NPSL)

2010-06-15 USOC 1st Rd	Portland Timbers	3–0	Sonoma County Sol (NPSL)	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Nimo  58' Suzuki  88' Marcelin  90+1'	Report		Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 2,107

Portland Timbers v NSC Minnesota Stars

2010-06-17 D-2	Portland Timbers	0–1	NSC Minnesota Stars	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Marcelin  52'	Report	20' Allen	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 8,877

NSC Minnesota Stars v Portland Timbers

2010-06-19 D-2	NSC Minnesota Stars	0–2	Portland Timbers	Blaine, Minnesota
17:00 PDT		Report	6' (pen.) Pore  89' Cameron	Stadium: National Sports Center Attendance: 1,152

Kitsap Pumas (PDL) v Portland Timbers

2010-06-22 USOC 2nd Rd	Kitsap Pumas (PDL)	1–4	Portland Timbers	Bremerton, Washington
19:00 PDT	Christner  90'	Report	34' Smith  37', 47', 63' Dike	Stadium: Bremerton Memorial Stadium Attendance: 1,205

Portland Timbers v FC Tampa Bay

2010-06-27 D-2	Portland Timbers	1–0	FC Tampa Bay	Portland, Oregon
17:00 PDT	Dike  73'	Report		Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 8,892

Portland Timbers v Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)

2010-06-30 USOC 3rd Rd	Portland Timbers	1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p)	Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)	Portland, Oregon
19:30 PDT	Dike  38'	Report	13' Jaqua  101' Graham	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 15,422 (SO)
	Penalties
	Pore DeMartin Danso Smith López		Sturgis Zakuani Montero Ianni Scott

Hoping to build on their exhibition win versus Boca Juniors,[28] the Timbers returned to league play as they hosted Carolina RailHawks FC on June 6. Ryan Pore again continued his scoring streak but Portland were thwarted by yet another stoppage time goal as Carolina earned a draw in the dying seconds of the match.[29] The Timbers then traveled to Texas where they drew 0–0 with league leading Austin Aztex FC.[30] Forward O. J. Obatola, who started six of the first seven league games and scored just one goal, had not played since the May 19 loss to Montreal and was released from his contract by mutual consent on June 10.[31] Portland concluded their road trip on June 12 at Miami FC but lost 1–0 as their league winless streak was extended to seven games.[32]

The second half of June would prove to be a congested affair as the 2010 edition of the U.S. Open Cup kicked off on June 15 with the Timbers hosting amateur side Sonoma County Sol of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in the first round. The teams had met previously in the second round of the 2009 U.S. Open Cup and Portland were again victors by the same 3–0 scoreline.[33]

Just two days later, the Timbers were back in league play as they welcomed expansion club NSC Minnesota Stars to Portland for the teams' first ever meeting. Former Los Angeles Galaxy and University of Washington midfielder Ely Allen opened the scoring for the visitors in the 20th minute and Timbers midfielder James Marcelin was sent off in the 52nd minute helping Minnesota to the surprise victory.[34] Portland had an immediate opportunity for payback as they traveled to Minnesota to face the Stars again two days later. An early penalty goal from Pore and the first career goal for defender Josh Cameron in the 89th minute were enough for the Timbers to record a 2–0 victory.[35] This halted a nearly two month stretch in the league without a win for the Timbers, a span covering eight games.

A busy June continued as Portland made the trip to face PDL side Kitsap Pumas in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup on June 22. Rookie forward Bright Dike recorded a hat-trick as the Timbers defeated the Pumas 4–1, ensuring Portland would meet long-time rival Seattle Sounders FC in the third round.[36] Returning to league play on June 27, Portland continued its new-found momentum as the Timbers hosted expansion club FC Tampa Bay and came away 1–0 winners.[37]

Cup play resumed for the Timbers on June 30 as Portland played host to Seattle Sounders FC of MLS in the third round of the competition once again. A sold-out crowd of 15,422 watched as the Timbers played the Sounders to a 1–1 draw. In extra time, Seattle defender Taylor Graham was sent off for bringing down Dike just outside the penalty area. Portland failed to capitalize on the man advantage, however, and the match would be decided by penalty kicks. Sounders FC and former U.S. national team goalkeeper Kasey Keller made two saves during the shootout to help Seattle win 4–3 on penalties and knock the Timbers out of the cup for the second year running.[38]

Portland Timbers v Miami FC

2010-07-10 D-2	Portland Timbers	2–0	Miami FC	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Smith  48' Pore  90+1'	Report		Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 12,189

Portland Timbers v Atlas

2010-07-11 Friendly	Portland Timbers	1–1 (4–2 p)	Atlas	Portland, Oregon
18:00 PDT	Josten  77' Suzuki  90+4'	Report	90+1' (pen.) Robles	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 7,113
	Penalties
	Josten Nimo Keel López		Gutiérrez Zamora Villalobos Flores

Portland Timbers v Manchester City

2010-07-17 Friendly	Portland Timbers	0–3	Manchester City	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT		Report	43' Ireland  44' Adebayor  68' Jô	Stadium: Merlo Field Attendance: 5,018 (SO)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Portland Timbers

2010-07-22 D-2 / CC	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	1–2	Portland Timbers	Burnaby, British Columbia
19:30 PDT	Khalfan  51' Janicki  65'	Report	66' (pen.) Pore  72' Danso	Stadium: Swangard Stadium Attendance: 5,387 (SO)

AC St. Louis v Portland Timbers

2010-07-28 D-2	AC St. Louis	3–0	Portland Timbers	Fenton, Missouri
17:10 PDT	Ambersley  25', 27', 57'	Report		Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park Attendance: 2,256

FC Tampa Bay v Portland Timbers

2010-07-31 D-2	FC Tampa Bay	2–2	Portland Timbers	Tampa, Florida
16:30 PDT	King  27' Sánchez  57'	Report	16' Dike  81' Suzuki	Stadium: George M. Steinbrenner Field Attendance: 4,417

The Timbers had little time to rest after playing a draining 120 minutes against Seattle Sounders FC in the Open Cup as fellow Pacific Northwest rivals Vancouver Whitecaps FC returned to PGE Park for league play just three days later.[39] Due to fatigue, head coach Gavin Wilkinson made eight changes to the side that faced Seattle and the reserves were able to earn a 0–0 draw to maintain their lead over Vancouver in the 2010 Cascadia Cup standings.[40] After their first full week without a game for over a month, a refreshed Portland team played host to struggling Miami FC on July 10. Canadian defender Ross Smith scored his first league goal for the club and Ryan Pore got his tenth goal of the season to lead the Timbers to a 2–0 win. After the match, while celebrating on the way out of PGE Park, two long lost elementary school chums were reacquainted. Three-and-a-half years later they married and now are expecting a child.[41]

A twelve-day break in league play allowed the Timbers to schedule back-to-back exhibition games versus foreign opponents. Just one day after defeating Miami, Mexican club Atlas visited Portland. A 77th minute George Josten goal seemed to be enough for the Timbers to grab a narrow victory until Quavas Kirk brought down an Atlas player in the penalty area, earning the Mexicans a penalty. Luis Robles converted the kick in the 91st minute meaning the match would be decided by a penalty shootout. Portland Timbers U23's goalkeeper Jake Gleeson made two saves during the shootout as the Timbers defeated Atlas 4–2 on penalties.[42]

Due to PGE Park being unavailable because of a Portland Beavers baseball game, Portland faced English Premier League club Manchester City at Merlo Field on the campus of the University of Portland on July 17. A sold-out crowd of Timbers season ticket holders watched as Portland matched up well against the famous club during most of the first half. However, City closed out the half with two quick goals from Steven Ireland and Emmanuel Adebayor to take a 2–0 lead. Both teams made wholesale changes at the half and the Timbers again started well. An individual goal by Brazilian Jô in the 68th minute would finish off the scoring, however, as Portland lost to Manchester City 3–0.[43]

The Timbers played the first game of a four-game road trip in Burnaby, British Columbia against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Vancouver came into the game with a nine-game unbeaten streak and sitting atop the NASL Conference standings. The Whitecaps took the lead in the 51st minute as Nizar Khalfan beat Timbers goalkeeper Steve Cronin near post. Momentum swung Portland's direction as Pore was taken down inside the penalty area by Vancouver defender Greg Janicki. Janicki received a straight red card for the foul. Pore converted the ensuing penalty kick to level the game at 1–1. Portland took advantage of being a man up when Timbers defender Mamadou Danso found the back of the net after a 72nd minute scramble in the penalty area. Portland was able to hold on for the 2–1 victory—only their 2nd win in Vancouver since the Timbers reformed in 2001.[44] With the win, Portland secured the Cascadia Cup for the second year in a row.

The second game of the road trip saw the Timbers in Fenton, Missouri to take on last place AC St. Louis. Earlier in the day, head coach Gavin Wilkinson was in Houston, Texas at the MLS All-Star Game in his role as Technical Director of the MLS club to take part in a coin toss between the 2011 MLS expansion clubs, Portland and Vancouver. Vancouver won the toss and the right to choose first between several player acquisition mechanisms for each team's first season in Major League Soccer, including the MLS SuperDraft and MLS Expansion Draft.[45] Portland took the field against AC St. Louis without their head coach. In a disappointing game for the Timbers, St. Louis midfielder Mike Ambersley scored a hat-trick to lead AC to a 3–0 win over Portland, bringing an end to a five-game unbeaten streak in the league for the Timbers.[46]

Portland closed out the month of July by visiting FC Tampa Bay. Bright Dike opened the scoring for the Timbers in the 16th minute but Tampa Bay equalized eleven minutes later. In the second half, a free kick goal by Ricardo Sánchez in the 57th minute gave Tampa Bay the lead. They were unable to hold off the Timbers, though, as forward Takayuki Suzuki tallied his first league goal of 2010 in the 81st minute to give Portland a hard-fought 2–2 draw on the road.[47]

Rochester Rhinos v Portland Timbers

2010-08-04 D-2	Rochester Rhinos	1–0	Portland Timbers	Rochester, New York
16:00 PDT	Versailles  22'	Report		Stadium: Marina Auto Stadium Attendance: 6,978

Portland Timbers v NSC Minnesota Stars

2010-08-11 D-2	Portland Timbers	2–2	NSC Minnesota Stars	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Dike  44' Pore  63' (pen.) Joy  64'	Report	24' Allen  73' Bracalello	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 15,418 (SO)

AC St. Louis v Portland Timbers

2010-08-14 D-2	AC St. Louis	0–1	Portland Timbers	Fenton, Missouri
17:10 PDT		Report	41' Dike	Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park Attendance: 2,312

NSC Minnesota Stars v Portland Timbers

2010-08-21 D-2	NSC Minnesota Stars	0–1	Portland Timbers	Blaine, Minnesota
17:00 PDT	Warren  66'	Report	68' (pen.) Pore	Stadium: National Sports Center Attendance: 1,429

Portland Timbers v Austin Aztex FC

2010-08-26 D-2	Portland Timbers	1–1	Austin Aztex FC	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Dike  4' López  90+4'	Report	26' Silva  56' Bernard	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 14,985

Portland Timbers v Crystal Palace Baltimore

2010-08-29 D-2	Portland Timbers	3–0	Crystal Palace Baltimore	Portland, Oregon
18:00 PDT	Pore  15' Dike  42', 53'	Report	88' Veeder	Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 15,418 (SO)

Portland traveled to Rochester, New York for the fourth and final game of their road trip on August 4. Before the game, the Timbers announced the signing of Dutch forward Ibad Muhamadu for the remainder of the season.[48] The team was to end the road trip on a sour note, however, as an early goal by Rochester was enough to defeat Portland 1–0.[49]

On August 10, former Rangers and Chelsea forward John Spencer was named head coach of the Portland Timbers MLS club.[50] Spencer had long been rumored to be the front-runner for the job after leaving his job as assistant coach for Houston Dynamo.

Spencer was in attendance as the Timbers were back at PGE Park to host NSC Minnesota Stars on August 11. A sold-out crowd watched as Minnesota took an early lead, but a third league goal from Bright Dike meant the score was tied 1–1 at halftime. In the second half, Ryan Pore was brought down inside the penalty area by a Stars defender and the Timbers were awarded a penalty. Pore scored with the penalty kick in the 63rd minute for his league-leading twelfth goal of the season. The celebrations were short-lived as one minute later Portland captain Ian Joy received a straight red card after a tackle on Stars midfielder Geison Moura. The Timbers, playing a man down, were unable to hold off Minnesota who equalized in the 73rd minute to draw with Portland 2–2.[51]

After the game, it was revealed that Portland forward Mandjou Keita failed to show up for the game and had also missed two previous practices without notice. Keita last played a league game for the Timbers in the July 10 win over Miami, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute. After missing a third practice, the Timbers placed Keita on personal leave to give the forward time to decide his future.[52]

Hoping to avenge a July 28 3–0 loss in Missouri, the Timbers faced AC St. Louis for the fourth and final time of the season on August 14. Ibad Muhamadu made his first start for Portland but it was Bright Dike that got the only goal of the game in the 41st minute to give the Timbers a much-needed 1–0 victory on the road.[53]

Head coach Gavin Wilkinson's scouting trip to Ghana earlier in the season proved fruitful as the Timbers announced the signing of Ghana U-20 national team member Kalif Alhassan from Ghanaian club Liberty Professionals on August 19. Alhassan had also been a member of the Ghana U-17 national team.[54]

The Timbers enjoyed a rare week-long break between games as they prepared to face NSC Minnesota Stars for a fourth time with the series between the two teams even at 1–1–1. Reserve goalkeeper Matt Pyzdrowski made his first start of the year for Portland. A fairly even contest was decided when, in the 66th minute, Stars goalkeeper Joe Warren brought down Dike inside the box. A penalty kick was awarded to the Timbers and Warren was shown a straight red card for the foul. Pore stepped up and buried the penalty for his 13th goal of the season. With a man advantage, Portland's defense closed out the game and Pyzdrowski was credited with his first professional win and clean sheet as the Timbers won 1–0 in Minnesota.[55]

On August 25, Portland announced the signing of defender Kevin Goldthwaite, who had recently been released by New York Red Bulls, for his second stint with the Timbers after a loan spell in 2005.[56] The next day, the Timbers hosted second place Austin Aztex at PGE Park. A quick goal from Bright Dike gave Portland the lead in the 4th minute but the Aztex equalized 22 minutes later. Portland seemed to gain the upper hand in the second half when Austin's Kieron Bernard was sent off in the 56th minute. However, the Timbers failed to capitalize on the man advantage and had to settle for a 1–1 draw.[57]

Revenge was on the mind of the Timbers players as they hosted Crystal Palace Baltimore, the only team in the league to defeat Portland twice, on August 29. In front of another sold-out crowd in a game thoroughly dominated by the Timbers, Ryan Pore scored his first non-penalty goal since July 10 and Bright Dike scored a brace on either side of halftime to give the emerging striker six goals in his last seven games. Baltimore played the last minutes of the game with 10 men as Portland recorded a comfortable 3–0 victory over their unlikely new rivals.[58]

Portland Timbers v Puerto Rico Islanders

2010-09-02 D-2	Portland Timbers	1–0	Puerto Rico Islanders	Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT	Pore  83'	Report		Stadium: PGE Park Attendance: 15,418 (SO)

Puerto Rico Islanders v Portland Timbers

2010-09-18 D-2	Puerto Rico Islanders	0–1	Portland Timbers	Bayamón, Puerto Rico
17:05 PDT		Report	90+1' Alhassan	Stadium: Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium Attendance: 3,602

Crystal Palace Baltimore v Portland Timbers

2010-09-25 D-2	Crystal Palace Baltimore	1–3	Portland Timbers	Towson, Maryland
13:30 PDT	Fusilier  57' Brooks  73' (pen.)	Report	3', 41' Dike  86' Josten	Stadium: Paul Angelo Russo Stadium Attendance: 1,538

The Timbers entered September on a five-game unbeaten streak, having not lost since August 4. Due to scheduled renovations of PGE Park for the 2011 Major League Soccer season, Portland would have to finish out the season on the road making the September 2 game versus Puerto Rico Islanders the last ever 2nd division soccer game for the Timbers in Portland. On the morning of the game, the Timbers announced they had reached a deal with Alaska Airlines to be the MLS shirt sponsor for the 2011 season.[59]

The team would be without starting defender Mamadou Danso as he was called into camp with the Gambian national team for a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier versus Namibia.[60] On a special night, in which the Timbers Army presented each player with sunflowers and a personalized banner,[61] the Timbers left it to a late Ryan Pore goal in the 83rd minute to record a 1–0 victory over the Islanders in front of a sold-out stadium.[62] After the game, the Timbers announced that attendance for the 2010 season set a new modern-franchise record which included a record five sell-outs of PGE Park.[63]

With the win against Puerto Rico — and help from other results around the league — Portland secured a playoff berth for the second year in a row.[64] In the first game of their season-ending road trip and without leading scorer Ryan Pore, the Timbers extended their unbeaten streak to seven games as they earned a 0–0 draw with the Carolina RailHawks.[65]

One week later, Portland traveled to Puerto Rico to face the Islanders for the second time during the month. In his first start for the Timbers, new signing Kalif Alhassan chipped the ball over Islanders keeper Bill Gaudette in the third minute of second half stoppage time to record his first goal for the club and ensure the Timbers came away with a 1–0 victory.[66]

On September 25, Portland were in Maryland for their fourth meeting of the season versus last place Crystal Palace Baltimore. Forward Bright Dike scored his eighth and ninth league goals of the season and forward George Josten added a third as the Timbers defeated Baltimore 3–1 to finish undefeated for the month of September.[67]

The D-2 Pro League consisted of twelve teams from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The league was divided into two conferences of six teams each. At the conclusion of the regular season, eight teams qualified for the playoffs—a seeded knockout tournament to determine the league champion. The 2010 regular season ran from April 10 to October 3. The Portland Timbers competed in the USL Conference along with five other teams. The NASL Conference contained the league's remaining six teams. The league schedule was weighted so that each team played more games against the three teams in their geographical region (called a pod), regardless of conference affiliation. Each team was also paired with one other team outside their pod for additional games.

The teams in the same pod as the Portland Timbers were NSC Minnesota Stars, AC St. Louis and Vancouver Whitecaps FC and faced the Timbers four times each (two home and two away) during the regular season. The Timbers were also paired with Crystal Palace Baltimore, who were outside of Portland's pod, for four games. The remaining seven teams were played two times each (one home and one away). This resulted in a thirty-game league schedule.

Last updated: October 2, 2010
Source: ussoccer.com
Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference

The 2010 D-2 Pro League playoffs were a seeded knockout tournament to determine the 2010 D-2 Pro League champion. Eight teams from the twelve team league qualified for the playoffs. The top team in each conference automatically qualified while the next 6 teams with the highest point totals, regardless of conference, also qualified.

Each round is a two-game aggregate goal series. Home teams for the first game of each series listed at the bottom of the bracket.

Second Round winners advance to play one of 8 MLS clubs in 16-team knockout tournament
Home teams listed on top of bracket

The Cascadia Cup is a trophy that was created in 2004 by supporters of the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. It is awarded to the club with the best record in league games versus the other participants. Since 2009, when Seattle joined Major League Soccer, the cup has been contested between Portland and Vancouver only. In 2011, when the Timbers and the Whitecaps joined the Sounders in MLS, all three Cascadia rivals again vied for the cup.

The Timbers secured the 2010 Cascadia Cup—the club's second—on July 22 after defeating Vancouver 2–1 in a league match at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 0 GK  USA Steve Cronin 1 GK  USA Matt Pyzdrowski 2 MF  CAN Derek Gaudet 4 DF  USA Josh Cameron 5 DF  USA Quavas Kirk 6 DF  NZL Cameron Knowles (inactive) 7 MF  USA Brian Farber 8 MF  USA Rodrigo López 11 MF  SWE Johan Claesson 12 MF  USA Tony McManus 13 DF  USA Stephen Keel 14 MF  HAI James Marcelin 15 DF  SCO Ian Joy (captain) 16 MF  USA Alex Nimo (on loan from Real Salt Lake)

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 DF  USA Scot Thompson 18 FW  USA Doug DeMartin 19 FW  USA George Josten 20 DF  CAN Ross Smith 21 MF  GHA Kalif Alhassan 22 MF  USA Keith Savage 23 MF  USA Ryan Pore 24 GK  USA Adin Brown 25 DF  SLV Steve Purdy 27 FW  NGA Bright Dike 29 FW  NED Ibad Muhamadu 30 FW  JPN Takayuki Suzuki 33 DF  USA Kevin Goldthwaite 98 DF  GAM Mamadou Danso

D-2 Pro League Most Valuable Player

Player	Link
Ryan Pore	D-2 Pro League Postseason Awards Day 2

D-2 Pro League Goal Scoring Champion

Player	Link
Ryan Pore	D-2 Pro League Postseason Awards Day 1

D-2 Pro League Best XI

Player	Link
Ryan Pore	D-2 Pro League Postseason Awards Day 2

D-2 Pro League Player of the Month

Month	Player	Link
April	Ryan Pore	D-2 Pro League April PotM

Last updated on October 11, 2010.

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		D-2 Pro League		Playoffs		U.S. Open Cup
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
0	GK		Steve Cronin	33	0	28+0	0	2+0	0	3+0	0
1	GK		Matt Pyzdrowski	3	0	2+1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
2	MF		Derek Gaudet	9	0	7+1	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
4	DF		Josh Cameron	11	1	7+3	1	0+0	0	1+0	0
5	DF		Quavas Kirk	18	0	12+6	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
6	DF		Cameron Knowles	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
7	MF		Brian Farber	8	0	5+2	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
8	MF		Rodrigo López	23	0	4+15	0	0+2	0	0+2	0
(9)	FW		O. J. Obatola (released)	6	1	6+0	1	0+0	0	0+0	0
(10)	FW		Mandjou Keita (transferred to Pune FC)	13	1	9+1	1	0+0	0	1+2	0
11	MF		Johan Claesson	18	0	11+6	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
12	MF		Tony McManus	31	0	14+12	0	1+1	0	2+1	0
13	DF		Stephen Keel	26	0	18+5	0	2+0	0	0+1	0
14	MF		James Marcelin	29	2	22+3	0	2+0	1	2+0	1
15	DF		Ian Joy	25	0	21+0	0	2+0	0	2+0	0
16	MF		Alex Nimo	25	1	17+5	0	0+0	0	3+0	1
17	DF		Scot Thompson	15	0	7+5	0	0+0	0	3+0	0
18	FW		Doug DeMartin	24	0	8+11	0	2+0	0	1+2	0
19	FW		George Josten	18	1	7+11	1	0+0	0	0+0	0
20	DF		Ross Smith	20	2	16+0	1	1+0	0	3+0	1
21	MF		Kalif Alhassan	8	2	3+3	2	2+0	0	0+0	0
22	MF		Keith Savage	10	0	8+2	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
23	MF		Ryan Pore	34	15	28+1	15	2+0	0	3+0	0
24	GK		Adin Brown	1	0	0+1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
25	DF		Steve Purdy	27	0	19+5	0	2+0	0	0+1	0
27	FW		Bright Dike	27	14	19+4	10	2+0	0	2+0	4
29	FW		Ibad Muhamadu	12	0	6+4	0	0+2	0	0+0	0
30	FW		Takayuki Suzuki	28	2	5+19	1	0+2	0	2+0	1
33	DF		Kevin Goldthwaite	3	0	1+0	0	1+1	0	0+0	0
98	DF		Mamadou Danso	27	1	20+4	1	0+0	0	3+0	0

Players with 1 goal or more included only.

Last updated on October 11, 2010

Rk.	Nat.	Position	Player	Total	D-2 Pro League	Playoffs	U.S. Open Cup
1		MF	Ryan Pore	15	15	0	0
2		FW	Bright Dike	14	10	0	4
3		MF	Kalif Alhassan	2	2	0	0
		DF	Ross Smith	2	1	0	1
		FW	Takayuki Suzuki	2	1	0	1
		MF	James Marcelin	2	0	1	1
7		DF	Josh Cameron	1	1	0	0
		DF	Mamadou Danso	1	1	0	0
		FW	George Josten	1	1	0	0
		FW	Mandjou Keita	1	1	0	0
		FW	O. J. Obatola	1	1	0	0
		MF	Alex Nimo	1	0	0	1
			TOTALS	43	34	1	8

Players with 1 card or more included only.

Last updated on October 11, 2010

No.	Nat.	Position	Player	Total		D-2 Pro League		Playoffs		U.S. Open Cup
0		GK	Steve Cronin	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
4		DF	Josh Cameron	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
5		DF	Quavas Kirk	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
8		MF	Rodrigo López	3	1	3	1	0	0	0	0
(9)		FW	O. J. Obatola	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
12		MF	Tony McManus	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
13		DF	Stephen Keel	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
14		MF	James Marcelin	5	1	5	1	0	0	0	0
15		DF	Ian Joy	9	1	8	1	1	0	0	0
16		MF	Alex Nimo	4	0	4	0	0	0	0	0
17		DF	Scot Thompson	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
19		FW	George Josten	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
20		DF	Ross Smith	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
23		MF	Ryan Pore	3	0	2	0	1	0	0	0
25		DF	Steve Purdy	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	0
27		FW	Bright Dike	6	0	6	0	0	0	0	0
29		FW	Ibad Muhamadu	4	0	4	0	0	0	0	0
30		FW	Takayuki Suzuki	4	0	3	0	0	0	1	0
98		DF	Mamadou Danso	4	1	4	1	0	0	0	0
			TOTALS	59	4	54	4	2	0	3	0

Last updated on October 11, 2010.

No.	Nat.	Player	Total				D-2 Pro League				Playoffs				U.S. Open Cup
			MIN	GA	GAA	SV	MIN	GA	GAA	SV	MIN	GA	GAA	SV	MIN	GA	GAA	SV
0		Steve Cronin	2989	26	0.78	92	2509	22	0.79	81	180	2	1.00	4	300	2	0.60	7
1		Matt Pyzdrowski	183	1	0.49	5	183	1	0.49	5	0	0	–	0	0	0	–	0
24		Adin Brown	8	0	0.00	0	8	0	0.00	0	0	0	–	0	0	0	–	0
		TOTALS	3180	27	0.76	97	2700	23	0.77	86	180	2	1.00	4	300	2	0.60	7

Permanent

Date	Pos.	Name	Previous club	Fee
December 7, 2009	DF	Quavas Kirk	Minnesota Thunder	Free[3]
February 11, 2010	MF	James Marcelin	Puerto Rico Islanders	Free[6]
February 15, 2010	DF	Ross Smith	Ebbsfleet United	Free[7]
February 18, 2010	DF	Ian Joy	Ingolstadt 04	Free[9]
February 23, 2010	GK	Adin Brown	Aalesund	Free[11]
February 26, 2010	FW	Doug DeMartin (R)	Michigan State Spartans Michigan Bucks	Free[10]
February 26, 2010	MF	Derek Gaudet	Halifax Dunbrack	Free[10]
February 26, 2010	GK	Matt Pyzdrowski (R)	Marquette Golden Eagles Chicago Fire Premier	Free[10]
April 2, 2010	DF	Steve Purdy	FC Dallas	Free[17]
April 7, 2010	FW	O. J. Obatola	Gombak United	Undisclosed[18]
April 7, 2010	FW	Bright Dike (R)	Notre Dame Fighting Irish Indiana Invaders	Free[18]
August 4, 2010	FW	Ibad Muhamadu	Dordrecht	Free[48]
August 19, 2010	MF	Kalif Alhassan	Liberty Professionals	Undisclosed[54]
August 25, 2010	DF	Kevin Goldthwaite	New York Red Bulls	Free[56]

Loan

Date	Pos.	Name	From	Return Date
March 11, 2010	MF	Alex Nimo	Real Salt Lake	End of Season[13]

Permanent

Date	Pos.	Name	To	Fee
December 7, 2009	FW	Jason McLaughlin	N/A	Contract expired[3]
December 7, 2009	FW	Kevin Forrest	N/A	Contract expired[3]
December 7, 2009	FW	Antouman Jallow	N/A	Contract expired[3]
December 7, 2009	DF	David Hayes	N/A	Contract expired[3]
December 7, 2009	DF	Cameron Dunn	N/A	Contract expired[3]
December 7, 2009	DF	Ivan Becerra	N/A	Contract expired[3]
December 7, 2009	MF	Shaun Higgins	N/A	Contract expired[3]
December 7, 2009	MF	Tom Poltl	N/A	Contract expired[3]
December 7, 2009	GK	Brian Visser	N/A	Contract expired[3]
February 11, 2010	DF	Takuro Nishimura	Crystal Palace Baltimore	Undisclosed[6]
June 10, 2010	FW	O. J. Obatola	Unattached	Released[31]
September 1, 2010	FW	Mandjou Keita	Pune FC	Undisclosed[68]

Loan

Date	Pos.	Name	To	Return Date
November 11, 2009[69]	FW	Mandjou Keita	Salgaocar	April 28, 2010[70]