Portland Timbers

The Portland Timbers are Portland, Oregon's entry in the A-League, the second tier of professional soccer in the United States. The club was formed in 2001, but took the name of the franchise that existed in the defunct North American Soccer League in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Through the 2003 season, the Timbers compiled an inconsistent record, qualifying for league playoffs two out of the three years. The club established a solid following of fans at PGE Park, its home field in downtown Portland. The Timbers' hardcore fans, known variously as the Cascade Rangers or the Timbers Army, are known as some of the noisiest and most passionate in all of American soccer.