Self-proclaimed Soccer City USA has rich history

Long before there was Major League Soccer, Brandi Chastain's jersey-doffing World Cup celebration or even David Beckham, Portland was Soccer City, USA.

The city's long-simmering enthusiasm for the Beautiful Game is at a peak these days as the Portland Timbers prepare for their inaugural Major League Soccer season. The Timbers have sold more than 12,000 season tickets for the coming season, which opens at the Colorado Rapids on March 19.

But the Timbers of today have the Timbers of the past to thank for much of the buzz. Soccer has been part of Portland's culture since the 1970s, when the North American Soccer League came to town.

"A lot of people said 'You know, it's Soccer City USA,' and all the cliches that go with it. But it's not until you come up here and witness a game live that you actually see the extent of the passion," Timbers head coach John Spencer said. "I really don't think it's a fabrication of a group of soccer fans, it seems to be ingrained and a lot of people do truly love the sport here."

In 1975, the city was awarded a NASL franchise and crowned it the Timbers after a contest. The team made an immediate impact, going to the NASL championship game, the Soccer Bowl, in its inaugural season. Despite losing to the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-0, a tradition was born.

English midfielder Mick Hoban was the first player signed by the Timbers. A sports marketing consultant still living in Portland, Hoban said there were several reasons that the team endeared itself in Portland, aside from simply winning. Players would pass out roses to the women in the crowd and kick soccer balls to the kids before each game. Afterward, everyone would head down to the Benson Hotel for a mixer.

"The Timbers went out of their way to connect with the community. We spent endless hours right from the start going out and talking about the game, promoting the game," Hoban said. "There was a coming together of a lot of positive experiences at the beginning that gave us a great foundation."

The Timbers couldn't match the success of their first season with the NASL and struggled financially until Louisiana Pacific CEO Harry Merlo took the team over in 1979. Merlo told the city he would help the team for three years, and boosted the civic pride surrounding the team by donating all his proceeds to six local charities.

The new owner's team included English defender Clive Charles, and the two men would not only become lifelong friends but also help solidify the popularity of soccer in Portland.

After his playing career ended, Charles returned to the city and eventually became head coach of both the men's and women's teams at the University of Portland. He remained close to Merlo, who would fund the university's Merlo Field, one of the first soccer-specific stadiums in college sports.

"I still love soccer," said Merlo, who has retired but still runs a Northern California winery that is known for Merlot, of course. "Being Italian, that's pretty native of my country. It's in my blood."

Under Charles, the Portland Pilots won the NCAA women's soccer championship in 2002. Charles died a year later after a bout with cancer, his legacy extending beyond Portland. Former U.S. national team players Tiffeny Milbrett, Shannon MacMillan and Kasey Keller were among those he coached.

Charles and Merlo also founded FC Portland Academy, which is still instrumental in developing young soccer players. When Charles fell ill, he directed Merlo to keep FC Portland going. Merlo said Charles told him: "I'd rather get a kid at 7 and teach him the right way than get a kid at 17 and have to break bad habits."

The region is also home to Nike, and Adidas has its North American headquarters in north Portland. Both companies have long supported local youth programs, keeping interest high. Hoban himself helped develop Beaverton-based Nike's grass-roots soccer program.

And of course there's the Timbers Army, which came together at some point between 2001 and 2002 in PGE Park's Section 107. The independent fan group proved it was more than just a bunch of soccer hooligans when members successfully lobbied city officials to back Timbers owner Merritt Paulson's bid to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Portland.

The Timbers Army for many years was led by Timber Jim, an actual lumberjack named Jim Serrill, who would cut off a slice of a log with his chain saw after every Portland goal and award it to the player who scored, among other antics. Timber Jim retired in 2008, and has since been replaced by Timber Joey.

Since 1975, four different leagues have included a Timbers team. The team's home, PGE Park, also has hosted several significant soccer events, including the NASL's Soccer Bowl in 1977 between the New York Cosmos and the Sounders — the final game for soccer great Pele.

The stadium also hosted women's World Cup matches in 1999 and 2003.

"It's been crazy," current Timbers goalie Troy Perkins said of the attention he's getting. "You feel like an NFL team. You're everywhere. There's all the billboards, we're in the papers, we're all over the Internet, people are wearing our jerseys. Everywhere you go someone has something to say to you. It's special."

Merlo, who is in his 80s, thinks the arrival of MLS is the perfect addition to Portland's soccer legacy.

"We have too much rain for Major League Baseball, and we're not big enough for pro football," Merlo said. "But we're perfect for soccer."

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