Regardless of whether the Timbers earn a berth in the MLS playoffs this season, they have earned a solid return on their current investment in the team's players.

Portland has the lowest team salary payroll in the league, but compared with a number of teams – notably fellow expansion team Vancouver -- the Timbers have done an admirable job of getting the most out of their players.

"There's no question that the Portland Timbers are one of the teams getting the best value for their players," said Leander Schaerlaeckens of ESPN's Soccernet. "They have found a lot of value in markets where other teams have overlooked."

According to the MLS players union website, the Timbers' team payroll of $2.65 million is the lowest of the 18 teams in the league. The New York Red Bulls lead the league with a payroll of nearly $14 million. Yet, the Red Bulls -- with expensive players such as Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez -- are only three points ahead of the Timbers in the standings as both teams fight for one of the final two playoff berths.

The Timbers' payroll is less than the five teams currently mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. The cost of the Timbers' roster is nearly $1.6 million less than Toronto's $4.26 million (third in the league) and slightly less than $1 million short of fellow expansion team Vancouver's $3.57 million (fourth in the league).

Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson said the payroll is low not because of a desire to save money but because of a long-range strategy to build a strong roster.

"We've spent money and we've spent wisely and we'll continue to spend money if it makes sense," Wilkinson said.

The Timbers built a roster of primarily young and athletic players, a number of whom have inexpensive contracts.

"Our plan from Day One was to build a young, athletic team that we can keep with us for a number of years to come," Portland coach John Spencer said. "We want to ride them for a long time and build something that can probably last for eight to 10 years. We don't want short-term success where we're constantly turning over players."

Vancouver took an almost opposite approach to its first MLS season.

The Whitecaps decided to sign a few big-money, high-profile players in their effort to field a winning team. The Whitecaps have nine players earning at least $100,000 in base salary, compared to six players for Portland. Three players on the Whitecaps' roster (Eric Hassli, $900,000; Jay DeMerit, $350,000 and Davide Chiumiento, $250,000) rank among the league's 50 highest-paid players in total compensation.

The Whitecaps decision-making philosophy has flopped. The Whitecaps will likely finish with the league's worst record and will have their third head coach in a year when they begin the 2012 season.

"Vancouver said, 'We're going to plug in four or five big-time players that are going to carry the rest of the team,' " Schaerlaeckens said. "In a league like MLS, it has long been demonstrated that that approach doesn't work. You need depth and breadth in MLS. You just can't get by with just a few big-money players trying to bail you out."

The have and have-nots approach and the losing may have caused some internal dissension in the Vancouver locker room, and there will be plenty of changes when new coach Martin Rennie takes over in 2012.

"I think you'll be able to tell the guys that haven't (stuck together with the team)," Vancouver goalkeeper Joe Cannon said. "I have faith the organization will take care of the guys that don't want to be here and (they) won't be here next season."

The Timbers' two highest-paid players are goalkeeper Troy Perkins ($280,000) and forward Kenny Cooper ($267,500). Perkins' former team, D.C. United, is picking up part of his contract.

"Portland has a much better track record than Vancouver. Which is exactly why Vancouver is in last place or thereabouts and Portland is still in the playoff hunt," Schaerlaeckens said. "It's not an aberration or a fluke. It comes down to how each team prepared for their first season and how they constructed their rosters."

While the salaries of Perkins and Cooper don't put either of them in the MLS' top-10 highest paid players category, Portland owner Merritt Paulson has been willing to spend money when the team has spotted an opportunity it liked.

The Timbers shelled out $2 million (transfer fee, contract and total compensation) to move midfielder and designated player Diego Chara from Colombia to Portland. The 25-year-old Chara has quickly turned into one of the team's most important players and he was called up to play for the Colombian national team.

"We have a tremendous asset, should he stay healthy, for the next three or four years," Wilkinson said. "Merritt is very willing to invest in this team to create a winning team."

But Spencer said he's not going to just spend money needlessly.

"You've got to treat that money like it's your own. You can't go spending willy-nilly, blowing someone's hard-earned money and just say, 'If it doesn't work out, it doesn't out,' " Spencer said. "It's not my money and I have to be careful with it."

The Timbers are a little sensitive about the perception of being a frugal franchise. However, even with the league's lowest team payroll, the team remains solidly in the playoff race as they prepare to play Houston Friday in their final home game of the regular season.

"People consider us to be cheap, because we're at the bottom (of the league's team payroll list). That's not the case. We will spend money if it will make us a better team," Wilkinson said. "If you look at it from a coach's perspective, it's more like we're getting tremendous value for what we've got. We've invested a lot of money, we've invested it well and John has done a tremendous job of getting the most out of the players."

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