Attention Portland soccer fans: A real grass field could be coming to Providence Park.

Mayor Ted Wheeler said Friday that Timbers and Thorns owner Merritt Paulson has asked him about changing the playing surface from artificial turf to the natural green stuff. Wheeler indicated he's keeping his mind open about installing grass at the city-owned venue.

Wheeler said Paulson made a compelling argument to him that replacing Providence Park's turf with a grass field could "be a boon to the local economy." Portland could attract international matches with a real grass field and perhaps more European talent for the local teams, the mayor said.

"Top soccer players from Europe will not play in America on synthetic fields because of the risk of injury," Wheeler said.

Mike Golub, president of business for the Timbers, said Providence Park is already one of the best soccer venues in North America. But having a real grass field is "the last piece of the puzzle" to solidifying that reputation, he said.

Golub said that with a grass field, Portland could vie for World Cup qualifiers, national team matches and the men's and women's NCAA final four matches, among other crowd-drawing games.

Yet nothing is set in stone. The mayor said he is "not eager" to have taxpayers pay for a new field at the city-owned stadium.

Golub said Friday the Timbers and Thorns would pay the "many millions of dollars" for a grass field, should one be installed. An existing agreement between the teams and city that has taxpayers contribute to field upkeep would continue with a grass field, Golub said.

Another factor in the field equation: Portland State football. The Vikings squad could be edged out of playing at Providence Park because football is harsh on grass fields. PSU has been playing fewer games at the stadium, and it's unclear if they would continue to play there at all if a grass field were installed. Valerie Cleary, the Portland State athletic director, didn't return a request for comment Friday.

Golub said it's "an open question" whether Portland State could still play games at Providence, given the beating a grass field would take during the Timbers' and Thorns' seasons, and the difficulty of scheduling football games around potential playoff soccer matches.

Paulson said at the Timbers' annual Stand Together Banquet in September that he hoped to have grass at Providence Park by 2020.

The Oregonian/OregonLive's Jamie Goldberg contributed reporting.

-- Gordon R. Friedman