Blood, sweat and smiles

As a season of many firsts, the 2011 Timbers’ season will be fondly remembered in Portland’s sporting history. In its first ever season in Major League Soccer, the Timbers produced some truly remarkable moments and in the end, almost made it to the playoffs. The Timbers finished the season with a 11-14-9 record in the MLS (9-5-3 home, 2-9-6 away) and finished just four points short of the last postseason spot.  

“The disappointing thing was we had the points in the bag,” Timbers head coach John Spencer said in a media statement. “We were [a few] points short of the playoffs, and we had those points in the bag here and let them go by conceding late goals.”

Although Timbers fans might be disappointed about missing the playoffs, they won’t soon forget the team’s first-ever MLS victory at home against the Chicago Fire, team captain Jack Jewsbury’s all-star selection or the emphatic 3-0 home win against the LA Galaxy, among the many other cherished moments.

“It’s been an honor to be leading this group of guys,” Jewsbury said. “It’s an unbelievably talented group of young players that we have. I’ve said it before; I don’t think some of them really realize how good they really are. They need to continue to push themselves because they have a lot to give.”

The Timbers’ Army created an electric atmosphere at every single home game. The Timbers supporters have cemented their reputation as one of the most vocal and enthusiastic groups of fans in the MLS and have made Jeld-Wen Field one of the most fearsome places for opposing teams to play. The Timbers sold out every home game this year and have renewed over 97 percent of their season tickets already for next season.

Spencer thanked the Timbers’ fans for their support after the season was over. “Our fans are, by far, the best in the league,” Spencer said. “Yeah, we don’t play well every night—no team does in the league, regardless of how good you are—but you’ve got to be able to fight every single week.”

Here’s a breakdown of how the 2011 season unfolded for the Portland Timbers:

March (1-2)
The Timbers did not have a fairy tale start to their inaugural MLS season. Playing away during their first two games, they lost (1-3) to Colorado and (0-2) to Toronto FC. However, in the U.S. Open Cup play-in game they recorded their first win of the year (2-0) against Chivas USA at home.

April (3-1-1)
The Timbers won all three of their home games in April. These included wins against Chicago (4-2), FC Dallas (3-2) and Real Salt Lake (1-0). They drew their away game against New England (1-1) and lost to the LA Galaxy (3-0) in the other two games.

May (2-3-1)
The Timbers lost their perfect home record in May when they drew 1-1 against nemesis Seattle at home. Although, they did win a home game against Philadelphia (1-0), they lost two more against Dutch giants Ajax (0-2) and DC United (2-3).

June and July (2-8-2)
The Timbers endured a major slump in form during the mid-point of the season. They started a seven-game winless streak in June, which came to an end with a 0-1 road win against Chicago in July. This was the Timber’s first away win of the regular season. The only other win during this period was a 2-0 friendly victory over Independiente.

August and September (4-4-2)
The Timbers pulled some points back in August and rebuilt the foundation for a solid push toward the playoffs. This included the infamous 3-0 win at home over MLS Cup favorites the LA Galaxy. Starting in August and pushing through September, the Timbers put together a five-match unbeaten streak. Portland’s 3-0 win over New England was arguably the team’s biggest win of the year.

October (0-2-2)
Going into the last two games of the season, the Timbers had a mathematical chance to qualify for the playoffs, although they had to rely on favorable results elsewhere in the league. Needing to win their last two away games, the Timbers drew against DC United (1-1) and Real Salt Lake (1-1) and finished four points shy of the tenth and final playoff spot.

“We are obviously disappointed. You never want to leave [your playoff fate] in the hands of someone else,” Jewsbury said. “The realization that we were definitely eliminated from playoff contention is tough.”

Forward Kenny Cooper finished the season as the Timbers’ leading goal scorer, with eight goals. Jewsbury lead the team with eight assists and also contributed seven goals. Goalkeeper Troy Perkins made 91 saves in the season.

General Manager Gavin Wilkinson is keen to make some good offseason moves. “As we continue to build this squad, the philosophy definitely will not change,” Wilkinson said. “We’ll have a young, athletic team who will continue to work hard on a day-to-day basis and hopefully improve in the standings next year.”

Spencer too hopes to improve and perform even better next season. “We gave the paying public here some memorable nights,” Spencer said. “It’s important now that we don’t look back. We have to look forward and give them more memorable nights so that this stadium is packed for many years to come.”