By RYAN TOLMICH
Like the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake before them, the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders are set to expand into the USL Pro.
The Timbers announced Tuesday that the club has formed Timbers 2, or T2, as a professional team that is set to compete in the USL Pro starting in 2015. T2 will join LA Galaxy II and the Real Monarchs as USL Pro clubs with direct ties to MLS sides.
“I believe that MLS clubs with their own USL PRO teams in-market will have a competitive advantage on a number of levels,” said Timbers owner Merritt Paulson. “This is a big investment for us and signifies our commitment to winning.”
T2 will play at the University of Portland’s Merlo Field, which has a capacity of 5,000. In addition, the team will train at club’s Adidas Timbers Training Center in nearby Beaverton, Oregon.
The expansion team – which will have a separate coaching staff from their MLS counterparts – reunites the Timbers with USL, where the club played for 10 years prior to becoming an MLS expansion side in 2011.
Meanwhile, the Sounders will join their rivals among the USL Pro ranks with the introduction of Sounders FC 2.
“We are proud to announce the formation of S2 and complete the player development program that starts with our Academy and ends with the Sounders FC First Team,” said Sounders FC Owner and General Manager Adrian Hanauer. “The partnership with the Sounders Community Trust supports the club’s vision for a fan-involved sports organization that deeply values the input and perspective of its supporters.”
S2 will play out of the club’s Starfire Stadium and will be owned by the club and the Sounders Community Trust, a fan-based organization that will hold a 20-percent interest in the team.
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What do you think of the new USL Pro team? Is the formation of sister clubs the best way for MLS sides to cultivate talent? How do you see the league evolving in the coming years in terms of player development?
Share your thoughts below.
I think the 20% fan owned S2 is the major story. Soccer in this country is ripe for some fan owned teams. The game is still in the early stages and you don’t need a huge investment to start a competitive team. Plus most of the fan base of soccer in this country are progressive and are tired of greedy owners taking advantage of the fans, players and municipal governments.
Awesome news.
Is it just me, or did the Sounders take three times as long to convey the exact same information about their USL Pro team as the Timbers took to reveal theirs?
Doesn’t DC United have a “direct tie” with the USL Pro Richmond Kickers? The article didn’t mention that relationship.
Excited that this will give both our younger players & people who can’t make it to MLS matches an opportunity to see the field.
Hey, RBNY has money. They should do this.
Wait, what?
RBNY. Major fail.
So when is USL Pro giving up their D3 status and admitting they are just a reserve league?
Except that’s not the case.
Orlando got promoted to MLS this year from “D3”. Now Sac is on MLS radar. With promoted clubs USL is more like a real D2 than NASL is, that’s for sure.
Except the “expansion” came from the financial aspects of the teams. It wasn’t because they were good that OCSC got an expansion spot. It was because they could afford it. It was because they are getting a SSS. It was because they can deliver a certain number of fans per match. What happens on the field doesn’t matter. Don’t think the level of the league has anything to do with it.
When is the Segunda division in Spain giving up their D2 status and admitting they are just a reserve league?
I like the new badge.
can someone marke an mls2 🙂
They tried that. It was called MLS Reserve League. Thankfully, it’s gone now.
No it’s not. It’s been re-branded as USL Pro.
Incorrect. The MLS Reserve Leagued folded several times over the years, but it finally folded for good because MLS and USL struck up a mutually beneficial deal. USL was independent of MLS until 2013.
No one paid any attention to the MLS Reserve League. The thing that makes this USL/MLS venture a success is that cities without MLS teams can get excited about MLS reserve teams coming to visit.
That is what USL Pro is becoming. Maybe they will rebrand it MLS2 at some point
The sequel?
Come on Timbers! Seriously a number 2 on the badge! Why not two axes? That would have been way better.
2 crossed axes. It probably would have been better than the first team badge so they decided to put a lame 2 on it.
Why can they do it like you would do it! It’s insane! The outrage!
If you look closely, you’ll notice that the two badges are actually pretty different enough without the 2. They should have just rolled with that. The 2 messed it up.
Two crossed axes would be pretty awesome.
Or two hatchets—appropriately smaller than an axe.
Would you call the Sounders 2 the “Seattle Echo”?
Why T2 and not Portland Timbers B or 2
Why Real Monarchs and not Real Salt Lake B or 2
Why FC Montreal and not Montreal Impact Deux, or B
I am not a eurosnob…at all but only the “real fans” will know that this team is an extension of the first team.
From a marketing aspect, these organizations are creating new brands in markets where they are still trying to establish the first team as a legitimate sports team/brand.
I can see people saying …” I don’t like the Monarchs but I like RSL or I will not support the Impact anymore, but I will go to FC Montreal games…..get my point?
I hope Toronto doesn’t do this because only 20% of the Greater Toronto Population know about TFC…..(for obvious reasons…but you get my point)
As a supporter of one of the Non-MLS USL sides I wish the teams would just put a 2 or B after their names. It helps my club in ticket sales when LA Galaxy 2 comes in. I feel that Real Salt lake would get a bigger draw then Real Monarchs will.
They are Portland Timbers 2. That is their official name. T2 is a nickname, just like the LA Galaxy 2 are nicknamed Los Dos.
Uhhh, neither the Timbers nor Sounders need to further establish their brands in their respective markets.
I hate to use a baseball analogy here, but for years, everyone knew Columbus was the Yankees AAA club. Everyone knew Louisville was the Cardinals, that Rochester was the Orioles, etc.etc.etc….until they had to screw things up and change organizations.
I wonder how the U-23s fit into the plan. Does anyone know how this works for other teams?
I think the U-23’s play in the NPSL which is Amateur allowing kids to maintain their College eligibility. They will keep like NY.
Makes sense. Thanks.
The U-23s actually play in the PDL but same diff pretty much. The Timbers have no claim to most of the players on the team. The exceptions being those who came through the Timbers academy or special cases like Jake Gleeson but they are few and far between for now.
Timbers will maintain a U-23 squad, T2, and senior MLS club.
Tim “buck” 2?
Important step to help bridge the gap between academies and the first-team. Too bad clown clubs like RBNY canceled their USL Pro squad.
Godspeed to any opposing USL players with the last name “Connor”.
T2? So lots of Ahhhrnold jokes in their future?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVZ2NShfCE8
Hey . . . That’s a nice bike.