The Portland Timbers are a professional soccer club based in Portland, Oregon, competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Their roots stretch back to 1975, when the original Portland Timbers entered the North American Soccer League (NASL) as an expansion team, playing through 1982 and finishing as runners-up in Soccer Bowl '75. The Timbers name carried deep civic meaning through multiple subsequent incarnations — including a USL side that competed from 2001 to 2010 — before the current club was formally awarded an MLS expansion berth in 2009 under majority owner Merritt Paulson.
The MLS era began in 2011 at Providence Park, and success came relatively quickly. Under head coach Caleb Porter, the Timbers finished first in the Western Conference in 2013 and earned the club's first playoff appearance. The defining moment arrived in 2015, when Portland claimed the MLS Cup — the club's first major trophy and the first MLS Cup won by any Cascadia side. The Timbers reached the final again in 2018, falling 2–0 to Atlanta United FC, and in 2021 were runners-up once more, losing to New York City FC on penalties. The club also claimed the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament.
Few things define the Timbers as clearly as their fierce Cascadia rivalries with Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, with all three clubs competing for the Cascadia Cup. The passionate Timbers Army supporter group has been central to the club's identity since its MLS debut, reflecting a community bond that traces back to the original 1975 side.