2022 Portland Timbers season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Portland Timbers
2022 season
PresidentMerritt Paulson
Head coachGiovanni Savarese
StadiumProvidence Park
Portland, Oregon
(Capacity: 25,218)
Major League SoccerConference: 8th
Overall: 15th
U.S. Open CupRound of 32
Top goalscorerLeague: Dairon Asprilla (10)
All: Dairon Asprilla (10)
Highest home attendance24,534 (4/3 v. LAG)
Lowest home attendance22,228 (5/22 v. PHI)
Average home league attendance23,341
Biggest winPOR 7–2 SKC (5/14)
Biggest defeatDAL 4–1 POR (3/19)
Primary colors
Secondary colors
 2021
2023 

The 2022 Portland Timbers season was the club's 36th season of existence and the 12th season for the Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. The season covers the period from the end of the Timbers' last match in MLS Cup 2021 to the team's end of the season in October 2022.

The Timbers finished fourth in the Western Conference in the 2021 MLS season, advancing to the MLS Cup Final (which they hosted) where they lost on penalties to New York City FC.

Most of the season focused on fan discontent, with many supporters withholding season ticket pledges and attendance lagging—partially due to the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-cutting, but also due to a large-scale abuse scandal coming from the NWSL and sister club Portland Thorns, which directly impacted the Timbers organization.

After a report commissioned by U.S. Soccer dropped on October 3, even more fan pressure began to mount. The report named the three men at the helm of the Timbers/Thorns organization as part of the problems brought about in the scandal: club owner Merritt Paulson, Timbers GM Gavin Wilkinson (who also held the same role for the Thorns until stepping aside in 2021), and president Mike Golub. The report cited Wilkinson's treatment of a former Thorns player and endorsement of disgraced ex-coach Paul Riley—who was accused of sexual abuse by multiple players—as well as Golub's sexually inappropriate conduct toward another former Thorns coach and Paulson's failure to act upon these accusations.[1][2] The report led to Paulson stating he would recuse himself, Wilkinson and Golub of Thorns duties. On October 5, the club fired both Wilkinson and Golub,[3] with Ned Grabavoy assuming Timbers roster decisions in the interim.

The Timbers were in position at the final matchday to qualify for the playoffs, but held off qualification to the final matchday due to losing at home against Los Angeles FC (which helped LAFC clinch the Supporters' Shield). They were eliminated by Real Salt Lake in the last game of the season following a 3–1 defeat at America First Field, finishing the season on 46 points, one fewer than RSL.[4]

Roster

As of February 17, 2022[5]
No. Name Nat Positions Since Date of birth (age) Signed from Games Goals
Goalkeepers
26 Hunter Sulte (HG) United States GK 2019 April 25, 2002 (age 23) United States Portland Timbers 2
31 Aljaž Ivačič Slovenia GK 2019 December 29, 1993 (age 32) Slovenia NK Olimpija Ljubljana
Defenders
Midfielders

Player and staff transactions

Non-competitive

Competitions

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI