The Portland Timbers At Lincoln Park

The final preseason scrimmage for the 2009 edition of the Portland Timbers came here in Forest Grove.

The Timbers fought to a 1-1 tie with the Tacoma Tide FC, a United Soccer Leagues' Premier Development League team, on April 18 at Lincoln Park Stadium. The match was one of a handful of "closed door" matches (unadvertised) that the Timbers play each preseason.

The match was the third that the USL First Division team has played at Lincoln Park Stadium. In 2008, the Timbers played an advertised preseason exhibition match against Gonzaga as well as another "closed door" scrimmage against the University of Washington.

The Timbers' presence in Forest Grove is not a coincidence. Jim Brazeau, Pacific's head men's soccer coach, has served as an assistant coach for the Timbers in seven of their first eight seasons. Of course, the season comes with a higher level of attention with the announcement that the Timbers will morph into a Major League Soccer franchise in 2011.

In addition to the Tacoma match, the Timbers will host a resident youth soccer camp in June. Visit the Portland Timbers Web site for more details.

More photos from the Timbers/Tacoma match...

Men's Soccer: PGE Park Game Is A No Go

After looking forward to playing their first match ever in Portland's premiere soccer venue, the Pacific men's soccer team will have to wait for another opportunity.

Pacific's scheduled Sept. 4 match at PGE Park against Warner Pacific has been moved back to Forest Grove's Lincoln Park Stadium. Start time has also been moved back one hour to 4:00 p.m.

The match was going to be Pacific's first ever on the same pitch that the Portland Timbers call home. Pacific's head men's soccer coach, Jim Brazeau, is also the Timbers' goalkeepers coach and assistant coach Jim Rilatt is also on the staff.

The bad news is that the match will make for some last-minute drives down the Sunset Highway for Brazeau and Rilatt and for your local neighborhood SID, who is the official scorer for the Timbers. The Timbers have a 7 p.m. match at PGE Park against the Charleston Battery.