PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers U-23s will play host to the Sacramento Gold of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in the first round of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, May 14, at JELD-WEN Field at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific), it was announced today as U.S. Soccer unveiled the first-round pairings for the tournament.
Tickets, priced at $10, go on sale to the public on Thursday, May 2, and will be available for purchase through the JELD-WEN Field box office and online at www.portlandtimbers.com.
The Timbers U-23s are one of 16 teams from United Soccer Leagues’ Premier Development League (PDL) competing in the 2013 U.S. Open Cup. The team qualified for the tournament based upon their second-place finish in the PDL’s Northwest Division in 2012.
The Timbers U-23s make their second appearance in the U.S. Open Cup in 2013. The team qualified for the tournament in 2012 and faced PSA Elite of the U.S. Adult Soccer Association in the first round of the tournament at JELD-WEN Field.
The Gold was formed in 2009 and won the NPSL national championship in its first competitive season in 2010. The team defeated the Sonoma County Sol 5-1 on March 23 to claim one of eight berths for the NPSL in the 2013 U.S. Open Cup.
Founded in 1914, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup celebrates its 100th edition in 2013. A single-elimination tournament, the U.S. Open Cup will feature 68 total teams in 2013, marking the largest tournament field of the modern era (1995-present). The tournament will feature all U.S.-based clubs from Major League Soccer, North American Soccer League and USL PRO. The field also includes 34 amateur teams, including the Timbers U-23s.
The Timbers U-23s begin their fifth PDL season on Thursday, May 16, as they play host to Northwest Division-rival Seattle Sounders FC U-23 at JELD-WEN Field as part of a Providence Health & Fitness Day; kickoff is set for 11 a.m. (Pacific).
ABOUT TIMBERS U-23s
Founded Nov. 11, 2008, the Portland Timbers U-23s, presented by Billups Worldwide, is an amateur team affiliated with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer and serves as a development platform for the club's first team. The team consists of standout players from collegiate and youth programs from Oregon, the Northwest and throughout the country, and competes in United Soccer Leagues’ Premier Development League (PDL). Since their founding, five Timbers U-23s players have signed with the first team, including goalkeeper Jake Gleeson and defender Ryan Kawulok and Timbers Homegrown Players Steven Evans and Brent Richards. The Timbers U-23s assembled an historic campaign in 2010, posting a perfect 16-0-0 record during the regular season on their way to becoming the first undefeated champion in PDL history.
