As 2014 comes to a close, we take a look back at another landmark year in Portland soccer. Between the Portland Timbers, Portland Thorns FC and more, there was plenty to remember.
One of Portland’s greatest soccer events occurred in August as the Rose City hosted the wildly successful 2014 AT&T MLS All-Star Game and Week. In front of a sold-out crowd at Providence Park, the MLS All-Stars defeated visiting Bayern Munich 2-1 powered in part behind a brilliant Diego Valeri assist that set up Landon Donovan for the game-winning goal.
And that wasn't all.
Record numbers of fans turned out to watch both Portland teams and showed the world that it really is Soccer City, USA. Take a look at this:
68 –
Consecutive Timbers regular-season sellouts (and counting) at Providence Park. The Timbers have sold out every league home game since 2011.
13,362 -
Average attendance at a Thorns match in 2014, far and away the best number in NWSL.
19,123 -
Fans filled Providence Park for
the Thorns' August 3 1-0 victory over the Houston Dash
, establishing a new NWSL record for single-game attendance.
On the field, 2014 was an immensely impressive campaign for midfielder Diego Valeri. The playmaker, who had been so good for the Timbers in his first season with club, outdid himself in 2014,
putting up MVP-caliber numbers
and earning his
second consecutive year on the MLS Best XI
:
5 -
Goals from outside the box, leading MLS.
11 -
Goals scored during the MLS regular season, a single-season MLS-era club record.
14 -
Assists, which put Valeri in a category all his own in the club's MLS history.
38 -
Scoring chances Valeri created from set pieces, which ranked first overall in MLS.
41 -
Percentage of goals scored by the Timbers this season in which Valeri played a part.
103 -
Number of scoring chances that Valeri created, second in the league only to Landon Donovan.
Not to be outdone, several of Valeri's teammates also made club and league history while the Timbers put up some notable numbers in 2014:
10 - Goals scored by forward Maximiliano Urruti, marking the first time in the club's MLS history in which it had two players with double-digit goals.
:34 - Seconds it took for forward Gastón Fernández to score the quickest goal in Timbers MLS history in a 3-2 victory over D.C. United on May 3.
5 - Players with six or more goals in 2014: Diego Valeri (11), Maximiliano Urruti (10), Fanendo Adi (9), Gastón Fernández (7) and Will Johnson (6).
7 – Road wins for the Timbers, which ranks as the most in a single season during the team’s MLS era and was second in MLS in 2014.
118.1 - Minutes per goal for Urruti. That number was second best in MLS for all players with double-digit goals, trailing only Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips.
118 - Tackles won by midfielder Diego Chara, a number good for second overall among MLS players.
61 - Goals scored by Portland in 2014—a Timbers MLS record. The total was third-best in MLS and seven more than their 2013 campaign.
34 – Goals scored in the final 30 minutes of matches by the Timbers, which ranked best in MLS.
300 - On July 27, defender/midfielder Jack Jewsbury made his 300th career MLS appearance in the Timbers' 3-2 victory over the Montreal Impact. Only 25 other MLS players have joined the 300 club. Jewsbury's career total now stands at 303.
100 - Midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe became the first Timbers player to reach 100 career MLS appearances in Portland green. He currently leads all MLS Timbers with 127 career appearances.
10,000 - Minutes played for the club by Diego Chara. He surpassed this number during the September 27th match against Toronto FC. Chara became the first player to do so in the Timbers' MLS history.
Thorns FC, too, made league history in 2014:
4 - Players receiving postseason league honors with Vero Boquete named to the NWSL Best XI while Allie Long, Jessica McDonald, & Steph Catley all receiving Second XI recognition.
5 - Player of the Week honors for Thorns players: Vero Boquete (3), Alex Morgan, and Christine Sinclair. No other team had more than three.
6 - Multi-goal games by Thorns players: Allie Long, Vero Boquete, Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair, and Jessica McDonald (2).
7 - Goals scored in a single match against FC Kansas City in July, the most goals scored by a single team in one match in league history.
9 - Goals scored between Thorns FC and Boston Breakers in Portland’s 6-3 victory on July 20, setting an NWSL record for goals scored between two teams.
11 - Goals scored by Jessica McDonald, a mark that tied for third-best in the league.
33 - Seconds was all it took for forward Jessica McDonald to score the quickest goal in NWSL history during a July 9 match against the Chicago Red Stars.
39 - Total goals scored by Thorns FC, setting a new club single-season record.
- READ:Thorns FC's Christine Sinclair earns 11th consecutive Canadian Player of the Year honors
- READ: Thorns announce 2014 Club Awards
Quotable:
"I'm the luckiest guy in this city, to get to play in front of these fans every week. Seriously, sometimes I have to pinch myself because I'm so lucky and so fortunate to be a part of something so special...what we're doing here in Portland is unprecedented."
– Timbers midfielder Will Johnson during a 2014 MLS All-Star Week Men in Blazers show in Pioneer Courthouse Square
''One of the great stories in Major League Soccer over the last number of years has been the enormous fan passion, civic support and stadium atmosphere in Portland.''
– MLS Commissioner Don Garber, during MLS All-Star Week in Portland
"As much as it's a week to celebrate the league, it's also to celebrate Portland and what it means to our league and how they've elevated the level of everything in our league."
– LA Galaxy’s Landon Donovan, during MLS All-Star Week in Portland
"The reception was great; when I came out, I didn't expect that. But I will always remember that game."
– New York Red Bulls’ Thierry Henry, on the MLS All-Star Game in Portland
"I played here before, and the fans are amazing. It's a great setup. They've got the passion for football and overall it's great to see because for us as players coming together as All-Stars, it's great to know that we are supported."
– New York Red Bulls’ Tim Cahill, on the MLS All-Star Game in Portland
"Maybe it's something in the air or the trees; they love soccer here. I love it. I think it's great. The whole Northwest loves soccer. The support that the fans bring is fantastic."
– Real Salt Lake’s Nick Rimando, on the atmosphere in Portland
"It's fantastic. It's one of the best soccer cities in the country. Between the fan support, you can just see that the city is behind this team. I love the city, apart from the soccer as well, I really enjoy my time here."
– Sporting Kansas City’s Graham Zusi, on the atmosphere in Portland
"Portland is weird and unique. It may explain why the city is bat crazy about soccer."
– Alan Black, from Aug. 7 San Francisco Chronicle story, "Portland is the incubator for MLS' future plans"
Here’s to an even better 2015.
