For the first time in over a decade, the hoops are back.
The classic green-and-white horizontal stripes, first sported by the Portland Timbers in 2002 during the team's years in the old A-League (now USL), will return to the pitch this season after Portland Timbers 2 unveiled their brand new third kits today.
Timbers assistant general manager Nick Mansueto, who worked closely with club equipment manager Sam Younie on the concept, explained where the idea of bringing back the old look came from.
“This shirt obviously had some connection to different eras of the past,” Mansueto said. “It will not only have a connection to the fans that have seen it in the past, but also to the players who played in those eras as well.”
Having been resurrected as a professional franchise in the A-League in 2001, the Timbers wanted to sport a unique look for its second season in the league in 2002. Thus the hoops were born – green and white, classic Timbers colors, arranged horizontally for the very first time.
The names of the players that sported the hoops may sound familiar to Timbers fans who remember the USL era: forward McKinley Tennyson, midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar and defender Gavin Wilkinson.
“This is a tip of the hat to those players,” said Mansueto.
Now a new generation of players will have the opportunity to sport a classic look that harkens back to a different era in the club’s 41-year history.
While T2's primary and secondary kits are both replicas of those worn by the Timbers first team, USL requirements for a light-colored alternate meant that Mansueto and the T2 staff had to draw up an alternative for the 2016 season.
Then, inspiration struck.
“We thought it was a good opportunity to embrace the club's history,” said Mansueto. “As the new shirt came together, it started to look pretty good.
“We're really excited about it,” he added.
The new shirt closely resembles those 2002 and 2003 shirts, but with some slight alterations. Running along the shoulders and sleeves are the classic three stripes of the adidas brand. The T2 crest features prominently above the heart and across the chest rests the mark of Stand Together, the community outreach arm of the Portland Timbers, Thorns FC and T2 organization.
“We wanted to keep Stand Together on one of the kits because it's a big part of our club,” noted Mansueto.
Only 100 of the new jerseys have been made, each shirt numbered from one to 100.
Mansueto, meanwhile, is confident that players and fans alike will agree that the retro look is an especially sharp one.
“Everyone seems to like the new third kits,” he said.
For fans who want to get their hands on the third kit, they will be auctioned through Stand Together at the conclusion of the T2 season, helping raise money for the club’s outreach initiatives and work in the community.
