Merritt Paulson signs the official expansion letter with MLS. (photo via Portland Timbers)

The final hurdle to bring Major League Soccer to Portland was cleared on today when the Portland City Council voted 4-1 to approve $31 million in funding to renovate PGE Park. The vote means the Portland Timbers expansion team can begin play in 2011 as planned.

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This is a huge win for soccer fans throughout the entire region, and for the residents of the city who will enjoy the benefits of a world-class soccer facility in their back yard. I can't thank the city council and Merritt Paulson enough for agreeing to a deal that works for the city that works. Now we can turn our attention to 2010 and bringing the USSF Second Division title to town. Click to continue reading...

Gavin Wilkinson will be the head coach for the 2010 season and in 2011 will remain with the Timbers as technical director. Wilkinson has been with the Timbers for nine years and might know the club better than anyone. The Timbers are most likely looking for a head coach with previous MLS experience. Click to continue reading...

The Daily Journal of Commerce in Oregon is reporting that a final deal for the Timbers to move forward in the renovation of PGE Park could be in place by Thursday.  Construction has already begun on the PGE renovation despite the absence of a development deal thanks to a 3-2 vote last week.

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Finally, after months of back and forth, America's 2nd division is set and ready for play. The United Soccer League (USL) and the North American Soccer League (NASL) will play in the same league separated by two conferences of six teams each. The league will be overseen by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for the 2010 season, and titled the USSF Second Divsion. Click to continue reading...

The Timbers 2010 season remains in limbo. U.S. Soccer refused to sanction the USL or the TOA (the group of teams which split off from the USL) as a second division soccer league, citing that there "are still too many uncertainties for both organizations, which would be extremely difficult to resolve in a timely fashion that would allow them to prepare for the 2010 season". Click to continue reading...

Dear Merritt Paulson and the Portland Timbers Organization,
Congratulations on becoming a part of Major League Soccer. Those of us who followed your efforts to join the league have been impressed by your organization and the spirit from your loyal supporters during the entire process. Click to continue reading...

Thanks to a couple Portland readers for sending this link my way from OregonLive.com. It seems like damage control in Portland has gone into full gear after Wednesday's comments from Merritt Paulson who said there would be no MLS in Portland without a new baseball stadium.

Well now it appears the Paulson is once again a "100% committed" to Portland's MLS efforts.

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Courtesy of OregonLive through WVHooligan comes an update on the Portland MLS efforts: Timbers owner Merritt Paulson is talking tough about a potential stadium deal with the city of Beaverton for his...

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I guess Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson is just playing some hardball with the city of Portland now. According to Oregonlive.com, Paulson told Beaverton officials that the future of Major League Soccer in Portland hinges entirely on whether he can find a new home for his minor league baseball team.

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It took 8 games for Miami FC to finally win one as they came from behind and scored an important victory over the Austin Aztex at FIU Stadium on Saturday. The fans led by the Miami Ultras came out on a wet night and were rewarded with a stellar performance by Midfielder Brian Shriver who was awarded man of the match. Click to continue reading...

I've been a little busy today so the links will be fairly light tonight. I guess that's what you can expect when it is the week of your wedding and you have loads of things to do other than write on a blog. But I will have more on that in a couple days.

Tonight I want to really get into a couple things here.

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According to this report from Willamette Week it real is a done deal now...

Here is an excerpt:

The $31 million revamp of PGE Park, which will allow Major League Soccer to begin play there in 2011 and force the Portland Beavers to find a new baseball home, was approved Thursday by the City Council.

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I feel like we've been around this over and over again but it looks like soccer will most certainly be coming to the Rose City in 2011. The Oregonian reported yesterday that Portland mayor Sam Adams and Commissioner Randy Leonard reached a tentative $31 million deal with Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson to renovate PGE Park.

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It appears that the Timbers Army's drawn-out nightmare may be over. Merritt Paulson, at the same time the most beloved and despised man in the Rose City, has negotiated a tentative agreement with...

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Timbers Army has new reason to cheer. The long sometimes frustrating and difficult road to PGE Park renovations to accommodate MLS has finally come to an end. With a great outcome.
Courtesy of the The Oregonian:
Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson, Mayor Sam Adams and Commissioner Randy Leonard emerged from their final negotiating session just before 2 p. Click to continue reading...

It seems like this is a report we've posted time and time again here. Hopefully this will be the last.

Portland city council has approved a plan to allow both MLS and minor league baseball in the city. PGE Park will get renovated as planned and the baseball team will get their new stadium.

The Portland City Council on Wednesday passed a resolution to support starting negotiations with Merritt Paulson over a financing plan to renovate PGE Park to accommodate a Major League Soccer team.

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Courtesy of the Portland Business Journal:

The Portland City Council on Wednesday passed a resolution to support starting negotiations with Merritt Paulson over a financing plan to renovate PGE Park to accommodate a Major League Soccer team.

The move effectively decouples the $37 million PGE Park project from a proposed new $48 million baseball park for Paulson's minor-league Portland Beavers.

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This comes to us courtesy of the Portland Business Journal:

City Commissioner Randy Leonard threatened Friday to withdraw his support for bringing Major League Soccer to Portland unless Merritt Paulson recants a decision to withdraw plans for a baseball stadium in Lents.
Earlier Friday, Paulson said a $48 million plan to put his Portland Beavers AAA baseball club in the Southeast Portland neighborhood lacked community support.

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Ain't no drama like PDX stadium drama. Hot on the heels of Merritt Paulson's withdrawl of one baseball relocation proposal one of the Portland City Councilmen who voted for the ordinance to bring Major League Soccer to Portland has now said that he's going to vote against it if it means losing the city's baseball team. Click to continue reading...

Could the dream of having three Pacific Northwest MLS teams be in danger of not happening? According to this Bloomberg story on the Portland MLS expansion bid, the stadium projects necessary for Portland's bid to work are in jeopardy unless a $15 million spending gap is addressed.

Yes, you may recall that the vote taken a month ago by the city council, which helped clear the way for Portland's MLS expansion, included an amendment that left a potential $15 million void in the funding for the two stadium projects associated with the Portland MLS bid.

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Could the dream of having three Pacific Northwest MLS teams be in danger of not happening? According to this Bloomberg story on the Portland MLS expansion bid, the stadium projects necessary for Portland's bid to work are in jeopardy unless a $15 million spending gap is addressed.

Yes, you may recall that the vote taken a month ago by the city council, which helped clear the way for Portland's MLS expansion, included an amendment that left a potential $15 million void in the funding for the two stadium projects associated with the Portland MLS bid.

Click to continue reading...