Portland, Oregon, has a few nicknames that range from the agriculturally correct Rose City to the basketball-loving Rip City, but one moniker is particularly fitting come spring — Soccer City, USA, a nod to the city’s half-a-century love for the sport — when the season opens and fans flock to the stadium.
Oregon’s most populous city brings a lot of love to the beautiful game with two professional squads: The Portland Timbers (the men’s Major League Soccer team) and the Portland Thorns (the three-time National Women’s Soccer League champions). Both play at Providence Park in Portland’s Goose Hollow neighborhood, just minutes from downtown and easily accessible via public transit. Attend one match and you’re bound to be electrified for days by the energy that the city’s fans bring. The Timber’s Army bangs on drums and sings. The Rose City Riveters cheer for the Thorns. In fact, both booster clubs even have their own travel guides.
Here’s how to get tickets, find a seat and catch the best of Portland’s soccer season.
When do the Portland Timbers and Thorns Play?
The Portland Timbers’ regular soccer season runs from February to October, with home games happening at least once a month early in the season and as many as three a month in May and July. All in all, fans have 17 home matches to catch in Providence Park, which turns 100 years old in 2025. You can find Timbers tickets and the schedule online.
The Portland Thorns, meanwhile, kick off their 24-match season in mid-March with an away game before bringing their feisty style back to Portland on March 21, 2025. Twelve of those matches will be home games at Providence Park, including the last of regular season play on Nov. 2. You can find the Thorns schedule and tickets on the website.
How to Get to Providence Park and Find the Best Seats
What are the best seats at Providence Park? That depends. The Thorns’ Rose City Riveters and the Timbers Army, the troupes of vocal supporters who stand the entire match singing and chanting, occupy sections 106-108 and sections 101-108 and 202-208, respectively. Sit in sections 110 to 115 if you want to be close to that energy but not a part of it. An online Providence Park seat map will give you the layout of the stadium. The Timbers ticket-sale site lets you take a virtual tour of your seat before buying it. Stock up on your Timbers and Thorns gear at PTFC Authentics online or at the store near the stadium’s Gate F.
Getting to Providence Park is easy. The MAX Light Rail blue and red lines stop at Providence Park Station, which is just two stops west of downtown’s Pioneer Square. The TriMet Bus also has stops near the stadium. You can also ride-share to Southwest 18th Avenue and Morrison Street or walk about 15 minutes from downtown. Parking can be tough, but you’ll find a couple of parking garages nearby.
Not all bags are allowed into the stadium, so check the Providence Park bag policy before leaving. You can rent lockers, too, using an app called Droplocker.
Where to Watch Soccer in Portland
You don’t need a Timbers ticket to experience the passion fans bring to matches. Both the Timbers and the Thorns partner with pubs around Portland to host watch parties. Places like 10 Barrel Brewing Co. and The Independent Sports Bar & Grill offer discounts during games. The Sports Bra caters to an audience watching exclusively women’s sports. Find a list of places to watch a Timbers game here and a Thorns game here. For a European-style soccer-watching experience, head to GOL Soccer Bar. Toffee Club also airs some matches. Marathon Taverna, Horse Brass Pub and Kells Irish Pub show Premier League games.
This season the Timbers have also qualified to battle it out in the Leagues Cup, where the top 18 teams from Major League Soccer face off against the top 18 teams from Mexico’s Liga MX July 29 to Aug. 1. Check here for schedules and venues closer to the start.
Portland also has a vibrant collegiate soccer scene, with Portland State University’s women’s soccer squad taking to the pitch at Hillsboro Stadium, just west of downtown Portland, from August to October. Look for the schedule to be released closer to the season start. You can buy tickets to PSU soccer matches online.
The University of Portland’s men’s team and women’s team generally play from August to November on the Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex just north of downtown Portland, an outstanding facility where the U.S. Women’s National Team, Brazil, England and Ukraine have all played. You can find a seating map here and a schedule closer to the season start. Buy tickets for University of Portland men’s soccer matches online here.
