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MLS Portland Timbers

Timbers to Compete in North American Cup Competitions in 2025

January 28, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Timbers are set to compete in two of the North American Cup competitions in 2025, Major League Soccer announced today. Portland will play in its third consecutive Leagues Cup as well as its 18th Lamar U.S. Open Cup this upcoming season. Schedules for each tournament will be announced at a later date.

Leagues Cup

The Timbers enter the international tournament for their third edition (2023, 2024) with a 3-3-0 record. The Timbers have faced LIGA MX teams 13 different times, with the latest matchup being against Club Leon on July 28, 2024, when Portland downed the Mexican team 2-1 at Providence Park. Eighteen total MLS clubs qualify to match the 18 participating LIGA MX clubs. The top nine teams in each MLS Conference from the prior season qualify. The international tournament will place from July 29 to August 31, with the schedule to be announced at a later date.

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

In 37 U.S. Open Cup matches since entering the competition in 2004, the Timbers has an overall record of 20-17-0 in the competition and 10-8-0 when playing at home. Notably, the Timbers have advanced to the quarterfinal round four times (2013, 2014, 2018, 2019) and to semifinal rounds in 2013 and 2019. This year, the 16 competing MLS teams will enter the U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32, with eight of those teams hosting their opening matches. The 10 MLS NEXT Pro teams will enter the tournament in the First Round.

Cup Qualification Overview

The framework for MLS club participation in North American cup competitions rewards club performance, manages player workload, and ensures that every MLS club has the opportunity to compete in at least one, but no more than two, North American competitions that run concurrently with the MLS league season. This qualification structure will be in place for the 2025 and 2026 MLS seasons, providing a guideline for MLS' qualification parameters during this exceptional moment -- as the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and FIFA World Cup 2026 are played in North America. This process will be re-evaluated for 2027 as the landscape of competitions continues to evolve.

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