Timbers host Sounders, Whitecaps each twice

The Portland Timbers will have home-field advantage for the Cascadia Cup in 2012.

The Timbers will play rivals Seattle and Vancouver twice at Jeld-Wen Field during the 2012 Major League Soccer season, while visiting each only once.

Major League Soccer released its 2012 regular-season schedule on Thursday. In a change from last season, a team will face each of its conference opponents three times and each team from the other conference once.

(home matches in CAPS; all times Pacific)

Monday, March 12 PHILADELPHIA UNION, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2

Saturday, March 17, at FC Dallas, 5:30 p.m. ROOT SPORTS

Saturday, March 24, at New England Revolution, 1 p.m. ROOT SPORTS

Saturday, March 31, REAL SALT LAKE, 7 p.m. ROOT SPORTS

Saturday, April 7, CHIVAS USA, 7:30 p.m. KPTV

Saturday, April 14, at LA Galaxy, 7:30 p.m. KPDX

Saturday, April 21, SPORTING KANSAS CITY, 7:30 p.m. ROOT SPORTS

Saturday, April 28, at Montreal Impact, 11 a.m., KPDX

Saturday, May 5, COLUMBUS CREW, 7:30 p.m. KPTV

Tuesday, May 15, at Houston Dynamo, 5:30 p.m. ROOT SPORTS

Sunday, May 20, CHICAGO FIRE, 4 p.m. ROOT SPORTS, Galavision

Saturday, May 26, VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC, 7 p.m., ROOT SPORTS

Sunday, June 17, at LA Galaxy, 4 p.m. KPTV

Sunday, June 24, SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC, 2 p.m. ESPN

Saturday, June 30, at Colorado Rapids, 6 p.m., ROOT SPORTS

Tuesday, July 3, SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES, 7:30 p.m. KPTV

Saturday, July 7, at Real Salt Lake, 6 p.m. KPDX

Saturday, July 14, LA GALAXY, 8 p.m. NBC Sports Network

Wednesday, July 18, at Chivas USA, 1 p.m. ROOT SPORTS

Saturday, July 21, at FC Dallas, 6 p.m. KPTV

Saturday, July 28, CHIVAS USA, 8 p.m. ROOT SPORTS

Sunday, Aug. 5, FC DALLAS, 4 p.m. NBC Sports Network

Wednesday, Aug. 15, at Toronto FC, 4 p.m. ROOT SPORTS

Sunday, Aug. 19, at New York Red Bulls, 4 p.m. KPTV, Galavision

Saturday, Aug. 25, VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC, 7:30 p.m. ROOT SPORTS

Friday, Aug. 31, COLORADO RAPIDS, 7:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network

Wednesday, Sept. 5, at Colorado Rapids, 6 p.m. NBC Sports Network

Saturday, Sept. 15, SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC, 12:30 p.m. NBC

Wednesday, Sept. 19, at San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m. KPDX

Saturday, Sept. 22, at Real Salt Lake, 5 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Saturday, Sept. 29, D.C. UNITED, 7:30 p.m. ROOT SPORTS

Sunday, Oct. 7, at Seattle Sounders FC, 6 p.m. ESPN

Saturday, Oct. 20, at Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 1 p.m., ROOT SPORTS

Saturday, Oct. 27, SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES, 3:30 p.m.

Portland opens its second MLS season on March 12 with a home game against Philadelphia. The 34-game regular season ends Oct. 27 with a home game against San Jose.

Highlighting the Timbers home schedule are games against Seattle on June 24 and Sept. 15. The Timbers play at Seattle on Oct. 7 and at Vancouver on Oct. 20, their final two road games of the season.

The Whitecaps visit Portland on May 26 and Aug. 25.

Defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles visits Portland once, on July 14.

In addition to Seattle and Vancouver, Portland also hosts San Jose and Chivas USA twice, while twice visiting the Galaxy, Colorado, FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake.

The Eastern Conference teams visiting Portland are Philadelphia, Sporting Kansas City, Chicago, Columbus and D.C. United.

All of the Timbers MLS matches will be televised by either national or local outlets.

Among the Eastern Conference teams that will not come to Portland in 2012 are the New York Red Bulls and the 2011 MLS Cup runners-up Houston.

In addition to the league schedule, the Timbers are expected to host several international exhibition matches that have not yet been announced. The team might also host some U.S. Open Cup matches.

Individual game tickets for Timbers 2012 home games are not yet for sale. The Timbers sold out of season tickets, capping those at 14,750 for 2012. The team is expanding seating at Jeld-Wen Field to more than 20,000 this year.

The Timbers play MLS home matches on five different days of the week, including 15 weekend contests. The Timbers will play 11 Saturday home matches, three Sunday home games and one Friday home game.

The Timbers open training camp on Jan. 23. The team is hosting preseason games at Jeld-Wen Field on Feb. 27, March 1 and March 4.

The Timbers are scheduled to appear on national TV 12 times. They will be on NBC once (the Sept. 15 home game against Seattle). Portland is scheduled to appear on the NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) six times, on ESPN twice, on ESPN2 once, and on the Spanish network Galavisión twice.