Timbers to open 2014 season at home

On the day after the Portland Timbers’ 2013 season ended, Major League Soccer announced its regular-season schedule for 2014.

The Timbers will kick off their fourth MLS season on March 8 against the Philadelphia Union at Jeld-Wen Field.

As was the case in 2013, teams will play a conference-based schedule. The Timbers will play each of the eight other Western Conference teams three times, and each Eastern Conference team once.

In the Cascadia Cup competition among Portland, Seattle and the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Timbers will have home-field advantage. They host both the Sounders and the Whitecaps twice while visiting each one time.

The Sounders visit Jeld-Wen Field on April 5 and Aug. 24. The Timbers visit Seattle on July 13, a 7 p.m. kickoff on the Sunday of the World Cup final in Brazil.

The Whitecaps will be in Portland on June 1 and Sept. 20. The Timbers visit British Columbia on Aug. 30.

Other teams that visit Jeld-Wen Field twice are Chivas USA and San Jose.

Teams the Timbers play once at home and twice away are Real Salt Lake, Colorado, Los Angeles and Dallas.

The Timbers final regular-season home game on Friday, Oct. 17, is the only scheduled visit from Real Salt Lake.

In addition to Philadelphia, the Eastern Conference teams visiting Portland are Sporting Kansas City, Chicago, Columbus, and D.C. United.

Portland is also hosting the 2014 MLS All-Star Game. The date for that has not been announced, but it is expected to happen shortly after the conclusion of the World Cup.

MLS will take a break in its 19th season from June 12-24 during the group stage of play at the World Cup.

Timbers nationally-televised games include four on ESPN networks, eight on NBC/NBC Sports and two on the Spanish language network UniMás.

The Timbers are expected to again host a preseason tournament in February at Jeld-Wen Field.

Timbers 2014 MLS schedule

(Home games in CAPS)

March

8 — PHILADELPHIA, 7:30 p.m.

16 — CHICAGO, noon

22 — Colorado, 3 p.m.

29 — FC Dallas, 5:30 p.m.

April

5 — SEATTLE, noon.

12 — CHIVAS USA, 7:30 p.m.

19 — Real Salt Lake, 6:30 p.m.

27 — Houston, noon

May

3 — DC UNITED, 7:30 p.m.

11 — LA GALAXY, 11:30 a.m.

17 — COLUMBUS, 7:30 p.m.

24 — New York, 4 p.m.

28 — Chivas USA, 7:30 p.m.

June

1 — VANCOUVER, 6 p.m.

7 — Real Salt Lake, 7 p.m.

11 — FC DALLAS, 7 p.m.

27 — SPORTING KC, 8 p.m.

July

4 — LA Galaxy, 8 p.m.

13 — Seattle, 7 p.m.

18 — COLORADO, 8 p.m.

27 — Montreal, TBA

August

2 — LA Galaxy, 11:30 a.m.

9 — CHIVAS USA, 7:30 p.m.

16 — New England, 4:30 p.m.

24 — SEATTLE, 2 p.m.

30 — Vancouver, TBA

September

7 — SAN JOSE, 2 p.m.

13 — Colorado, 6 p.m.

20 — VANCOUVER, 2 p.m.

27 — Toronto, TBA

October

4 — San Jose, 7:30 p.m.

8 — SAN JOSE, 7:30 p.m.

17 — REAL SALT LAKE, 7 p.m.

25 — FC Dallas, 5:30 p.m.