Portland Timbers 2 will not play in 2021

The Portland Timbers officially announced on Friday that Portland Timbers 2 will forgo the 2021 USL Championship season, going on hiatus until 2022. The Timbers are working closely with MLS on a solution for competition.

“The Timbers have had a longstanding and productive relationship with USL, one that provided us the platform to enter MLS, and for that we are extremely appreciative,” said Gavin Wilkinson, Timbers general manager and president of soccer, in a press release. “With the inability to share players between T2 and the first team due to COVID this season we have been unable to use this platform for player development as we would have hoped and we don’t expect that to change in 2021. We are working closely with MLS to complete the pro player pathway for the post-formation period in 2022 and are excited to disclose more details at the appropriate time.”

The Hillsboro Hops, who the Timbers partnered with last year, will continue to run business operations. Future matches will still be played in Hillsboro Stadium.

The Beautiful Game Network also reported earlier this week that T2 was one of the three teams affiliated with MLS clubs that planned on leaving the USL earlier this week.

T2 had played in the USL’s first division for six seasons, their best season coming in 2018 when Jeremy Ebobisse and Eryk Williamson were a part of the squad. This year T2 finished with a 3-0-13 record (W-D-L). You can read the full press release here.