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For the second time this week, the Portland Timbers have announced that they are pushing back the start time for their match against Minnesota United FC this Saturday, changing it to 8:30 p.m. Pacific. The match was originally slated to have a 7:30 p.m. kickoff, but was changed to 8:00 p.m. earlier this week.
The change in time is due to the excessive heat forecast in Portland this Saturday. The news was first announced by Timbers and Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson on Twitter, saying that doing so will help keep the pitch slightly cooler while ensuring it’s in the 90s/80s when the match is played.
officially at 3pm will announce we are pushing tomorrows game start back another half hour to 8:30pm
— Merritt Paulson (@MerrittPaulson) June 25, 2021
This will aid in cooling on pitch & in the stands & get temps into low 90s/80s for the game.
You guys can be a little more loud because of this. We will need you! #rctid
The Timbers also announced earlier this week that they have implemented several policies to help fans deal with the extreme heat. Sealed water bottles and sports drinks will be allowed in Providence Park, a designated cooling station will be located at the Guest Service Center near Section 105, and more water stations will be present. You can read the full list of updated policies here.
For the full press release, click here.