Timbers vs. Manchester City @ Merlo Field!

Timbers to host England's Manchester City July 17

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced they will play host to English Premier League club Manchester City in an international exhibition match on Saturday, July 17, at Merlo Field on the campus of the University of Portland.

Due to limited capacity, tickets for the match against Manchester City are exclusively available to Timbers full-season ticket holders; the exhibition is included in full-season packages as Game C. Current full-season ticket holders have an exclusive window through Friday to purchase additional season tickets – at prorated prices – in order to secure additional tickets for the Manchester City match. Fans with half-season packages or Major League Soccer deposits may upgrade to full-season packages in order to secure tickets to the exhibition also during the exclusive period through Friday. On Saturday at 10 a.m., tickets to the exhibition will then be available to the public only by purchasing a prorated full-season ticket package by calling the Timbers ticket office at (503) 553-5555.

The exhibition against Manchester City will be played at Merlo Field due to the unavailability of PGE Park. Capacity for the event is approximately 4,900 seats.

Manchester City features several top international players, many of whom are slated to represent their country in the FIFA 2010 World Cup this summer – defenders Wayne Bridge (England) and Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast), midfielders Nigel de Jong (Netherlands), Gareth Barry (England) and forwards Carlos Tevez (Argentina) and Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay).

The English side, led by manager Roberto Mancini, finished the 2009-10 Premier League season in fifth place with a record of 18-7-13 and earned a berth into the 2010-11 UEFA Europa League, formerly known as the UEFA Cup. Tevez ranked fourth in the EPL with 23 goals, and was joined by Togo National Team striker Emmanuel Adebayor as Manchester City’s leading scorers this season.

Founded in 1880, Manchester City is one of the most historic clubs in England. The club has won England’s prestigious FA Cup four times, won the League Cup twice, won the FA Charity Shield three times, won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1970 and has won nine league championships, including two titles in England’s top division. Manchester City has played over 80 seasons in England’s top tier and has been a member of the Premier League since the 2002-03 season.

Manchester City kicks off its pre-season tour of the United States with a nine-day training camp in Portland and makes its only appearance on the West Coast in the exhibition against the Timbers. As part of its tour, the club will then make its way to New York for a four-team tournament organized by Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls.

The Timbers have played international exhibitions against four English clubs since 2005, including Premier League-bound sides Sunderland (2005) and Burnley (2009). Portland has also squared off against Coventry City (2006) and Preston North End (2007).