Providence Park Named One of the Best Soccer Stadiums in the World

Thursday, November 12, 2015

GoLocalPDX Sports Team

Providence Park, home of the Portland Timbers, is attracting high praise. Soccer magazine FourFourTwo ranked the stadium as the 40th best in the entire world as part of its rankings of the "Top 100 Football Stadiums in the World. "

“Like wood? You’ll love Providence Park,” the magazine’s review of the stadium reads. “The new eastern stand, built during a significant 2010 refurb of a sports field dating back to 1893, has a gorgeous floating wooden roof; the roof of the classic North End, meanwhile, is supported by beams made from reclaimed ship timbers.”

Providence park also received credit for the stadium’s beautiful North End and Timber Jack, the team’s unique lumberjack mascot.

“The North End is the stadium’s focal point. It is there that the Timbers Army congregate and produce some of the most intricate and beautiful Tifos you will see in North America,” FourFourTwo says. “In front of them, behind the goal, mascot Timber Joey – not a cuddly kids’ character, but a chainsaw-wielding lumberjack – saws off a slice of log to present to each goalscorer.”

The stadium’s ranking also got a shout-out for its lively fan base, known as the Timbers Army, who are known to support their favorite team no matter the conditions on game day.

“It’s hard to get in – almost every game is a sellout, with a 12,000-long waitlist for season tickets – but it’s worth persevering,” the review reads. “Proving the passion this country has for the game, there's almost a cathedral-like feel to Providence Park. When the rain is pelting down (as it often does in the region) and the fans are singing, nothing else matters – and part of that is due to this wonderfully historic building that the Timbers call home.”

The ranking was announced on Thursday as part of FourFourTwo’s reveal of the stadiums ranked 40th through 31st. It was the only American stadium to make that section of the list, coming in behind international stadiums such as Germany’s Veltins Arena (ranked 35th) and South Africa’s Soccer City (ranked 32nd).

Related Slideshow: Timbers v. San Jose in Pictures

Despite a record-setting offensive night from the Timbers, a 3-3 draw was the final result against the visiting San Jose Earthquakes. Here are pictures from the game.