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The big-league affiliation of Portland Timbers U-23 is self-evident. They are owned by MLS Timbers owner Merritt Paulson, play some home games at Providence Park, where the defending MLS-champion Timbers perform, and wear the same axe logo and Alaska Airlines-sponsored green-and-gold home and red-and-white road kit.
Dave Dew and Marvin Diercks believe a medium market such as Greater Victoria, a historically significant Canadian soccer city and keen on the sport, deserves to be playing regionally against clubs such as Timbers U-23.
That鈥檚 why they brought the Victoria Highlanders back into the USL Premier Development League this season after a one-year hiatus in 2015 when the former ownership called it a day. This reboot PDL season concludes today with the final game of the 2016 campaign at Centennial Stadium at 2 p.m.
It is perhaps fitting that the finale should be against Timbers U-23. Both teams came into the PDL Northwest Division together. The first ever matchup for both franchises was against each other in a 2-2 draw to open that shared 2009 inaugural season.
The Highlanders and Timbers U-23 drew their earlier game this season 1-1 in front of more than 9,000 screeching young students as part of a special 11 a.m. school day kick-off at Providence Park.
Both the Highlanders (3-5-5) and Timbers U-23 (2-7-4) will miss the playoffs this season.
鈥淲e only got one of a possible 15 combined points this year against the two leading teams in the Northwest Division [Seattle Sounders U-23 and Calgary Foothills FC] and we need to get up that level next season,鈥� Victoria head coach Dew said.
That will require enhanced recruitment 鈥渨hether through our partnership with Sheffield Wednesday or through the NCAA Div. 1 teams that have contacted us about placing players with us through the summer season,鈥� Dew said. 鈥淲e are looking at the billeting models used by the [Western Hockey League] Royals and [West Coast League baseball] HarbourCats.鈥�
Dew admitted it has been a slow build this year in what is basically a two-man operation, with him and GM Diercks at the helm in all aspects of operating the club.
The main requirement of the reboot was to put together a competent team on the field and that took a lot of energy. Marketing fell to secondary status, but it is coming around and will be more of a focus next season.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting our message out better to certain groups, and word of mouth has grown, and that really helped,鈥� Dew said.
Last Monday鈥檚 2-2 draw against Lane United from Eugene, Oregon, drew a season high of 350 to 400 fans to Centennial and had a lively atmosphere, complete with a band playing.
鈥淲e鈥檝e built on that in just a week and expect 550 to 600 fans out [today],鈥� Dew said.
In its early seasons, the Highlanders attracted up to 1,800 fans at Westhills Stadium. The galleries remained decent, in the 800 to 1,200 range, when the franchise moved to Royal Athletic Park.
That鈥檚 something to build toward, said Dew, who confirmed there will be a next season in the PDL for the Highlanders: 鈥淲e鈥檙e definitely coming back.鈥�
Dew said it cost about $80,000 to operate the club this season.
鈥淭here is a bit of money left over and we will re-invest it back into the club,鈥� he said.
