Twenty-five years ago on April 6, 1996, Major League Soccer made its debut with their first-ever match: San Jose Clash vs. D.C. United.
While current Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese and assistant coach Miles Joseph were teammates on the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in that inaugural season, we spoke with some other Timbers players and coaches about what their first-ever memory of MLS was to them.
For goalkeeper Jeff Attinella, his family became season ticket holders for the Tampa Bay Mutiny – a team highlighted by the world-class Carlos Valderfama and his iconic hair in midfield – that cemented his love of soccer:
Defender Jorge Villafaña was seven years old when the league began but he grew up watching MLS stars such as Jorge Campos and others.