PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland will join Major League Soccer in 2011 along with Vancouver as the league expands to 18 teams.

The Seattle Sounders became the 15th team Thursday, beating the New York Reds Bulls 3-0 in their opener. The Philadelphia area was awarded a 2010 expansion team last year, and Vancouver was selected Wednesday to become MLS's second Canadian team, following Toronto.

Ottawa and St. Louis were also vying to become the league's 18th team.

Portland's team, will be known as the Timbers, keeping the same name as the city's United Soccer Leagues franchise. The MLS team will have the same owner, Merritt Paulson, the 35-year-old son of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

"Portland has the most passionate soccer fans in the country, as we can see today," Paulson told a chanting, cheering crowd of fans decked out in the Timbers' bright green.

The Timbers will also keep their downtown home at PGE Park, but will no longer share it with the triple-A Portland Beavers baseball team, which Paulson also owns.

Portland city officials approved a financing deal last week that would renovate PGE Park for soccer and build a new ballpark for the Beavers. The city still must come up with a plan to raise US$15 million of an estimated $89 million needed for the project.

MLS commissioner Don Garber said St. Louis and Ottawa would be considered for expansion in 2012.

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, who was pursuing the Ottawa franchise, says he will continue his efforts.

"Absolutely nothing has changed with respect to the level of effort and resources Senators Sports & Entertainment is placing toward our MLS expansion and stadium efforts in Ottawa," he said. "The main hurdle for us is to gain the city's support for our proposed world-class stadium. We continue to work very closely with council and city staff in securing a favourable decision by its meeting on April 22."

- With files from The Canadian Press