photo courtesy of Robby Russell.

Kips blog and Game Recap.

It is reported today that the Seattle Sounders are practicing this afternoon at 2pm down at PGE Park.  Give them hell.

Tomorrow, the epic journey of the Portland Timbers-Seattle Sounders rivalry continues.  Like 2009, they will meet again in the United States Open Cup.  Seattle edged Portland 2-1 in the nationally watched match that included a sellout crowd, and a stellar atmosphere.

The teams met again this past March.  This time in the Community Sheild match that was arguably the largest preseason crowd for two U.S. domestic clubs. 

And now, the two rivals will square off in the United States Open Cup 2010.  

This is a match you will NOT want to miss. 

Seattle Sounders @ Portland Timbers – June 30th, Wednesday at 7:30pm, PGE Park

With a big game in two days, the Portland Timbers didn’t get caught overlooking their opponent Sunday.

The Timbers put Wednesday’s game against the arch-rival Seattle Sounders on the back burner and remained focused on the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies long enough to win 1-0 in front of 8,892 at PGE Park.

The Timbers (5-5-4, 19 points) face Major League Soccer’s Sounders in a U.S. Open Cup game Wednesday. But the Timbers wanted to win an important league game against the Rowdies and maintain the momentum from winning two consecutive games.

Portland coach Gavin Wilkinson used his typical bluntness when he addressed his players about not looking ahead to Seattle.

“The simple truth? Do well (Sunday) and you’ll have a chance of starting against Seattle,” Wilkinson said. “Do poorly and you’ll miss out one of the most exciting games you’ll ever play in.”

Rest of Article

The World Cup Bracket Challenge is officially online now.  Scores and rankings can be found at the top tab, titled “World Cup Madness”, throughout the World Cup.  Good Luck to all!

World Cup Bracket Challenge Scores and Rankings

1. Timbers vs. Seattle  – June 30th, Wednesday 7pm, PGE Park
2. U.S.A beats Algeria on a last minute goal, in a must win game to advance!  They win their group, England gets 2nd.
3. Timbers dominate Kitsap 4-1, in yet another epic roadtrip for the Timbers Army.
4. World Cup Madness Bracket Challenge is on the verge of starting…just waiting for the final games to be played.
5. Timbers play host to the FC Tampa Bay “Rowdies”…on Sunday, enuff said.
6. The French go up in flames after poor World Cup showing, you have to laugh.

I don’t know if I want today to end, I am so happy.

Go Timbers, Go Yanks!

• Timbers split points with Minnesota over the weekend.  Home loss on Thursday, and a Saturday victory on the road.
• World Cup is heating up!  It will take the third, and deciding game to figure out, who’s in, and who’s out!
• Timbers play host to Kitsap on Tuesday in Bremerton, WA.  This second round U.S. Open Cup game, will decide who plays Seattle next week.
• Several new Portland MLS ads can now be seen around town.

The World Cup Madness Bracket Challenge scores will be up soon!  We are currently making a program that is easier for scoring, sorry for the delay, but we will have it up and running soon at RowdiesPDX.org

The 107ist  (The 107 Independent Supporters Trust) is having a fundraiser in a week.  Booze for a good cause!  It’s very important with the strong push we have toward next year, that we support this organization that has done so much for us.  Click here to visit the Facebook event.

On Sunday, June 20th, join fellow 107ist members at Apex Bar in SE Portland for a special World Cup viewing party and 107ist fundraiser event. The bar will be open at 7am for the Italy vs. New Zealand match for 107ist members.

Drink! Hopworks is donating a keg and we will have discounted pints and pitchers available with proceeds benefiting the 107ist organization. All other beers will be available at regular price. Bring your membership card to get these drink discounts (membership cards and t-shirts can be picked up on game days at the Timbers Army trailer before and after matches.)

When: 6/20 at 7am
Where: Apex Bar
1216 SE Division
Portland, OR 97202
(503) 273-9227

Sorry, this is a 21+ only event.

We hope to see you there!

View This Poll

• World Cup Madness Bracket Challenge officially reaches 70 submissions.  Filled-out brackets to be released soon online, all are locked, and we are not longer accepting submissions.  We are still constructing our bracket program.  We had some issues, and bugs, but once we get it fixed, it will be posted.  Stay tuned.
• Timbers draw Austin, lose in Miami.
• Timbers logo revealed, mixed emotions from fans.
• Additional Tifo Fundraisers are being discussed.  Right now, the Rowdies Cup (Beer Pong Tournament) is set for August 7th.  And the Beer Olympics are set for August 28th.  More information to come soon.

Full Story here…

We are still getting the several details organized, stay tuned to RowdiesPDX.org for all brackets, and scores. 

Posted in the World Cup Madness tab above, are the submissions I have recieved.  If it says confirming, it just means I have not recieved the forwarded emails from our 107ist rep yet.  If you mailed yours, it may not be posted, as we will check the mail Friday.   Any questions, feel free to contact us: RowdiesPDX@gmail.com

And we’re off!!!  World Cup 2010!!

The Timbers now are winless at home for the past four games.  A story which was unheard of in 2009, the Timbers seem to be letting the opponent take our homefield advantage lightly.  The Portland boys take on Austin on Wednesday.

Full match story, and results here.

Please help us reach our goal of 100 submissions, and raise Tifo money in the process!  For more information on this fun contest, please click the tab above labeled “World Cup Madness.”

PORTLAND, Ore. – Midfielder Rodrigo Lopez provided a key assist and then scored the game-winning goal as the Portland Timbers defeated Argentina side Boca Juniors 3-2 in an international exhibition match Saturday at PGE Park before 14,106.

Down by a goal, Lopez made an immediate impact upon entering the match as a sub in the second half. He assisted the Timbers’ equalizing goal by defender Stephen Keel in the 74th minute, which leveled the score at 2-2. On a free kick in second-half stoppage time, Lopez then found the go-ahead goal to lift the Timbers to victory.

Keel tallied his first goal of the season, midfielder Ryan Pore scored in his second consecutive game and midfielder Alex Nimo logged an assist to lead the Timbers. Goalkeeper Steve Cronin made five saves as the Timbers backline faced 22 shots from Boca Juniors in the contest.

Midfielder Matias Gimenez and forward Nicolas Blandi each scored two minutes apart in the second half to help Boca Juniors take a 2-1 lead in the 52nd minute. Gimenez also recorded an assist and a team-high four shots, while forward Lucas Viatri attempt three shots of his own for Boca Juniors, which ended its United States tour with its third straight loss.

One of the most successful clubs in the world, Boca Juniors visited the Rose City as part of a three-stop tour along the West Coast. Before Saturday’s match, the 23-time Argentina first division champions played against Major League Soccer clubs the Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC.

The Timbers took the lead in the 16th minute on Pore’s eighth goal of the season. From midfield, Nimo played the ball down the right side and spotted forward Mandjou Keita and Pore on a run into the box. Nimo’s cross connected with Pore, who settled the ball and then ripped a shot inside the left post past Boca Juniors goalkeeper Josue Ayala.  

Entering the exhibition against the Timbers, Boca Juniors was still looking for its first goal of the tour, and put the Portland defense under pressure throughout the game. In the first half, the three-time FIFA Club World Cup-winners attempted 14 shots and earned nine corner kicks.

A foul by Timbers defender Ross Smith set up a dangerous free kick attempt for Boca Juniors in the 11th minute from just outside the box. Midfielder Jesus Mendez, a member of Argentina’s National Team, blasted a shot that sailed just over the crossbar.

The pressure by Boca Juniors produced results early in the second half, as the visitors scored twice within a two-minute window to grab the lead.

Boca Juniors’ first goal of the tour came courtesy of Gimenez in the 50th minute. Midfielder Carlos Nicolas Colazo played a perfectly-placed through ball from the left side into the box for Gimenez 15 yards out from goal. With a right-footed shot, Gimenez slotted a low drive past the diving effort of Cronin and inside the far post to level the score at 1-1.

In the 52nd minute, Gimenez set up another quick strike by Boca Juniors. From the right side, the ball was played into the box and found Gimenez on the back side. He headed the ball back towards the center of the box, and Cronin left his line to play the ball. Blandi was the first to the ball and hit a shot on frame. Keel attempted to clear the shot off the line but was unsuccessful, and Boca Juniors claimed its first lead while on tour.

Cronin turned in a key save in the 67th minute to keep the Timbers within reach. He denied a hard-hit shot by Blandi with a diving save to knock a shot on frame wide of the mark.

Portland pulled level at 2-2 in the 74th minute on header by Keel. Lined up 25 yards out from the left side, Lopez delivered the ball into the center of the box. From the penalty spot, Keel fought off his marker and drove a shot into the back of the net for his second professional goal and second as a member of the Timbers.

With the equalizer, the Timbers gained some life late in the match, and a foul on Keita just outside the box led to the game-winning play. Following the foul, the Timbers put their initial free kick attempt off Boca Juniors’ four-man wall, but a foul on that play gave Portland a second chance. Lopez stepped up to take the kick and drilled a shot from the left side into the top right corner of the goal, just beyond the reach of Ayala to seal the win.

The Timbers return to league play on Sunday, June 6, at PGE Park as they play host to the Carolina RailHawks. Tickets start at $12 in advance and are available at the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Notes: Smith made his first appearance with the club since a March 11 pre-season match against Seattle Sounders FC; he missed the team’s first eight league matches due to injury … The 14,106 on hand was the second-largest home crowd for the Timbers in 2010 … Guest player Jerome Mechak entered the match for Portland as a sub in the second half.  

Lineups:
POR: GK Cronin, D Kirk (Mechak, 83), D Keel, D Joy (Cameron, 45), D Smith (Farber, 63), M McManus (Purdy, 54), M Marcelin (Suzuki , 84), M Nimo (Lopez, 71), M Pore, F Dike, F Keita

BOC: GK Ayala, D Ibarra, D Munos (Gaona Lugo, 45), D Monzon (Aguierre, 80), D Achucarro, M Mendez, M Erbes (Rossi, 51), M Colazo, M Gimenez, F Mouche (Bonilla, 45), F Viatri (Blandi, 45)

Scoring Summary:
POR: Pore (Nimo), 16
BOC: Gimenez (Colazo), 50
BOC: Blandi (Gimenez), 52
POR: Keel (Lopez), 74
POR: Lopez, 90

Timbers Player Ratings (as submitted by members of the Portland media; on a scale of 1-10):
GK – Steve Cronin – 6.5, D – Quavas Kirk – 7, D – Stephen Keel – 7, D – Ian Joy – 6.5, D – Ross Smith – 7, M – Tony McManus – 6, M – James Marcelin – 6.5, M – Alex Nimo – 8, M – Ryan Pore – 7, F – Mandjou Keita – 7.5, F – Bright Dike – 8

D – Jerome Mechak – 7, D – Steve Purdy – 7, D – Josh Cameron – 7.5, M – Brian Farber – 7, M – Rodrigo Lopez – 8.5, F – Takayuki Suzuki – 7

An utmost congratulations from all of us.  Liam Michael Hardwicke was born at 12:33pm on May 26, 2010, measuring at 19 3/4 inches long, and weighing in at 8 lbs, 8 ounces!  The proud father, Christopher Hardwicke (General Zod), has been a loyal member of the Timbers Army for years.  We are glad everything went smooth, and we happily welcome little Liam to the world!

Liam, may you be blessed from this day forward, and let the Timbers force flow within.

LOWS:
- The obvious, Portland Timbers losing to shit Baltimore again, this time 2-1 in Maryland.
- What’s up with this shitty weather?  The local soccer fields were in not good condition to play for an afternoon scrum.
- Just thinking about the Timbers four game winless streak…
- Hearing news of the St. Louis soccer financial situation.
- Division II soccer in 2011? We’ll see…

HIGHS:
- Watching Champions League: didn’t care about the result, awesome game between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
- Discussing the World Cup Madness with folks, hoping to fundraise a good chunk for the Timbers Army tifo fund.
- Eating Swirl Frozen Yogurt in SE Portland with a fellow Rowdie.  While there, many people noticed my Timbers jersey, and commented either on the game played against Baltimore that day, or MLS 2011.
- Hearing news that the Portland Timbers MLS crest will be revealed on June 12th, during halftime of the USA-England game.
- Timbers Army season ticket package is complete!  Great work to the folks for getting this done.  Stay tuned for further updates…
- Finally getting a date set for the Timbers Army tifo fundraising event, Rowdies Cup Beer Pong Tournament.  After several attempts, we finally found a date that works for the several reasons at hand.  Date to be revealed soon…
- Seattle 0:1 San Jose, watching Freddie Ljungberg complain the entire game, priceless.

There’s No Pity in the Rose City.

Today, the Rowdies announce World Cup Madness!  A Tifo fundraiser, and a fun way to win prizes!  50% of the entry fees will go toward the Timbers Army Tifo Fund, and the other 50% will go toward prize money payouts.  Forms will be handed out at the Rowdies Soiree Party on May 29th at the Marathon Bar.  Contact me for a form if you are unable to come by, and pick one up.  All brackets, scores, and everything else will be posted at the Rowdies website, under “World Cup Madness” page at the top.  All rules, and regulations are below:

FULL DESCRIPTION

The Rowdies are raising money for Timbers Army Tifo throughout the 2010 season.  All of the flags, banners, streamers, etc. that you see throughout the North End of PGE Park during games, are 100% fan subsized by the great folks of the Timbers Army.

We’ll be holding a contest for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.  Its format is the exact same way that the College Hoops March Madness Tournament brackets are built.  You will basically predict your 2010 World Cup from Pool Play, all the way to the Championship game.  Point determination is based on the advancement of teams,  if a tiebreaker occurs between enteries, the point penalty kicks (ppk’s) will come into play.  1 ppk will be awarded for each accurate entry for the bracket placement of teams.  The entire bracket will be added up for the ppk’s.

PORTLAND, Ore. – A first-half goal by midfielder Tony Donatelli led the defending-champion Montreal Impact to a 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers before 6,573 at PGE Park on Wednesday. Portland was dealt its second loss in the last three games.

The Timbers conceded another first-half goal that would prove to be the game-winner for the visiting side. Donatelli struck in the 31st minute and the Impact (3-1-2, 11pts) endured 17 shots by the Timbers to pull out the road win and improve its unbeaten streak to five games.

Midfielders Johan Claesson and Brian Farber contributed three shots apiece and midfielder James Marcelin had a late shot hit off the crossbar in the loss for the Timbers (3-2-2, 11pts). Portland’s backline held Montreal to just five shots in the match, but surrendered its third goal in three games.

The Impact jumped on the board just past the half hour mark. Defender Stephen deRoux broke free down the left wing and connected with forward Eduardo Sebrango near the box. Sebrango quickly re-directed the ball to Donatelli on a run at the right post. He blasted a shot past Portland goalkeeper Steve Cronin and under the crossbar for the go-ahead goal.

In a spirited second half, the Timbers had chances to equalize, taking 11 shots, and their best opportunities came late in the match.

In the 76th minute, defender Josh Cameron dialed in a well-placed cross from the left side for Farber on the back stick. Farber out-jumped his defender and put his head on the ball. His header just skimmed over the crossbar as it crossed back across the goal mouth.

Nine minutes from time, a free kick by midfielder Ryan Pore from 30 yards out found Marcelin inside the box. Stationed along the left post, Marcelin battled his marker for the ball in the air. His header found the crossbar near the top right corner of the frame and Montreal was able to clear away the deflection.

Portland thought it had a chance to equalize in the 68th minute, when it appeared that Montreal had committed a handball in the box. However, referee Fotis Bazakos waived the call and continued play.

The Timbers travel to face Crystal Palace Baltimore on Saturday at 4 p.m. (Pacific); it’s just their second road trip of the season. The match will air live on 95.5 The Game, with a live video webcast available at www.portlandtimbers.com/live.

Notes: Montreal won its first game in Portland since Aug. 31, 2006 … Making his first career start in league play for the Timbers on Wednesday was second-year defender Josh Cameron … Both Claesson and defender Mamadou Danso left the match due to injury … After ending the month of April with a 3-0-1 record, the Timbers are 0-2-1 in May.

Lineups:
POR: GK Cronin, D Kirk, D Purdy (Lopez, 85), D Danso (Keel, 36), D Cameron, M Nimo (Suzuki, 75), M Marcelin, M Claesson (Josten, 56), M Pore, F Obatola (Farber, 45), F Keita

MON: GK Djekanovic, D Aaboubou, D deRoux, D Gatti (Braz, 85), D Joqueviel, M Hemming (Testo, 72), M Di Lorenzo, M Donatelli (Donatelli, 89), M Billy, F Placentino (Soares, 77), F Sebrango (Byers, 65)

Scoring Summary:
MON: Donatelli (Sebrango), 31

Timbers Player Ratings (as submitted by members of the Portland media; scale of 1-10):
GK – Steve Cronin – 6.5, D – Quavas Kirk – 6, D – Josh Cameron – 7.5, D – Steve Purdy – 6.5, D – Mamadou Danso – 6.5, M – Johan Claesson – 6.5, M – James Marcelin – 6.5, M – Alex Nimo – 7, M – Ryan Pore – 7, F – O.J. Obatola – 6.5, F – Mandjou Keita – 7

M – Brian Farber – 7.5, M – Rodrigo Lopez – 6.5, D – Stephen Keel – 7, F – George Josten – 6.5, F – Takayuki Suzuki – 7

from Portland Timbers.com

The Portland Timbers and Tropical Smoothie NW challenge you to concoct the official Portland Timbers smoothie, which will be available at the Tropical Smoothie NW locations during the Timbers 2010 season. 

In a special contest, fans are invited to submit recipe ideas from select ingredients as well as name suggestions for the new menu item on the Timbers’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PortlandTimbers (Note: if there are repeat recipe submissions, the first person to submit the recipe will be selected).

The winner will be selected by Portland Timbers players on June 2, 2010 from 1-2p at the Tropical Smoothie NW location on Burnside.  Timbers players will be tasting select smoothie recipes, signing autographs and taking photos with fans at this exciting event!

The winning smoothie recipe will be available at Tropical Smoothie NW locations with $1 of every Timbers’ smoothie purchase going to the Portland Beavers & Portland Timbers Community Fund (PBPTCF), which donates more than $100,000 annually to youth-focused nonprofits in the greater-Portland area.

Portland would outshoot St. Louis 14 to 3 in the contest, as once again the Timbers would dominate the match.  Too early to panic, however as long as the Portland boys continue to dominate matches, results will come.  Yev predicted it in the TimberCast, quick defensive breakdowns will give away to easy goals, and that is exactly what happened Saturday night.

The Portland Timbers take on the Montreal Impact at home next Wednesday, let’s look ahead to this: a very possible playoff match-up.

Game recaps I always enjoy reading…

Dropping Timber

Portland Timbers official site

The Timber Mill

It’s been a great five seasons in the heart of the action, but sometimes decisions have to be made for the greater good.  That greater good is the Timbers Army, and the future it may hold.  The Rowdies will no longer be occupying the front rows of Section 107, starting this Thursday.  Sure, a few members may stray behind for a game or two, but for the most part, the growth for the Rowdies will be moving somewhere else. 

After several discussions with members of the group, it’s been decided that Section 104 in the North End will be the new home for the Rowdies starting Thursday, and for the remainder of the 2010 season.  Nothing has been finalized for the long-term future.  This decision was based upon several factors:

• The Rowdies would often cram up the front row of 107 with sometimes 2-3 people deep, making it very crowded.  As the years went by, the group saw growth, and more attended matches; space obviously ran out.
• Timbers Army resources need to be spread out.  Section 104 is the new “outlying” territory.  No need to crowd certain areas where growth is no longer needed.
• Section 105, home of the “Howitzers”, have a great capo, which the Rowdies will be feeding off of.
• A common goal of the Timbers Army is to expand all the way to the east wall, the Rowdies want to help assist in that project.

Overall, it’s a good move.  I think with growing pains, alternative solutions need to be established.  Let’s face it, it’s not 2006 anymore.  The Timbers Army is growing, and will continue as the time clock goes forward.  As long as these solutions are communicated diplomatically, and with good intentions: our common goal of creating the best atmosphere in the United States, will be reached.

continued at Portland Timbers.com

courtesy of the offside.com

After the Portland Timbers Facebook page gave several hints as to where Joey will be on Saturday, 12pm to 1, the location will be Skidmore Fountain.

from the Portland Timbers Facebook page:

Timber Joey will be out at Skidmore Fountain (SW 1st and Ankeny) TODAY during the Saturday Market from 12-1 pm! Fans will have the opportunity to take photos and collect a limited edition Portland MLS 2011 patch! You must be wearing Timbers gear to receive a patch!

While Portland, Vancouver, and Montreal will see expansion sides in the next two years, MLS is not quite done yet…

From MLSsoccer.com

Commissioner Don Garber said Friday that the league has no intentions of slowing down following a 2012 expansion to Montreal, and that a second New York franchise could be in line for 2013.

Garber told the Associated Press that the league has aspirations of soon fielding a 20th franchise to follow Montreal, which was officially announced on Friday as the league’s third Canadian club and 19th franchise overall.

“Our attention is very focused on a 20th team as we speak. We’d like that team to be in New York City representing a second team in the tri-state area,” Garber told the AP. “The Red Bulls are very supportive of that and believe that rivalry will help grow the popularity of the sport in the New York metropolitan area. So we’re going to work hard and try to get something done perhaps as early as 2013.”

A second New York-area franchise has long been a rumored expansion possibility for the league, along with St. Louis, Atlanta and Miami. Portland and Vancouver will join the league in 2011.

The New York Red Bulls moved into their sparkling, $200 million Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. in March, giving the market arguably the premier soccer-specific facility in the nation.

Garber added that he has held talks with the Wilpons, the ownership family in charge of the New York Mets, and that those talks may resume.

“Our discussions, which were fairly active with the Mets, clearly got put aside with the energy that they were putting into the launch of Citi Field,” Garber said. “We haven’t had discussions with the Wilpons in over a year and we’ll hopefully reopen those discussions.

“But there are certainly many, many other potential ownership opportunities in that market. With the economy turning around, we hope to be able to start some discussions with potential other investors.”

However, to actually have the score read 6:6 after fulltime, bizarre.

In the SPL Wednesday night, down 6-2, Motherwall comes back and scores four straight goals.  An absolute amazing game, not just of the high tally, but being down that many in the second half — and coming away with a draw.  Wonder if our Portland Timbers will see any games like that this year ?  Video highlights below.

Scoring Summary

Motherwall 6:6 Hibernian
HIB: Colin John Nish (11)
MOT: Giles Coke (16)
HIB: Colin John Nish (20)
HIB: Derek Riordan (28)
HIB: Colin John Nish (36)
MOT: John Sutton (39)
HIB: Anthony Stokes (56)
HIB: Anthony Stokes (65)
MOT: Giles Coke (67)
MOT: Tom Hateley (72)
MOT: John Sutton (76)
MOT: Lucas Jutkiewicz (pen miss 87)
MOT: Lucas Jutkiewicz (90)

After 4 weeks of play in the USSF Division 2 league, nothing unexpected has come about in the NASL/USL based league.  The only real surprise so far in this early season is the 2nd year Austin Aztex.  For the most part, this squad sat most of the 2009 in the cellar of the table, however 2010 is looking entirely different.  The no-brainers currently at hand are the Timbers, Whitecaps, and Islanders sitting atop the table.  While the 2009 league champion Montreal, are experiencing yet another year of showing up fashionably late to the party. 

Current Table – May 5th

Last week up in the Emerald City,  Electron Boy saved the city of Seattle from enemy forces.  No these forces were not the Portland Timbers soccer club, nor the rabid Timbers Army; rather fictional  ”Dr. Dark” and “Blackout Boy”.  The Make-a-Wish Foundation granted this young boy living with cancer a chance to be a superhero for the day, and save the Puget Sound city from the evil villains that shunned it.  Electron Boy than saved the Seattle Sounders soccer team, by laser cutting the door.  Such an event got front page media on The Oregonian Saturday morning, as such a noble cause deserves. 

 This was an incredible act done by many individuals, as I am personally familar with this foundation.  A fellow Rowdie had cancer, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation was there to step up, and make a day brighter.  Sometimes in life, a smile is worth the cause.  Full story below from the Seattle Times.

Full Story

The Timbers scored first, but the visitors answered with 3 straight goals.  The gameday crowd of nearly 8k saw an entertaining match nonetheless.

For full match reports:

Dropping Timber

Portland Timbers.com

The Timber Mill

After coming off an impressive 2-1 victory over Vancouver Thursday, the Timbers now focus their attention toward an exhibition game versus Costa Rica’s Puntarenas FC.  Game starts at 7pm, and weather looks great for the evening match!

Full Match Information

Full Story at Portland Timbers.com

How much time will Keita get?

How much will the Timbers win by tonight?

…And how much rain will not fall, making Yev look like an incompetent weatherman

Stay tuned tonight for these answers…

First, the Kansas City miss:

This is bad:

Yikes:

Demand will soon be rising like the morning sky, have you secured your Portland MLS tickets for 2011? 

Remember, we’re talking about Soccer City USA!  Visit the website for more information!

Ryan Pore scored halfway through the 2nd half, as the game became rather chippy.  A ticky tack call would send the home team to the spot, and the game became equalized late.

The Timbers still remain undefeated in Montreal in the last 6 matches.  Portland takes on rival Vancouver this Thursday, game set for 7pm.

The Timbers have done extremely well historically in Montreal.  The Timbers are 4-1-1 there lifetime with five shutouts.

Interesting facts so far this year; the USL is 6-0 versus the NASL.

The Timbers belong to the USL, whilst Montreal resides in the NASL.

Game started out with a goal within the first minute of the game.  Roughly 20 seconds in, Ryan Pore finds net to put the Timbers up 1-nil, and from there, the Portland Boys would cruise.

Some great postgame reports, including one from our friends over at Dropping Timber.

DroppingTimber.com Portland-St. Louis postgame report:

http://www.droppingtimber.com/2010/04/postgame-timbers-blowout-ac-st-louis-3.html

(video loads slow, but definitely worth the wait.)

I’ve definitely seen fans this uncoordinated at Timbers games before, however never to the point where they have challenges with a piece of clothing.  A hilarious video of a wise gentleman trying to put his flip-flops on at Coachella 2010 last week.  The Palm Springs area music festival is a yearly famous attraction. Point of the story, if you’re going to drink as much as this dude, don’t wear flip-flops.

Okay, whether you can’t stand anything that isn’t a Pacific Northwest microbrew, you have to admit Thirsty Thursday’s are the best invention since the cheese slicer. It makes work go “that” much more faster on Friday. Tonight the Portland Timbers battle expansion side St. Louis in the first Miller Lite Thirsty Thursday of the year. Cheap beer and good eats, makes for a wonderful evening.

My advice
To make long beer lines go faster, I always recommend bringing cash, rather using card. It’s helpful for everyone else that wants to make a quick run to the concession, and back to the boisterous North End.

I did a study believe it or not. When paying with cash (exact change always encouraged), it takes the clerk 5 seconds to complete the transaction. By the time you grab your two beers, and head back into the concourse hallway, it’s 10 seconds total, after you give the clerk your money.

With card, it can take up to 30 seconds for the transaction, plus an extra 15 seconds putting the card back in your wallet or pocket, than of course the 10 seconds to walk back into the halway concourse. All of this totaling a minute!

When you have many people doing this, it really makes a difference. Remember, at Timbers games — cash is king.

This is why.

The color palette is made up of several hundred types of colors.  Ranging from red to black to orange.  As demonstrated by the Oregon Ducks football team, several combinations of colors can be used.  Yes, maybe not all of us find the Eugene pointyball uniform experiment attractive, however my point is — I am pretty sure the Ducks would never resemble a combination that may similar to the Beaver logo.

As of now, several hardcore Seattle fans are crying foul over the 3rd kit that the Seattle FO has brought into circulation, as it basically pimps the colors of their arch rival.  They call it “electric”, I call it Timbers colors on a bright sunny day.  As the Seattle customers may not notice the difference, the fans that are some of the fanbase’s most vocal, do.  All us Portland fans can do, is laugh hysterically at these fan frustrations.  The more of these gaffes that occur from the Seattle FO, the more and more I respect the Portland front office.  Their collabration with other legitimate sources, and more importantly — with the fans, is an example of what Portland soccer wants to be.  Pride, honor, and respect.  We care about our image, we respect what we put out on the field, and in the terraces.  While the laughs may continue to be pointed up north, it’s days like this I am so proud to be a Timbers fan.  Rose City til I Die.

———- Caution below ———-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/higginssigns/sets/72157623889288422/show/with/4534378337/

Link for Timbers Army merchandise:
http://www.timbersarmy.org/merch/t-shirts/

Lines outside the stadium were stretched as far back to the suburbs of Beaverton, and Gresham, literally.  In the past, it was very regular to get a spot in the Timbers Army North End around 6:30-6:45 before the game. However the long lines were discovered by 5:30, as the folks were eagerly waiting to get in the stadium. 

Sure it was the home opener, but Soccer City USA?  It’s become more apparent every game.

Stay tuned, I will have a more detailed game review tomorrow, my busy life today permits this from me, but I plan to do this every home game.

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced that midfielder James Marcelin was recently named to the Haitian National Team’s 18-man roster for a friendly against Argentina on May 5 in Argentina.

A member of Haiti’s National Team since 2007, Marcelin will join the team as it travels to South America on May 2 to face an Argentina squad playing one of its final matches before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in June. Argentina is currently ranked No. 9 in the FIFA World Rankings.

Read the rest here:

http://www.portlandtimbers.com/newsroom/pressreleases/index.html?article_id=1591

I’m a happy camper.

This summer, the Rowdies will compete in a Regional tournament which will seal the fate of a bid for the World Series of Beer Pong.  Performing well in this tournament will be important to eithering being accepted or not.  Only a few of the several teams entering in the Regional will be accepted to play in the World Series over New Years Eve weekend in Las Vegas.  Total prize money given out is over $65,000.  The Regional is set for a late-July date, being the best part that it’s non-conflicting with Timbers home games.

Follow Link below for his 2010 Portland Timbers preview part I: coaching and scheduling.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/timbers/2010/04/timbers_2010_season_preview_pa.html

3 year term

Laurie Jane
Jeremy Wright
Eric Berg

2 year term

Roger Anthony
Scott Swearingen
Dave Hoyt
Fernando Machicado

1 year term

Devlyn Swenson
Abram Goldman-Armstrong
Joanne Couchman
Bob Kellett

Congrats to all!  I attended the meeting with roughly 100 other TA, and it was awesome to see this get going.  Let’s all work hard, and put Portland soccer on the map!

Games were no doubt entertaining, but goalkeepers were making error after error.  I guess that is what makes the game fun, right?  Watch the highlights of the New York, Philadelphia, and Houston games, and you’ll know what I am talking about. Highlights can be watched at the incredibly reliable www.MLSsoccer.com.

Week 3 scores
Chivas 2:0 New York
Philadelphia 3:2 D.C.
New England 4:1 Toronto
Kansas City 1:0 Colorado
Houston 0:2 Los Angeles
Dallas 2:2 Columbus
Chicago 1:2 San Jose
Salt Lake 2:2 Seattle

SoccerAmerica Predictions:
1. Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL)
2. Portland Timbers (USL)
3. Montreal Impact (NASL)
4. Puerto Rico Islanders (USL)
5. Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
6. Rochester Rhinos (USL)
7. Miami FC (NASL)
8. Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL)
9. Austin Aztex (USL)
10. NSC Minnesota Stars (USL)
11. AC St. Louis (NASL)
12. Crystal Palace Baltimore (NASL)

Full Report can be read here:

http://www.socceramerica.com/article/37589/timbers-and-whitecaps-favored.html

A few reminders:

• The election results from the 107ist will be revealed in a meeting at the North End Pub on April 11 at 5pm
• The Timbers Army is hosting a tailgate a few hours before the opening game on April 17th.  The tailgate will take place in back of the Cheerful Bullpen parking lot. 
• Talk Timber with John Strong is back on April 13th on 95.5 FM.

Liaisonnaires Meeting
7 a.m. Wednesday, April 7, 2010
PGE Park  Gavin Wilkinson, Marc Kostic, Nick Mansueto; Roger Anthony, Joanne Couchman, Diego Davilla, Garrett Dittfurth, Jay Grisham, Lucas Grzybowski, Dave Hoyt, Scott Swearingen.

PRESENT:

I.  CROWDED HOUSE
     The team currently has 26 players on the roster; there are four more open roster slots, including one that can be used for a foreign player.  The roster size reflects several things:
1.      The club is casting an ever-widening net for MLS-caliber players.
2.      MLS will probably bring back reserve squads for the 2011 season, which will have impact on the Timbers’ development plans.
3.      The team’s schedule for this summer could exceed 40 matches.
     
     Mandjou Keita will be recalled to Portland next week; Gavin said the club would probably give him a couple of weeks off before he returns to the lineup.
     Gavin explained that the MLS reserve squads could have age restrictions.  This gives the Timbers more incentive to sign young players now.  With that in mind, he is planning on a scouting trip to West Africa later this year.
     The team will have 30 league games, at least four and perhaps five friendlies, and plans on playing three or four Open Cup matches.  Add in the playoffs, and it’s possible there could be close to 25 home games this year.
     Other roster news:  The club has had “a ridiculous amount of injuries” this spring.  Gavin said four defenders – Ian Joy, Ross Smith, Mamadou Danso and Quavas Kirk – have suffered injuries.  Kirk, who has a strained MCL, may be out for one to three weeks.

II. FRIENDLIES

     Beyond the May 1 match against the Costa Rican side Puntarenas, Gavin said there would be at least three other friendlies.  “One or two of them may be against Premiership teams,” he said, “and one will be with a team from the Mexican first division.”  The match against the Prem team will be included as one of the three exhibition game tickets that are included in season-ticket packages.  
     At one point, the club explored the possibility of playing Veracruz, a second-division side that includes Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

III. COMING THIS SUMMER

     The club confirmed earlier reports of reduced food-and-beverage specials prior to the start of games.  “Thirsty Thursday”-sized beers will be available for $1.50, and discounted food items for $3.  We asked if we could see a menu of the discounted food items, and will post that when it arrives.
     Streaming video telecasts of all league games “is going to happen,” said Gavin.  It’s expected to be free.   The USSF is trying to establish quality standards so the games have a uniform look to them.  
     The Timbers are making plans to present two World Cup viewing parties at different times and locations in the Portland area.  Gavin said that one of them “would be like a festival,” and later added, “If it were at the stadium, we wouldn’t want it to be just having people sitting in the stands and watching.”
     Since stadium renovations for MLS means the final match at PGE Park will be on Sept. 2, Gavin said the team is “close to finalizing” plans for playoff matches at two different venues.
     The club is also working on a mid-season tribute match to honor former NASL Timber and longtime local coach Jimmy Conway.

IV. STADIUM UPDATE
     Gavin said the stadium renovation is thus far on or ahead of schedule, and that the design has been finalized.   However, concerns about the construction schedule will likely lead to the team playing its first two or three MLS matches on the road in 2011.
     Some new artificial turf has been installed this year, and the result thus far is a field resembling the fairway and rough of a golf course.  Gavin said the club would conduct as many practice drills as possible on the new turf to get it matted down.
     With Mike Golub, the team’s COO,  not at the meeting, most questions about stadium renovation were deferred.  We are trying to schedule a meeting to discuss stadium specifics sometime in the near future, perhaps before Opening Night and ideally during the evening.  
       
V.  PARTNERSHIPS
     We spent a few minutes bringing the front office up-to-date on 107ist. The club said it would provide us with extra tables on Opening Night that can be used for membership sign-ups.  We will also be able to get a table to take outside the stadium for recruiting/meet-n-greeting purposes.
     Likewise, the club will allow us to table at the two World Cup events.

VI. LOOSE ENDS

     Gavin reiterated that the club is still seeking billet homes for PDL players with the U-23s. … Jay opened a conversation that ultimately focused on the team’s plans for acknowledging the history it will carry into MLS.  While there is a reluctance to retire numbers, the team is talking about creating a Ring of Honor or Hall of Fame … Gavin’s trip to England means he will miss the home opener and thus will be following the game online in some fashion.  He plans to blog about his visits to both Manchester squads and to a Chelsea practice; the blog will be on the Timbers’ website. … Gavin said that the Timbers are continuing to look at options for starting their academy and that a partnership with the Oregon Premier Soccer League seems like the best choice.

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers have signed forwards Gabriel “O.J.” Obatola and Bright Dike (DEE-kay) for the 2010 season, it was announced today pending U.S. Soccer Federation approval. Both players have been on trial with the club during preseason.

Obatola, 22, joins the Timbers from Singapore’s S-League, where he was one of the league’s leading scorers with Gombak United. He recorded 63 total goals over four seasons with the Bulls (2007-10) and led the team in scoring three straight seasons from 2007-09. 

To continue reading, click the link.

http://www.portlandtimbers.com/newsroom/headlines/index.html?article_id=1586

How about two United goals in the first seven minutes of the game? Then a paralyzing 3rd goal in the 41st.  It seemed all but over for Bayern.

However, Bayern Munich would strike a few moments later pulling within a goal.  Because of the away goal rule, if they could score another one, despite it being tied on aggregate, they would be leading the series.

That would happen in the 74th, as Robben would put the nail in the coffin, and send the German club to the Champions League semifinals.

In the other match, Bordeaux defeated Lyon 1 to 0, but loses on series aggregate 3 to 2, as Lyon advances.

In two weeks, Bayern Munich will play Lyon, and Barcelona plays Inter Milan.

ManU-Bayern highlights

As you can tell, not much news in the soccer world or Portland today

Well slowly but surely, the MLS website is not sucking complete balls.  It was only about 2 weeks ago we saw the new layout — decently impressive, however working with IT in the past, one knows how something looks is complete independent about how something works. As expected, kinks and bugs were reported, and several features of the website failed to work.  Fans of course showed signs of outrage over this change, and before MLS could catch a breath after recently agreeing to a new CBA, they had to now fix a league website that was a total piece of crap.  As Seattle and Philadelphia kicked off in First Kick 2010, the website still had broken videos, links, and game day features.  The weekend would come to a complete, and eight games would be in the books.  Fans were excited to see the new season, with news players punching in first game stats.  They only problem is, where to view them efficiently?  Okay, maybe Monday right?  Nope.  Tuesday?  Nope again.  Still nothing.  Now with eight games played, MLS still had no highlights, no stats, and schedules looked more like gibberish.  WTF?  One would think that reputation, and a stake of a pride would be of high importance.  Did the league test the website before going live?  As week 2 rolled in, the website still had several kinks, and only a few bugs were fixed. 

By now,  fans went from outrage, to laughter.  Was MLS employing D & D interns, rather folks of IT experience?  If MLS wants to compete with leagues like the NBA, NFL, MLB, and college sports, they need to act like it.  The leagues mentioned would never put out a pile of dump like this, and fix the several upon several bugs as they go along.   Even as week 2 ended, several of the key aspects to the website still failed.  I personally stopped checking the website, and used alternative sites like soccernet, or even the bleak Yahoo MLS website, at least they had working scoreboards.  As the weekend was coming to a close, slowly but surely the lethal bugs that were pissing fans off, were finally getting fixed. 

However one feature for a functioning league to have, of course was still absent.  Dude, where’s my stats?  I honestly could not find any reputable stats for the current MLS season anywhere on the web, let alone the MLS website.  No, not the kind that are discussed in several postgame articles, I am talking number tables that are seen on all professional league websites. 

Considering how most Monday’s suck for America’s working force, I figured the website would once again be unchanged since my last encounter.  To my amazement, they were there.  Everything was there.  MLS has finally figured whatever they needed to figure out.  As of today, the website looked great.  Despite the path of hell it had to ravage through, I like the league site, and I it fits the direction of most graphic used websites for the future.  The typical MLS pattern of procransinate now and shine later, was once again shown.  But honestly, do you expect anything different?  C’mon, it’s MLS.

We’ve all seen them, even waved or pointed, but either way it grabs your attention.  I am talking about the sidewalk advertisers you see at busy corners throughout town.  Yes they’ve been around for a few years now, but it only seems to be getting worse.  The ones that stick out in my mind the most are the mattress world dudes that are actually in a mattress costume, the fat guy in sweatpants jiggling the sign back and forth for Acme, Inc., and of course the Little Caesars guitar fellow.  This one to me is the most fascinating, as I don’t guess what age, or what hobbies the particular lad may have, but instead, what drug he is currently high on.  It seems Little Caesars has taken drug testing as a thing of the past (obviously), and possibly even hands out complimentary “brownies” on your first day of employment.  Regardless, as the blitzed employee jams out vigorously to his ipod with of course the cardboard guitar in hand, I can only help but think, does he know he is actually at work?  Does he have any idea what is going on in general?  Probably not,  the individual is most likely higher than the clouds.  I am assuming the sidewalk cardboard guitarist is memorizing the chords to his garbage band’s latest hit, or practicing for guitar hero.  I am no musician, but they say you perform best, when blazed.  Whatever the reason may be, it seems to be a win-win for him – get paid, and rock out like you’re on American Idol, as several cars pass him by to either wave, honk, or flip him off.   Maybe, just maybe one of these cars is a talent agent, possibly even craving a delicious $5 pizza that day. 

A possible reason for this whole mess is during the job crunch itself.  Some of these brilliant companies thought to increase jobs, and exposure at the same time.  Okay fair enough.  So they came up with most ingenious idea of employees selling their souls of humiliation to the public.  Living room family videos at Christmas time has a whole new meaning now.

In the end, they are making money from a job they wouldn’t have.  So don’t get me wrong, for that purpose (and this purpose only), it’s great for people’s paychecks.  However that doesn’t mean I still can’t laugh, and point hysterically.  Bottom line, anyone who puts themselves in that position is free game.  So to answer both of my questions earlier… yes, I am laughing uncontrollably at them, and no, I don’t know why companies humiliate people like this.  Who knows, maybe one day they do appear on American Idol, and their story includes methods of inspiration from being a Little Caesar guitar mutant.  Now wouldn’t that put new meaning into this whole scheme.  Because in an economy like this, a job is a job.  Or is it?

Some of my favorites caught on YouTube:

While lately, the weather may seem like its December, it is infact April as this morning the foothills in Portland saw sticking snow!  April is always an exciting time in Portland Timbers soccer:

• The new season begins, enough said. 
• we get to play opponents we usually don’t see during the regular season, always exciting to play different opposition.
• Our preseason games are usually regional, so that means epic roadtrips, as witnessed with San Jose and Seattle so far this year.

The Portland Timbers take on the Kitsap Pumas today in Bremerton, Washington for a preseason match.  The Timbers Army has a bus going up, followed by several carpoolers. 

For Kitsap, it’s “Portland Week” as the Timbers have been training along side the Pumas for a few days now.  The two sides have shown similar goals for its organization, thus a partnership was instantly formed after last year’s US Open Cup game.  Interesting enough, the partnership seems to be much more positive, in lieu of the local Seattle Sounders.  Infact, with the Portland-Seattle rivalry in place, many hardcore fans of the Emerald City have “disowned” the Kitsap club, calling them traitors for their connection of Seattle’s #1 rival.  While the partnership is not official by any means; as stated earler, Portland and Kitsap share many similar goals for their respected sides.  For the future of soccer in this region, partnerships are a great way to expand training, fan bases, and the exposure of soccer.  I hope this partnership continues in the years to come.

The MLS Cup was held in Seattle last year, and will be held in Toronto this year.  Coincidence?  You tell me, but I think so.  It’s evident MLS is “pimping” its latest products of quality to improve the image of the league.  Understandable, and a no brainer, it falls in line with any basic business strategy.  Toronto started out 2008 with a bang: incredible fans, and unbelievable passion.  No one had seen such a sight in this part of the world.  Also, because of its rarity, no one was really sure how long it was going to last.  It’s the ole business basics 101 question, how long does the shoe shine?  Well, it’s shining still, and bright.  Toronto, in its 3rd year, has proven its soccer worth, and with a losing team mind you.  This season they will most likely sell out every game at BMO Field.  And once again, let me reiterate, they’ve had a terrible team, and no boi Beckham.  MLS knows it doesn’t need to spend its precious resources on keeping Toronto up, at least for now.  Toronto has proved its worth of being recognized due to the fact that the fanbase seems to be incredibly loyal, therefore the Toronto pimping is legit.

The next year, MLS even got a greater birthday present when Seattle became the new model franchise – according to the attendance figures, and profits at least.  A little watered down with the gameday stuff of course, but whatever the Emerald City folk saw in it, was enough to attend games.  It’s not like any sports team in America can show despair at any time to get bodies in the grandstand.  Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t FC Dallas have a gameday promotion of an opposition player a few years back?  Despite the odd gameday gimmicks, MLS pimped Seattle, and it opened for new eyes on the soccer landscape.  Regardless of the Seattle Sounders being my archrival, in the visions of new soccer fans throughout the nation, getting mid 30k to show up for matches is amazing.  Therefore, because of large crowds, and revenue profits, the pimping of Seattle is legit.

Where does this leave us then?  Portland has been described as being one of the most exciting, and hostile environments north of the Rio Grande.  As we make our march toward 2011, will MLS be pimping us as the new shiny shoe?  I honestly wonder that.  

The franchise, city, and most importantly, the fans, are already on the ball.  As 2011 approaches, strides will continue to increase the image of what Portland has always been, a great sports town.  However reality is, the bar has been set high.  Not that we don’t deserve it, but will it be too late?  With two slamdunk franchises like Seattle and Toronto already in, will there be enough pimping room left?  Or can we set the bar even higher?

What a day.  The talk of the town was of course the Manchester United defeat, courtesy of Bayern Munich in stoppage time.  Nothing will rattle Sir Alex Fergie more than turning a draw into to an one goal deficit, heading into leg 2.  As Boy Wonder, Wayne Rooney would net for Man U in the 2nd minute of play, it looked as if the Red Devils would quickly run off from Germany with a confident result.  However the home side proved willing to keep up, and equalized in the 76th minute from Franck Ribery.  If it wouldn’t get any worse for the EPL side, a Rooney ankle injury, followed by a stoppage time goal for Munich, would conclude the match at Allianz Arena.  Leg 2 set for Old Trafford on April 7th.

The other Champions League score included the French counterparts Lyon and Bordeaux, which resulted in a 3 to 1 Lyon victory.  Today, the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League continue.  The epic match of the day involves Arsenal and Barcelona, while CSKA Moscow takes on Italian side, Inter Milan.

Or so says HubPages.com…below is my rebuttal (pun included)

Hubpages.com: How to Sink Cups every time!

photo courtesy of MLSsoccer.com

For the first time, the MLS Championship game will be headed outside the United States, to Oh Canada!  The Toronto fans have made an instant impression on MLS, for showing passion from the very start.  One aspect of the fanbase is they seem to support their team, regardless of success, or lack of. 

So Toronto will host the finale, and while a good crowd is expected at BMO Field, old man winter will most definitely be a factor.  Maybe not so much in the stands, rather the field.  This is something I am sure MLS thought of while deciding to have the Canadian city host.  While a date has not been determined, most MLS Cups are scheduled in late November, when weather in northern continental climates of North America turn down right nasty.  Then again, these are Canadians, they’ll show up to watch a curling event in blizzard conditions on a frozen pond, I am not worried about that.  No matter what the onfield play will show, as long as the grandstand is rocking on national television, MLS cannot lose from this.  In my eyes, it’s win-win.

The inaugural election to determine the first 107ist (107 Independent Supporters Trust) Council of XI has began as of 12:01 this Monday morning.  26 candidates filed for election, and only 11 will be elected to the council.  The ballot consists of many great individuals whom are more than qualified for the positions.  The 11 candidates receiving the most votes will become the 107ist Council of XI.  Although a normal term of office is 3 years, these members will serve for 1, 2, or 3 years, depending on how many votes they receive.  The window for this election will run from 12:01 AM on March 29, 2010 until 11:59 PM on April 10, 2010.  On April 11th, the announced results of the election will be at a TBD site.  To have voted in this election, registering for a 107ist membership by midnight this morning, was necessary.  However, memberships for the 107ist are still available at TimbersArmy.org.  This move is highly recommended, as the direct goal of the 107 Independent Supporters Trust is to support the Timbers Army, and the rest of the Portland soccer community.

The back and forth game was knotted scoreless at the half, and while the 2nd half provided chances, the scores still remained nil-nil.  With the pouring rain continuing, it was apparent this games was heading for PK’s.  Both sides would secure their first attempts, and it was tied 2-2.  FC Portland would then covert the next two PK’s, while ECS FC would fail both times.  The Timbers Army side would win 4-2 on PK’s. The ever so clever ECS, even managed to display some hate-portland tifo for the game, photo below.

photo courtesy of melissa brassard

photo courtesy of melissa brassard

A few pictures from the Ramona Cup below…

Friday’s game was the first to two training games this week for the Timbers as they soon conclude their preseason training camp, first regular season game is April 17th at home versus the Rochester Rhinos.

Forward Doug DeMartin and trialist Bright Dike each scored for the Timbers in the first half; both goals were set up by midfielder Ryan Pore.  The backline recorded its third shutout of the preseason as the Timbers are yet to be defeated in preseason play.  Next preseason game is at Kitsap Pumas next weekend in Bremerton, Washington.

Leaving a rival’s stadium can be interesting.  If you’re the loser that night, well they aren’t so hard on you.  But if you are the Portland Timbers, and defeat the Seattle Sounders 1 to 0 in enemy territory, opposing fans get pissed.  It was a community shield charity match, in which close to 19k showed up on a cold, and rainy night.  Despite the rival banter Portland and Seattle have, I must say that is quite impressive for a preseason friendly (well un-friendly).  The Timbers no doubt worked harder, even though the Sounders had the “MLS” edge.  For the gameday experience, pretty much what I expected, cheering for your team in extreme hostile territory.  All in all, security was good, and the atmosphere was impressive.  While I am no doubt excited for this season, 2011 cannot come soon enough.