It was a bit unusual lining up on the SW 20th side of PGE Park, as we got ready to attend the Timbers - Bayern Munich II match on Thursday night. The Timbers just completed a tough, draining match versus FC Flounders on Wednesday with a loss, and there were many Timbers Army sitting this one out. Girl and I usually move to another part of the park for a match just to get a different view of things, so we decided to try and sit in the Beer Garden at PGE Park. It's an area at field level on the left (or west side) of the stadium, and you are basically 10 feet from the pitch. What we were surprised about was our regular Row N companions dublix, S3K, Firestarter and Dirk Danger were wanting to join us. So it became Row N in the far side of the park.
I didn't know much about Bayern Munich II, except they played in Eugene a few nights ago and they have some very good, but extremely young soccer talent. I didn't even have time to do a match preview, but in sitting at field level, I was able to get quite a bit of pictures and video. For pictures, go ahead and click here, while videos are at my home on You Tube. I did get a few good shots, I thought, and it was nice to be that close to the pitch.
The Timbers played nearly an entire team of reserves, only using regular starters Steven Keel and Keith Savage, who had played on Wednesday, Tony McManus and Ryan Pore started as they recover from injury and Scot Thompson came on as a substitute late, but for everyone else, it was a chance to play in a game in front of fans and show something. Most of the guys have played here and there in league matches or other games, but for many, this was their first real significant action for the year. GK Brian Visser got the start, with Danso, Nishimura, Keel and Higgins in back, Savage, McManus, Nimo and Pore in the mids, and Jallow and Forrest up front. Keith Forrest was a guest player, who had been in camp for FC Flounder but was cut late, and wanted to catch on with a club, so he came down to try out. And he netted a very nice goal in the 8th minute that made an impression. Jallow added a tally in the 55th minute, while the Timbers generated some other chances, including a sitter that Scot probably wished he had back because it was pretty and he skied it over the cross bar. Overall, the team did very well, especially after the tough night the previous night.
Alex Nimo impresses me with his speed and vision, and he was really all over the pitch last night. He made some great runs and passes, and probably should have had a goal himself with his work. Danso was very solid in the back, giving us really 5 good backs to use, and Cameron Dunn and Nishimura also did well in stints back there, so really, our defense is 7 deep. Higgins was solid, if unspectacular most of the night, he didn't make any mistakes but he was really non descript. Pore and McManus seem to be rounding back into form, while it was nice to see Jallow get some work to get his fitness up. And we should sign Forrest if we haven't already, he's big, got a good touch, and a very good work rate. But my man of the match was Brian Visser, who made some quality saves all night, and really held his own in the box. He was on top of his game, and really, his play gives me hope that if Cronin becomes injured, we've got a good fill in to fall back on as needed. Overall, it was well played.
Well, and it's with this post that I'd like to announce a slight change around here. I've been blogging in relative obscurity and anonymity for a while now, and have some regular readers, which is nice to hear, but I've wondered about expanding my audience a bit. Well, a good friend of mine, Rick, had enlisted to help resurrect the Oregon Live Timbers Blog a few weeks ago, and when I approached him to offer help, he asked about whether I would be interested in directly contributing to the site. After careful consideration and the incredible support of my wife, I've decided to start offering my help to Oregon Live to blog about the team, starting in the next week or so. This opens up a wider audience and lets me still do what I love to do, although I lose a bit of my anonymity and I have to keep the content of each blog exclusive. But what I can do is really provide my expertise and thoughts after watching this team for almost 9 seasons and seeing the good, the bad, the ugly, and the hideous. So, as I post there, I will link something here so you can read my work there. I'll still blog here and provide my insane thoughts about things, but the blog will probably become less Timbers centric and more sports in general, but it's an evolution so we'll see how it goes.
In the meantime, enjoy your Fourth of July holiday and look out for the bees at your sporting events.
Post script - I have added a few videos and pictures from Wednesday's match to my sites as well, so you can find pictures on Flickr and videos on YouTube. Enjoy!!
Showing posts with label match recap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label match recap. Show all posts
Friday, July 3, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
After Thoughts from Yesterday's Open Cup Match
As we got home from the match last night, our cats wouldn't leave us alone, even after the initial greetings at the door. They hung around the entire night, staying close enough to see what was going on. Unlike most cats, ours tend to be more visible, but last night, they were more present that most times. As I got up early to feed them, they followed me around the house, which isn't usual either. Granted, I have seven cats that live with us, so it's hard to go anywhere that doesn't have a cat around, but it reminded me of their incredible sense of knowing when the people around them aren't feeling like themselves. As I puttered around to get ready to go to work this morning, I kept trying to sing, "Always look on the bright side of life" and see the sun coming up, realizing it was a new day, but even with the cats' influence, I'm still in a bit of a fog about last night.
Girl, myself and girl's mom left our house at 2:30 yesterday to make it down to the park by 3 pm, and there was already people lining up to get into the park, and purchase whatever tickets were remaining to the match. As we left, we'd heard it was a sellout of 16,000 plus for Timbers - Flounders, but they had opened up a few remaining seats game day. Girl's mom decided to stay in line, while girl and I headed to the pub for some food and relaxation, and it was already packed in. We saw some Flounders fans walking about, and there was some good natured ribbing going back and forth. We left to get back in line about 5:30 PM, and the lines were already stretched to SW Morrison and all along SW 18th to get in. I hadn't seen anything like this since the Sunderland match in 2005. As the gates opened at 6 and I went through the ticket area, I'm usually one of about 4 or 5 fans that hit section 107 right at 6 pm, and girl is right behind me. When I got into the section, there were people coming from all directions to get seats. Within 10 minutes, the section was entirely full, and many regulars had been displaced by unfamiliar faces. We had managed to save just enough seats for our crew, although we were two deep at points, and girl and I brought some old friends to the park, the whale and monkey. For those new, the whale and monkey appeared back in 2006 during a Timbers - Flounders match, and every time we scored, the whale would move up and down with the monkey on its back. The whale was one of the centerpieces at our wedding, too, turned upside down, so it was nice to see them back for the special night that it was.
By 7 pm, the game was still 20 minutes from kicking off, and sections 104 through 111 were filled. The old regulars of 111 were moved to 105 because of smoke bomb issue, but they were surrounded by fans. Even the Flounders' contingency was strong, sending 7 buses and over 400 fans down south, although there were plenty of puke green kits littering the west end outside of their section. As I looked about, I saw a lot of new faces intertwined with many old friends, and I got a very good sense of what MLS would be like with both the Timbers and Flounders in it. Granted, this was a special occasion, but regular season matches would be this crazy full and intense. Much like being in Sunderland during their derby with Newcastle, two cities that really don't like each other at all. I also was witness to some of the gamesmanship prior to the match. The Flounders were originally going to wear all blue, but apparently forgot to bring other kits down, so they wore their lime green kits and the Timbers wore their black alternates. They'd wore them in previous matches for the Open Cup, but it's a rare occurrence to see the Timbers on their home pitch not in green while the other side is wearing green.
By the time the anthem got completed and the massive TIFO project of Timber Jim destroying the Space Needle was done, the crowd was in a frenzy all the way through the kickoff. Until the first minute and a blue flare hit the pitch, and then the Flounders struck with a rebound goal and it was 1 - nil fishheads. The collective air of the stadium was sucked out, and there was a quiet still except for the southwest end, where Flounder fans were celebrating. The Timbers got a couple of nice chances early, but couldn't capitalize, and then in the 27th minute, a crazy scrum of players let to another Flounder rebound goal, and it was 2 - nil fishheads. I didn't quite recognize the Timbers in the first 30 minutes, as they played very tentatively, passing was not crisp, and Hayes was a very marked man, which really crippled our offense. We played back on our heels, and the Flounders aggressively took the game to us. We got our feet about minute 32, and passes that were falling off started finding players, and Keita knocked in one at minute 43 giving the Timbers fans hopes of a comeback. It seemed like the Timbers were finding space, and they were starting to get back the passion and swagger that I've seen from them at home. At the half, there was cautious optimism.
The second half, I thought the Timbers were the better team, making good passes and stringing together some nice runs, but it seemed like the final pass was just off, which led to a hurried shot or Flounders clearance. A strange occurrence happened when Flounder Nate Jaqua was called offsides while netting a goal, but honestly, I think he might have been on-sides, it was that close. George Josten made a couple of nice runs, and got knocked down right at the box, without any call, yet seconds later, a similar call went for the Flounders. Around the 77th minute, Flounder Sanna Nyassi goes down in the corner without any contact, and rolls around on the turf for what seems like forever, and a well-aimed water bottle launches from the crowd and comes within millimeters of his groin in disgust. Even Timbers GK Steve Cronin was yelling at Nyassi to get up or get off the pitch. Honestly, I don't get the fascination of throwing things on the pitch, and while I smiled at the water bottle and target, it was a stupid move. As the match went on, the Timbers attacked and attacked, but couldn't get anything past Flounders GK Kasey Keller, and after 5 extra minutes, the whistle sounded and the game ends 2 to 1 fishheads.
The look of frustration was evident by the team as they walked by during their post game parade, while the Flounder green supporters celebrated their win. Girl and I started taking down our TIFO, and we both said how much we really wanted to send the Flounder supporters home, knowing what it's like to drive 3 hours after a loss. It's not a fun feeling at all, but it's what you do for your team. And mind you, I'm impressed with their level of support, and their team does play well together. But I seriously can't call them a rival, and here's my reasoning as such.
Rivals may hate each other when their teams are playing, but they at least show the other side a certain level of respect before and after the match. I've traveled to Vancouver, BC multiple times and have been verbally taunted and such, but the fans there are respectful, and we always have a good time there. They treat the visitors with some disdain during the match, but it's earned respect and during the match, you know both sides are going after each other with everything they have. But in the case of Shittle, I've witnessed plenty of questionable things done to our players and fans that get laughed off or dismissed because of a rivalry. I watched as one of my good friends chased a Flounders supporter onto their bus after the Flounder fan struck my friend unexpectedly, took his Timbers scarf and then hid on the away bus. As I tried to intervene between my friend and getting on the away supporters bus, I saw the Flounders fans acting in a rather dismissive, aloof way, wondering what the big deal was. I will give credit to a couple of them that actually were trying to help, but the vast majority couldn't care less, and apparently, one of them posted word of the accomplishment in Flounder land how a TA scarf was heading up north. There were rumours of other incidents after the match, but overall, I thought that most people were mostly behaved, outside of a few morons that were pulled from the Beer Garden for trying to start a fight, and two supposed TA that fought with each other in section 106. But the attitiude struck with me.
I've witnessed the MLS efforts here in Portland very first hand and it's frustrating to me to see the hurdles and obstacles, which only make me want it more, and last night had some beacons of good things, with a big crowd and a competitive match. But the Flounders' path in MLS has been filled with anything but peril, as they were added to MLS with absolutely laughable support of their former club, including even marketing their team as "finally, the world's game comes to S***tle". I can imagine most Flounders supporters have no idea about the former club, but some of them act like they've invented being a fan. Once their club was added to MLS, the money came to the club, it was decided that Qwirst Field would be a suitable MLS park even though it was a football stadium, and they even got the Seachickens owner to become part owner of MLS to help with that, plus the Seachickens marketing and sales staff help with MLS. The entire plan came together apparently so simply, so effortlessly, but I really was left wondering if they deserved it. And they've shown up for this honeymoon period with big crowds, a band, and buzz. But when you get so much easily and so quickly, it can foster resentment from those that have had to battle to get the same things.
If you want to call it jealousy, I think you bleed more lime green than anything, but what I've failed to understand is how easily this has fallen together for a sports market that doesn't deserve it. The people attending games there aren't fans, they are customers, not knowing anything about the team prior or caring about anything more than being part of the new fashionable trend. And while I can admire the crowds and a buzz for a moment, I cringe at the fact that this has fallen into their lap, and I'm frustrated and tired of it. I'd really like for once for them to learn what it's like to see the other side. You can't have respect for a "rival" that doesn't understand what it's like to suffer for your team, deal with frustration, or virtually be ignored in your own city. I can't respect anything about that club, and last night's event did nothing to change that perception. You may be winning on the pitch, but at least with many of us, and markets around the country, the Flounders aren't gaining any respect or love at all. And while they might say it's because they are winning, it's really the way that you're winning that bugs a lot of us. If you are supposedly better than us, show it by using your talent, not grade school tauting, intimidation, and bullying. I can only think about what they might be afraid of to just leave things as they are and taking a chance on a level playing field, but seriously, the Flounders played their top team for the most part, and barely walked out of here with a win. While I'm disappointed in the loss, the silver linings are starting to appear.
And tonight, I'll be back in PGE Park, watching the Timbers battle Bayern Munich II at 7 PM. It probably won't have the same intensity or TIFO as last night, but I'll be back supporting the lads, because that's what you do. When a tough loss happens, you get back up and keep singing and chanting. And at some point, I'm trying to figure out how to teach the cats to meow to Monty Python songs, it might be a good post match decompression.
Other thoughts from the web about the match:
Soccer By Ives recap
USA Today - Yes, the paper with charts and other things reported on it.
the Oregonian's take
Ginge Talks the Footy has some pictures and video to share.
MatchFitUSA was impressed with the crowd support and atmosphere.
The Third Degree, a blog from Dallas has some thoughts about the match.
The Offsides weighs in with support for Portland as well, and loved the TIFO.
The official MLS match report. Not a bad write up, even if they did get a few things wrong.
I had some issues with the batteries on my camera (thank you, Panasonic), so I have only still pictures that I will load sometime this weekend, along with shots from tonight. Hope to see some of you there tonight, and go Timbers!!!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
An Incredible Night - Minnesota Vs. Timbers, and Grand Opening of Sports Complex
It was an incredible night last night at PGE Park, although Mother Nature was trying to do her best to change up the festivities. The last home match for the Timbers against Montreal, the heavens opened up with a crazy amount of rain, wind, and other assorted craziness, so yesterday being a Timbers match at PGE Park, the rains had to come and visit again, dropping over an inch of rain on parts of the metro area around 2 to 3 pm. Things seemed to be smoother, though, as traffic on most of the busy streets was moving along OK. I wasn't going to miss this match, and with it being an 8 PM kickoff, I left our house at about 6 PM to get down there in time. The drive down had a few crazy rain moments, but by 6:30 PM, I was parked in NW Portland and walking to the Bitter End Pub to give a ticket to my friend S3K and see some folks before lining up for the match.
It was also teddy bear toss night for Doernbechers', so people had lined up with bags and bags of bears ready for chucking, but the team also had bears that they were giving out as door prizes for people to throw. I got into my seat just after 7 pm, and waited for the remaining Row N folks to show up to cheer. And we had a lot to cheer about.
I can't remember the last time we got 5 goals, it's been a while I'm sure. We had a lot of scoring chances, and on this night, we took advantage of them. We also got great defensive play from the backline, and Steve Cronin played very well and steady, even with letting in a goal in the first half. The guys picked him up, and got 3 goals in the second half, aided by 3 Minnesota red cards. Yes, Minnesota had 3 players ejected from the match, one for a rather late challenge in the box that lead to goal 3, a red for throwing a punch at Alex Nimo, and a final red for an absolutely horrendous challenge after goal number 5 that didn't need to happen. I can't blame Minnesota for being frustrated, they were being run around the pitch all night by a Portland team that didn't seem to show any ill effects from having played on Tuesday in California after being on the road all the past weekend. The Timbers looked fresh, confident, and on their game, and it probably helped when George Josten notched a goal in the 4th minute to start the bear throwing chaos.
Goals for the night - Josten, Suzuki, Hayes (PK), Keita and S. Thompson. Josten's goal was a nice give and go from a great pass from Farber, while Suzuki got a great angle from the wide side of the box to get the second goal. Hayes knocked in the PK after Minnesota's first red card, while Keita got his goal during a bit of a scrum near the box. Scot took a great pass from Hayes off a corner and knocked it in for number 5.
Key Observations:
Allison's great match report from Soccer City USA, along with pictures.
I got some pictures myself that I posted to Flickr, and I got some video of the PK and Keita's goal (thanks Timberista for catching that update, I thought it was goal 5, but it's goal 4), along with a few other shots. The video quality is Ok, but I got some great noise from the TA, who was in good form last night.
The Oregon Live match report, with some decent information and rather useless comments.
I didn't get much chance to celebrate the win late, though. I had to be up early, for I was volunteering at Gradin Sports Park in Gresham for their grand opening. My company got a request from the city for volunteers to help with the grand opening, and the Timbers would be practicing and offering a clinic later in the day, so I said why not? My company pays us to volunteer, but at the same point, what's not to like about seeing the boys a day after their big win. So, yes, I couldn't go to the TIFO party, but I had a good reason.
The U-23 and first team were both there to work out, and they seemed awfully embarrased when me and my mother in law clapped and cheered for them as they ran by doing warmups. I got a chance to chat with Gavin a few times, plus Timber Joey and Lucky Beaver also showed up, while I also got to say hi to Scot and said nice goal. He said thanks, but it was luck, and I said, no, it was 5!! After the practice, many of the players stayed around to talk to fans, sign cards, and then offer help in a clinic for the kids, which I thought was great. The boys had a spring in their step and didn't seem to have any ill effects from the exceptionally physical match from the previous night.
Professional athletes get lambasted for being out of touch, making too much money or thinking too highly of themselves, and then I get to see this up close and personal. These guys were personable, charming, and I even got to see Taka with two infants and who I believe was his wife or girlfriend in one of my pictures, plus Timber Joey working the crowd. They love their job, and love what they do, and nothing was more evident in that than watching them interact with the kids during the clinic. I'm really glad that I saw another side of them outside of on the pitch during the match, because what I saw today was pure class, giving of themselves to help the community and give something back to the soccer community as a whole. Well done, boys. I do have a few pictures from the event that you can all peruse.
To all the dads out there, have a great Fathers Day, and to everyone else, RCTID!!! We're up to 11 league matches without a loss and counting!!!
It was also teddy bear toss night for Doernbechers', so people had lined up with bags and bags of bears ready for chucking, but the team also had bears that they were giving out as door prizes for people to throw. I got into my seat just after 7 pm, and waited for the remaining Row N folks to show up to cheer. And we had a lot to cheer about.
I can't remember the last time we got 5 goals, it's been a while I'm sure. We had a lot of scoring chances, and on this night, we took advantage of them. We also got great defensive play from the backline, and Steve Cronin played very well and steady, even with letting in a goal in the first half. The guys picked him up, and got 3 goals in the second half, aided by 3 Minnesota red cards. Yes, Minnesota had 3 players ejected from the match, one for a rather late challenge in the box that lead to goal 3, a red for throwing a punch at Alex Nimo, and a final red for an absolutely horrendous challenge after goal number 5 that didn't need to happen. I can't blame Minnesota for being frustrated, they were being run around the pitch all night by a Portland team that didn't seem to show any ill effects from having played on Tuesday in California after being on the road all the past weekend. The Timbers looked fresh, confident, and on their game, and it probably helped when George Josten notched a goal in the 4th minute to start the bear throwing chaos.
Goals for the night - Josten, Suzuki, Hayes (PK), Keita and S. Thompson. Josten's goal was a nice give and go from a great pass from Farber, while Suzuki got a great angle from the wide side of the box to get the second goal. Hayes knocked in the PK after Minnesota's first red card, while Keita got his goal during a bit of a scrum near the box. Scot took a great pass from Hayes off a corner and knocked it in for number 5.
Key Observations:
- Gavin really did a great job of substituting last night, bringing in Danso at the half, then Nimo, McLauglin and Poltl late for some fresh legs. I did like how Steven Keel played in the first half at points, but he also had a couple of tough touches that really caused some dicey moments in back.
- I don't fault Cronin for the goal he let in. It was after a questionable foul, and he did catch the free kick but it bounced a bit funny and it spun in. But, he was very decisive on his lines, and made some quality saves, plus his goal kicks were spot on all night.
- Johan Claesson has really become a great playmaker in the middle, and he got a lot of great help from Taka Suzuki last night. Between Farber, Suzuki and Claesson, they controlled the midfield quite nicely all night, and never really let Minnesota get any offense going while they literally had their choice of offensive options most of the night. Minnesota really didn't offer much defensive resistance, and we took advantage of it all night.
- The rest of the team looked a little flat and tired in the first half, but played with a lot of urgency in the second half. Apparently, Gavin lit into them pretty good at the half, and the results showed per the O-Live match report.
- I really didn't see how the official couldn't award red on the three different challenges that caused Minnesota to lose players. The first takedown was a pretty obvious call in the box, while Nimo was hit by 3 different players before he finally hit back. I don't mind him getting a yellow in that spot at all, you have to defend yourself. I've seen one red card, and yes even two, but never three red cards leaving Minnesota playing 11 versus 8 while already down 4 goals.
- Nick Platter was left on an island most of the night, and he tried to do his best to keep things civilized, but even he couldn't stop the bleeding.
- I can imagine the Thunder won't forget this game one bit, and have a bit of revenge on their mind for July 4th in their place.
Allison's great match report from Soccer City USA, along with pictures.
I got some pictures myself that I posted to Flickr, and I got some video of the PK and Keita's goal (thanks Timberista for catching that update, I thought it was goal 5, but it's goal 4), along with a few other shots. The video quality is Ok, but I got some great noise from the TA, who was in good form last night.
The Oregon Live match report, with some decent information and rather useless comments.
I didn't get much chance to celebrate the win late, though. I had to be up early, for I was volunteering at Gradin Sports Park in Gresham for their grand opening. My company got a request from the city for volunteers to help with the grand opening, and the Timbers would be practicing and offering a clinic later in the day, so I said why not? My company pays us to volunteer, but at the same point, what's not to like about seeing the boys a day after their big win. So, yes, I couldn't go to the TIFO party, but I had a good reason.
The U-23 and first team were both there to work out, and they seemed awfully embarrased when me and my mother in law clapped and cheered for them as they ran by doing warmups. I got a chance to chat with Gavin a few times, plus Timber Joey and Lucky Beaver also showed up, while I also got to say hi to Scot and said nice goal. He said thanks, but it was luck, and I said, no, it was 5!! After the practice, many of the players stayed around to talk to fans, sign cards, and then offer help in a clinic for the kids, which I thought was great. The boys had a spring in their step and didn't seem to have any ill effects from the exceptionally physical match from the previous night.
Professional athletes get lambasted for being out of touch, making too much money or thinking too highly of themselves, and then I get to see this up close and personal. These guys were personable, charming, and I even got to see Taka with two infants and who I believe was his wife or girlfriend in one of my pictures, plus Timber Joey working the crowd. They love their job, and love what they do, and nothing was more evident in that than watching them interact with the kids during the clinic. I'm really glad that I saw another side of them outside of on the pitch during the match, because what I saw today was pure class, giving of themselves to help the community and give something back to the soccer community as a whole. Well done, boys. I do have a few pictures from the event that you can all peruse.
To all the dads out there, have a great Fathers Day, and to everyone else, RCTID!!! We're up to 11 league matches without a loss and counting!!!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Step One - Win US Open Cup Game
The Portland Timbers beat a rather scrappy Kitsap Pumas PDL side 3 to nil tonight in Bremerton, WA. The Timbers have advanced to play the Sonoma County Sol next Tuesday, June 16th at the Sol's home stadium. The winner faces FC Puke Green in the next round on June 30th.
The match report is noted here, and it was a good effort by the Timbers, especially with the embarrassment of last year's upset loss still fresh in most fan's minds. The Timbers now head out to Carolina for a USL regular season match on Thursday at 4 PM PT, which you can listen to at http://www.portlandtimbers.com/ or watch at USL Live (http://www.usllive.com/). Then, the Timbers travel to Charleston on Saturday for a 4:30 PM PT tilt with the Battery. Right now, the Battery are in first place in the USL Division 1 table, while Carolina sits in the second spot, and the RailHawks remember the 2 - nil loss the Timbers pinned on them on May 1st here in Portland. Saturday's game can be heard at http://www.portlandtimbers.com/ or at http://www.955thegame.com/ or 95.5 FM in the Portland area, or at the USL Live site. The Timbers then come back for the Tuesday night match in the Open Cup, then face last place Minnesota at home next Friday starting at 8 PM.
Timbers Notes -
The match report is noted here, and it was a good effort by the Timbers, especially with the embarrassment of last year's upset loss still fresh in most fan's minds. The Timbers now head out to Carolina for a USL regular season match on Thursday at 4 PM PT, which you can listen to at http://www.portlandtimbers.com/ or watch at USL Live (http://www.usllive.com/). Then, the Timbers travel to Charleston on Saturday for a 4:30 PM PT tilt with the Battery. Right now, the Battery are in first place in the USL Division 1 table, while Carolina sits in the second spot, and the RailHawks remember the 2 - nil loss the Timbers pinned on them on May 1st here in Portland. Saturday's game can be heard at http://www.portlandtimbers.com/ or at http://www.955thegame.com/ or 95.5 FM in the Portland area, or at the USL Live site. The Timbers then come back for the Tuesday night match in the Open Cup, then face last place Minnesota at home next Friday starting at 8 PM.
Timbers Notes -
- Ryan Pore has a knee problem that will keep him out for a few weeks. It could be a strained or torn MCL, but the report is 4 to 6 weeks off. Based on tonight's game, it appears David Hayes will take on Pore's role as designated PK person.
- Tony McManus was injured in tonight's Open Cup match, and Tom Poltl made his first appearance of the 2009 campaign replacing McManus.
- Not sure if there will be a broadcast of the Open Cup match next Tuesday, but 95.5 The Game has promised updates during their weekly Talk Timbers show, which runs Tuesday nights between 7 pm and 8 pm on the Game. Hosted by John Strong, a veteran color analyst and play by play guy who is also a TA emeritus member and has his own radio show weeknights, it's a good snippet of Timbers action, commentary, and interviews. Tonight's chat with Alan Gordon of the Los Angeles Galaxy and formerly of the Timbers was a great listen.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Timbers Last Night and Saltzman Says Something..
I missed a Timbers home match. Oh, I've missed home matches before due to travel, like to my 20th high school reunion or for business, or my epic European honeymoon last year, but I've not missed a home match while being in town since 2004. But as I was working downstairs on the computer about 3 pm, girl came downstairs and said that bad thunderstorms were coming from Salem, so things could get bad later today. I continued to work until just before 5 pm, when the power went out bumping me from my task. I wandered upstairs to see the wind pick up, and so we went outside to grab lawn chairs, the gazebo cover, and other assorted outdoor furniture and put it in a safe place before the heavens opened. And right at 5 pm, they did. The power flickered on and off a few times, and it rained solid for over an hour, along with thunder and lightning strikes. Our cats were going insane with the racket outside, and as much as I wanted to head downtown, the weather was keeping me here, and then watching the television after the power came back on, traffic around town was terrible as every highway was backed up for miles.
Once I saw that, I was resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to make it to the match, but I had the feeling I wasn't going to be there all week. Our original travel plans were that we were supposed to have been in Mexico from the 29th until yesterday, so really I wasn't supposed to be here anyway. Our original arrival time would have gotten us back in time to go to the match, depending on how we felt, but really, it was insane watching the Waterfront Village for the Rose Festival as a ghost town. I also enjoyed seeing traffic shots and trees fallen down, it was as if the world was ending, but it was a powerful storm. Much like the Timbers Army, as I heard them chanting loudly during John Strong's pregame report. 95.5 The Game was calling the match on the radio, while FSN was providing television coverage, so I settled in to watch the match here.
The first 20 minutes were extremely calculated, as the rain continued to come down and both Montreal and Portland were trying to figure out what each other had planned. Guest analyst Antonio Harvey was really on his game last night, providing some nice insight into a match between a team that has been hot lately (The Timbers) and a team in a bit of trouble (The Impact). The Impact have been struggling with injuries and they made a coaching change recently, but they stuck with their basic idea of playing strong defense and slowing the game down to get a draw. And the longer the game stayed close, perhaps they could steal it with a late goal. Portland, meanwhile was trying to attack from everywhere, but the rain conditions were causing passes to fly in different directions, and it was hard to control the ball at times. Portland seemed to get better later in the first half, generating some chances finally, but Impact GK Matt Jordan was up to the task. The second half was more of the same, as Portland continued to shoot but come up with close misses on golden opportunities, while Montreal held its ground defensively. Some late substitutes for Portland gave some fresh legs, especially Keith Savage, Alex Nimo and Taka Suzuki, as the chances became more frequent, and finally just before stoppage time, David Hayes took a direct free kick that glanced off Cameron Knowles, and Keith Savage tapped in the rebound for the game's only goal. The celebration by Strong on the air was brilliant, and the Timbers got the 3 points and the win.
Observations:
Allison did some great work as usual for Soccer City USA, while the Oregonian provides some good analysis as well.
Our next home game is the 19th against Minnesota, and ironically, Minnesota is one of the more famous matches where PGE Park suffered a power outage, so perhaps there will be more magic later this month. The Timbers have a busy week on the road, taking on the Kitsap Pumas on Tuesday in Bremerton as part of the US Open Cup, then they travel to Carolina on Thursday and Charleston on Saturday for matches. Our depth will be tested, but I expect our boys to do alright. And I'll have some information about each match out, and I will be watching the Saturday match on the road in Bend, OR, as the Row N crew go on road trip!!
Saltzman Speaks!!
Well, in a letter to the City Council, per this post on Soccer City USA. His main points, which are summarized in the post are as follows:
Dan Saltzman released a letter to the remainder of the city council yesterday with the following- if I can possibly summarize:
Nothing on the list seems too outlandish of a request, and I can imagine if the other requests are met, the Lents URAC (Urban Renewal Admin Committee) might put a blessing on the whole idea, and we can finally move past these generic thoughts and put more tangible plans in place for the future. At least now, we know there is still support from three of the City Council, and what Saltzman wants to continue to provide his support. It feels like a win, and some of the air has been cleared. Now, it's up to Paulson and his team, and I have a feeling that we'll hear good things from him very soon.
Once I saw that, I was resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to make it to the match, but I had the feeling I wasn't going to be there all week. Our original travel plans were that we were supposed to have been in Mexico from the 29th until yesterday, so really I wasn't supposed to be here anyway. Our original arrival time would have gotten us back in time to go to the match, depending on how we felt, but really, it was insane watching the Waterfront Village for the Rose Festival as a ghost town. I also enjoyed seeing traffic shots and trees fallen down, it was as if the world was ending, but it was a powerful storm. Much like the Timbers Army, as I heard them chanting loudly during John Strong's pregame report. 95.5 The Game was calling the match on the radio, while FSN was providing television coverage, so I settled in to watch the match here.
The first 20 minutes were extremely calculated, as the rain continued to come down and both Montreal and Portland were trying to figure out what each other had planned. Guest analyst Antonio Harvey was really on his game last night, providing some nice insight into a match between a team that has been hot lately (The Timbers) and a team in a bit of trouble (The Impact). The Impact have been struggling with injuries and they made a coaching change recently, but they stuck with their basic idea of playing strong defense and slowing the game down to get a draw. And the longer the game stayed close, perhaps they could steal it with a late goal. Portland, meanwhile was trying to attack from everywhere, but the rain conditions were causing passes to fly in different directions, and it was hard to control the ball at times. Portland seemed to get better later in the first half, generating some chances finally, but Impact GK Matt Jordan was up to the task. The second half was more of the same, as Portland continued to shoot but come up with close misses on golden opportunities, while Montreal held its ground defensively. Some late substitutes for Portland gave some fresh legs, especially Keith Savage, Alex Nimo and Taka Suzuki, as the chances became more frequent, and finally just before stoppage time, David Hayes took a direct free kick that glanced off Cameron Knowles, and Keith Savage tapped in the rebound for the game's only goal. The celebration by Strong on the air was brilliant, and the Timbers got the 3 points and the win.
Observations:
- Montreal didn't start Eduardo Sebrango, who was one of their leading scorers. Not sure what that was about, but the starting lineup for the Impact was a bit odd. They had called up a few players for the match, but their lineup seemed to be built for holding the ball and then hitting the Timbers late with offense if needed.
- Steve Cronin was very good again last night, making some good saves and keeping another clean sheet. But the defense was the man of the match, with Steven Keel, Scot Thompson, Knowles and Hayes all playing parts in keeping things solid in back, and making plays when needed.
- I was very impressed with Aaron Heinzen's work as the color guy for FSN. He must be following the Keith Costigan school of TV work, using his experience as a Timber to get work. But seriously, Heinzen broke down a lot of key moments in the match with ease and simplicity, and I found that even the most novice soccer fans would gain some understanding from his work.
- Even Antonio Harvey was solid last night, and he's a basketball guy. But he understood the basic concepts, and provided some great insight into a game that was being played under tough conditions, both physically with the weather and emotionally with Montreal being a bit wounded. I expect the Impact to be a bit more under control when they visit again on the 28th.
- Don Garber was the halftime guest on FSN, and he spent a great deal of time talking about the Pacific Northwest, and the intense rivalry here. Ok, he spent a bit of time talking about the team up north and the good things there, while the background shot was a Timbers Army member with an ACES scarf.
- John Strong's best comments of the night: "Keel is listed at 6-foot, but it's really more like 6-3 with the 'fro.", which is a clear Fletch comments, and "Hayes and Claesson love to play with themselves." I think Strong has been talking to Mike Rice a bit lately, as Mr. Rice loves to talk about sports in a uniquely double entrendre way.
Allison did some great work as usual for Soccer City USA, while the Oregonian provides some good analysis as well.
Our next home game is the 19th against Minnesota, and ironically, Minnesota is one of the more famous matches where PGE Park suffered a power outage, so perhaps there will be more magic later this month. The Timbers have a busy week on the road, taking on the Kitsap Pumas on Tuesday in Bremerton as part of the US Open Cup, then they travel to Carolina on Thursday and Charleston on Saturday for matches. Our depth will be tested, but I expect our boys to do alright. And I'll have some information about each match out, and I will be watching the Saturday match on the road in Bend, OR, as the Row N crew go on road trip!!
Saltzman Speaks!!
Well, in a letter to the City Council, per this post on Soccer City USA. His main points, which are summarized in the post are as follows:
Dan Saltzman released a letter to the remainder of the city council yesterday with the following- if I can possibly summarize:
- Considers MLS a unique opportunity, continues to support it, requests the council deliberates decoupling.
- Concerned about the Lents proposal, will consider if Office of Management and Budget AND Lents URAC approve the deal.
- List of other conditions: *Some of $2 million designated for park replacement go to new athletic fields at Marhsall HS, playing fields at Lent Elementary, lights and synthetic turf at the two remaining Lents Park soccer fields. *200-space south parking preserves the vital trees and uses the pavers or green bricks. *Paulson should help pay for expansion of Lents Farmers Market at said parking area. *Replace any trees removed. *Try to reduce footprint of stadium. *Do not locate team offices at the stadium site as originally proposed. *30 game tickets available for Marshall HS students. *Stadium made available for 600 hours of community events and use between March and October. *Paulson pays living wage to stadium workers.
Nothing on the list seems too outlandish of a request, and I can imagine if the other requests are met, the Lents URAC (Urban Renewal Admin Committee) might put a blessing on the whole idea, and we can finally move past these generic thoughts and put more tangible plans in place for the future. At least now, we know there is still support from three of the City Council, and what Saltzman wants to continue to provide his support. It feels like a win, and some of the air has been cleared. Now, it's up to Paulson and his team, and I have a feeling that we'll hear good things from him very soon.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Timbers - Caps Match Recap and Howie's Wake
The Timbers had a big weekend, winning two matches on Saturday and Sunday, beating arch rival Vancouver 2 to nil on Saturday and then beating the Club America reserves on Sunday 4 to 1. I was in the Columbia Gorge over the weekend until today, so I missed Sunday's match, but I did get to watch Saturday's match up close.
The match was slightly delayed for some reason and it was really hot at game time, reaching almost 90 degrees at game time. Girl and I had spent the day at Howie's wake earlier, then walking to the waterfront to wander about, and then wander back to the stadium for the match. My heart was in a bunch of different places after the wake, which I'll chat about later, but for the match itself, it seemed like the lads were keyed up after the big Puerto Rico trip, and because it was a rivalry game.
I had wandered to the far side of the stadium right after getting inside to get girl a margarita, and nearly ran over Merritt Paulson on my way to the beer garden. It's not my fault they put the good margaritas over there, but I did chat briefly with the owner saying Hi and thanking him for things with the team. He seems like a very good guy from what I've seen of him, and after reading the piece that John Canzano did earlier this week, I'm more impressed with the man who only wants to bring top level soccer to Portland. I just promise to be a bit more careful running around the stadium trying to get stuff before the game.
Before nearly 9200 fans (which seemed to be a short count), the match started with the anthem singer nailing O Canada but yet mauling the Star Spangled Banner. For a night where the Starlight Parade was going on, I thought it was a good sized crowd. And as people were getting settled in, Johan Claesson made a good move and was bumped hard by Jay Nolly, the Caps goal keeper and the center official pointed to the PK spot for a penalty kick. The center official, Hidajet Tica, was the official at one of the Timbers' darkest days where we lost in the Open Cup in Tukwila versus the team up north in a match that up until a point seemed even until the officiating slanted towards the home team. Ryan Pore knocked in the PK and we were up 1 to nil.
The Timbers seemed to press their speed advantage on the wings, keeping the Caps on their heels for most of the first half. The mids, especially Claesson, Pore, and Savage, kept control of the ball in the middle and fed it to the forwards almost at will for points. Vancouver only got a few shots on GK Steve Cronin, who really wasn't challenged for the whole match. Near the 40th minute as I was texting updates to my friend Obi, George Josten knocked in a great shot past Nolly to get the Timbers' second goal. I completely missed his run, but watching it on the sports report later, Josten used his speed and positioning to break away from the Vancouver defense and made a great move to knock in goal number two. The score remained this way in the second half, as Vancouver turned up the heat pressing more guys forward, but Cronin and the defense turned away a lot of shots, preserving the shutout.
Observations:
Videos From Saturday night including Ryan Pore's penalty kick, a really nice corner kick that had some good defense, and the after match march. All are available on my YouTube site, including some old archives.
I also got some pictures of my cats with Timbers gear, so thought I would share.
General Timber Howie Update:
And as I mentioned, we started our day by attending General Timber Howie's wake at PGE Park Saturday afternoon. We had attended his funeral service on Tuesday, and the ceremony on Saturday was a bit more surreal and more fun. Our friend, Drumman, organized it with the help of the team, who opened up the park to allow us to gather. They also allowed us to spread Howie's ashes in Feral Cat Alley at PGE Park, a special part of the park. There are some feral cats that live at the park, taking care of the mice and patrolling the area, but since they are feral, you don't see them much, but the park created a feeding station for the cats in the basement. Since Howie is a cat person, we thought it was a good idea to spread his ashes there, along with one of Howie's cats that he lost before he left us.
We had a wake where some folks shared some stories, our friend Timber played the pipes, and we sang a few tunes before we left for the Bitter End to celebrate Howie. I was given the task of taking Howie's helmet to the Cheerful Bullpen to place in their trophy case, but before that, I needed to complete my task, because while we talked about Howie stories, I didn't share my story and the piece of Timbers history that I have because of Howie.
It was 2007 and the USL had a new team join, the California Victory, based out of San Francisco. Girl and I hadn't been there in years, and once we found out the schedule, we decided to make the first trip down there in late June to see the Timbers' first game at Kezar Stadium. We flew down there, staying near Fisherman's Wharf, with the game being on Thursday, and we were staying through Saturday before needing to be up here for another Timbers game in Portland. We ended up going to Kezar Pub to watch sports before the match because the Trail Blazers were also participating in the NBA draft, and as we were sitting there drinking, Howie came in and joined girl and I. We drank a bit, and then wandered over to the game. During the match, the PA announcer for the Victory kept talking about the Timbers - Victory celebration after the match, which we thought was pretty funny especially for the sense that the game was pretty much a draw until very late until David Hague knocked in a late goal on a looooong Josh Wickes goal kick and we won 1 to nil. We also met many of the Victory supporters, who were good folks and happy that some of the Timbers Army came down to visit.
As we wandered back to Kezar after the match, the TA congregated into one table, and suddenly the Victory supporters placed a pitcher of beer on our table that they had purchased. We then sat about, talking about scarves, supporter things, chants, and other things as the Victory were trying to really establish themselves. Their stadium is great, the crowd seemed to be good, and the fans were great, and my hope was that they were doing enough to do well. In the matter of discussion, we discussed the Cascadia Cup, a supporters cup between Vancouver, the team up north and us in which the team that scored the most points in matches against Cascadia Cup rivals would win the cup. The Victory wanted to do something similar with us, and so that night, we dreamt up the supporters cup with them. We thought that all matches would count, and the cup would remain with the winning team, but it would only be given to the other side if they won and they were present to collect. Since by then, we knew that there was one other match in San Francisco and 3 matches in Portland, it was decided that the Victory supporters would need to come up to get the cup if they won.
After figuring out the rules, we then needed to decide what would represent the trophy or cup. Well, Howie being the ingenious person he was, he pointed to the beer pitcher that was purchased for us, and said this would work. And now that it was empty, he looked about, zipped open his pack, grabbed the pitcher and put it in his pack quickly. It was subtle, quick and decisive, and we all laughed about the theft while realizing it would be perfect for this. The supporters would write the scores on the cup after each match, and so we left with Howie and our newly formed cup. Howie had offered to take girl and on a tour of the city on Friday, and so we met him at our hotel the next morning for a whirlwind tour of the bay. We went to the Presidio, the barracks and Golden Gate Park, and then spent some time in Chinatown for lunch and some shopping. We found a great restaurant where girl ordered a very warm dish that the waiter tried to get Howie and I to tell girl was too hot, but I knew better. She eats what she wants, and the only thing that messed her up was the amount of food, which was massive. Howie also gave us the cup for keeping, so that we could write in the scores. It was a truly fun day seeing the sights of San Francisco, and girl even bought some nice jewelry while we were out. Later that night, we saw Howie at the Giants - Diamondbacks game at Pac Bell Park, where Bonds hit number 750, which was exciting.
We flew back the next day, cup in hand, and the cup never left us, as we beat the Victory the 4 remaining times we played them. The team folded after the 2007 season, as the MLS returned to San Jose, and so the cup will remain as part of Timbers history, and something that girl and I will protect because not only is it a trophy that we have, but it's also something that we have because of Howie. The final picture of my photos from Saturday's wake is a picture of Howie's helmet and the cup that he never got to see, because I never got a chance to write down the scores until now. But girl and I also feel that Howie gave us the cup for a reason, and so it's part of the history of the team. And it's fitting that the helmet and cup will be put to picture, and the helmet will have a picture of the cup placed inside of it when it's placed in its new resting place at the Cheerful Bullpen sometime this week. I figure Howie would want to have his handiwork with him, and nothing would be a more fitting tribute for a truly honorable and humble man.
The match was slightly delayed for some reason and it was really hot at game time, reaching almost 90 degrees at game time. Girl and I had spent the day at Howie's wake earlier, then walking to the waterfront to wander about, and then wander back to the stadium for the match. My heart was in a bunch of different places after the wake, which I'll chat about later, but for the match itself, it seemed like the lads were keyed up after the big Puerto Rico trip, and because it was a rivalry game.
I had wandered to the far side of the stadium right after getting inside to get girl a margarita, and nearly ran over Merritt Paulson on my way to the beer garden. It's not my fault they put the good margaritas over there, but I did chat briefly with the owner saying Hi and thanking him for things with the team. He seems like a very good guy from what I've seen of him, and after reading the piece that John Canzano did earlier this week, I'm more impressed with the man who only wants to bring top level soccer to Portland. I just promise to be a bit more careful running around the stadium trying to get stuff before the game.
Before nearly 9200 fans (which seemed to be a short count), the match started with the anthem singer nailing O Canada but yet mauling the Star Spangled Banner. For a night where the Starlight Parade was going on, I thought it was a good sized crowd. And as people were getting settled in, Johan Claesson made a good move and was bumped hard by Jay Nolly, the Caps goal keeper and the center official pointed to the PK spot for a penalty kick. The center official, Hidajet Tica, was the official at one of the Timbers' darkest days where we lost in the Open Cup in Tukwila versus the team up north in a match that up until a point seemed even until the officiating slanted towards the home team. Ryan Pore knocked in the PK and we were up 1 to nil.
The Timbers seemed to press their speed advantage on the wings, keeping the Caps on their heels for most of the first half. The mids, especially Claesson, Pore, and Savage, kept control of the ball in the middle and fed it to the forwards almost at will for points. Vancouver only got a few shots on GK Steve Cronin, who really wasn't challenged for the whole match. Near the 40th minute as I was texting updates to my friend Obi, George Josten knocked in a great shot past Nolly to get the Timbers' second goal. I completely missed his run, but watching it on the sports report later, Josten used his speed and positioning to break away from the Vancouver defense and made a great move to knock in goal number two. The score remained this way in the second half, as Vancouver turned up the heat pressing more guys forward, but Cronin and the defense turned away a lot of shots, preserving the shutout.
Observations:
- Jay Nolly looked great at points for the Caps, but he really was beaten by Josten. Also, his goal kicks seemed very short on the PGE Park turf, and the Timbers used some of these short kicks to provide quick counters.
- Josten really played well, and I was really surprised that he got the start over the other forwards, but he proved his worth with some great work and the goal.
- Can't say enough about the job of Cronin and the defense - SCOT, Keel, Hayes and C-Knowles. They held up their men very well, and really only gave Vancouver a couple of solid shots. It appeared that the Caps were completely outplayed and outclassed, which I don't see all that often.
- But I think the defense for the Timbers contributed, but also our midfield, which kept Nash and Knight under wraps for most of the game. The Caps only really dangerous shots were on set plays, and Cronin was up to the task.
- I loved seeing the 30 or so Caps fans that made the trip down from Vancouver. It's always nice to see away supporters, and they showed some love for their team, which I would expect. And not only did I appreciate the win, but they now know what it's like to make that rough drive on I-5 after a loss.
Videos From Saturday night including Ryan Pore's penalty kick, a really nice corner kick that had some good defense, and the after match march. All are available on my YouTube site, including some old archives.
I also got some pictures of my cats with Timbers gear, so thought I would share.
General Timber Howie Update:
And as I mentioned, we started our day by attending General Timber Howie's wake at PGE Park Saturday afternoon. We had attended his funeral service on Tuesday, and the ceremony on Saturday was a bit more surreal and more fun. Our friend, Drumman, organized it with the help of the team, who opened up the park to allow us to gather. They also allowed us to spread Howie's ashes in Feral Cat Alley at PGE Park, a special part of the park. There are some feral cats that live at the park, taking care of the mice and patrolling the area, but since they are feral, you don't see them much, but the park created a feeding station for the cats in the basement. Since Howie is a cat person, we thought it was a good idea to spread his ashes there, along with one of Howie's cats that he lost before he left us.
We had a wake where some folks shared some stories, our friend Timber played the pipes, and we sang a few tunes before we left for the Bitter End to celebrate Howie. I was given the task of taking Howie's helmet to the Cheerful Bullpen to place in their trophy case, but before that, I needed to complete my task, because while we talked about Howie stories, I didn't share my story and the piece of Timbers history that I have because of Howie.
It was 2007 and the USL had a new team join, the California Victory, based out of San Francisco. Girl and I hadn't been there in years, and once we found out the schedule, we decided to make the first trip down there in late June to see the Timbers' first game at Kezar Stadium. We flew down there, staying near Fisherman's Wharf, with the game being on Thursday, and we were staying through Saturday before needing to be up here for another Timbers game in Portland. We ended up going to Kezar Pub to watch sports before the match because the Trail Blazers were also participating in the NBA draft, and as we were sitting there drinking, Howie came in and joined girl and I. We drank a bit, and then wandered over to the game. During the match, the PA announcer for the Victory kept talking about the Timbers - Victory celebration after the match, which we thought was pretty funny especially for the sense that the game was pretty much a draw until very late until David Hague knocked in a late goal on a looooong Josh Wickes goal kick and we won 1 to nil. We also met many of the Victory supporters, who were good folks and happy that some of the Timbers Army came down to visit.
As we wandered back to Kezar after the match, the TA congregated into one table, and suddenly the Victory supporters placed a pitcher of beer on our table that they had purchased. We then sat about, talking about scarves, supporter things, chants, and other things as the Victory were trying to really establish themselves. Their stadium is great, the crowd seemed to be good, and the fans were great, and my hope was that they were doing enough to do well. In the matter of discussion, we discussed the Cascadia Cup, a supporters cup between Vancouver, the team up north and us in which the team that scored the most points in matches against Cascadia Cup rivals would win the cup. The Victory wanted to do something similar with us, and so that night, we dreamt up the supporters cup with them. We thought that all matches would count, and the cup would remain with the winning team, but it would only be given to the other side if they won and they were present to collect. Since by then, we knew that there was one other match in San Francisco and 3 matches in Portland, it was decided that the Victory supporters would need to come up to get the cup if they won.
After figuring out the rules, we then needed to decide what would represent the trophy or cup. Well, Howie being the ingenious person he was, he pointed to the beer pitcher that was purchased for us, and said this would work. And now that it was empty, he looked about, zipped open his pack, grabbed the pitcher and put it in his pack quickly. It was subtle, quick and decisive, and we all laughed about the theft while realizing it would be perfect for this. The supporters would write the scores on the cup after each match, and so we left with Howie and our newly formed cup. Howie had offered to take girl and on a tour of the city on Friday, and so we met him at our hotel the next morning for a whirlwind tour of the bay. We went to the Presidio, the barracks and Golden Gate Park, and then spent some time in Chinatown for lunch and some shopping. We found a great restaurant where girl ordered a very warm dish that the waiter tried to get Howie and I to tell girl was too hot, but I knew better. She eats what she wants, and the only thing that messed her up was the amount of food, which was massive. Howie also gave us the cup for keeping, so that we could write in the scores. It was a truly fun day seeing the sights of San Francisco, and girl even bought some nice jewelry while we were out. Later that night, we saw Howie at the Giants - Diamondbacks game at Pac Bell Park, where Bonds hit number 750, which was exciting.
We flew back the next day, cup in hand, and the cup never left us, as we beat the Victory the 4 remaining times we played them. The team folded after the 2007 season, as the MLS returned to San Jose, and so the cup will remain as part of Timbers history, and something that girl and I will protect because not only is it a trophy that we have, but it's also something that we have because of Howie. The final picture of my photos from Saturday's wake is a picture of Howie's helmet and the cup that he never got to see, because I never got a chance to write down the scores until now. But girl and I also feel that Howie gave us the cup for a reason, and so it's part of the history of the team. And it's fitting that the helmet and cup will be put to picture, and the helmet will have a picture of the cup placed inside of it when it's placed in its new resting place at the Cheerful Bullpen sometime this week. I figure Howie would want to have his handiwork with him, and nothing would be a more fitting tribute for a truly honorable and humble man.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Timbers Vs. Rhinos 5/14/09 Match Report
Last night was one of the most roller coaster sports experiences I've ever had. It was a match of great highs and crippling lows, and while the result pleased me, there's still a nagging feeling of something missing from last night. I lost a dear friend and right now, I'm just trying to deal with that reality.
As many long time Timbers Army members know, General Timber Howie was a fixture at the Timbers matches, he sat in the first seat in the first row in 108, arriving right as the gates opened. Often times, he would waive to girl and I to join him up front in line to get into the stadium, as we are notoriously early arrivals as well to stake out our space. I've talked with Howie for many years about his love of baseball and hockey, traveling with him to England in a large TA group, seeing him on the road at many locations. He gave us a great tour of San Francisco, including eating lunch at a great place in Chinatown and we saw him at a Giants - Diamondbacks game that same night from AT&T Park. The man had a enormous heart, and always had wonderful things to say to everyone, and I will miss his smile, the talks with him, and his presence in the TA.
I found out the news about Howie about 4 hours before the kickoff, and my emotions were all over the place for the rest of my day at work as I tried to concentrate as best I could. I came home, and hugged girl and we cried and talked about our feelings. Howie always asked me to hug my wife to make sure she knows how I feel about her, and after the news, I needed a hug. We felt a bit odd going to a Timbers match after the news, but I also know that I needed to be there because it's what Howie would have wanted. It was a late start, so we wandered to our usual gate and nobody was in line where Howie stood. So in his honor, I stood there and waited. And I waived other TA to come up and join me. I felt odd being there, but at the same time, it felt right.
We got into the stadium, and there was a memorial already being constructed at his usual seat. For the first time in over 3 years, I went to a Timbers match without a camera, but at the same time, I wanted to just watch and be a fan for a night without worrying about the shots or the angles. I did notice that in the back of section 107, the team had hung a sign labeling the section as Timbers Army Supporters Section, which we'd been asking about for a long time. It was a nice touch. TA members filed in, and there was a lot of hugging and crying, as we all tried to deal with the loss. For one night anyway, Howie's seat held flowers, and as I helped with the memorial, others came to pay their respects. The team even agreed to have a moment of silence before the anthem, which I really appreciated, even if some of the tourist fans didn't have a clue about or care to observe the moment. As a few of us tried to shut them up, it became apparent to me like on many Thirsty Thursdays, there are some fans that don't give a flying fuck about anything but getting drunk at the match. I appreciate new people wanting to experience this for themselves, but at the same time, you should show some respect.
The anthem singer decided to do her version of the anthem, which was way slow and done like a bad R and B song. Seriously, the pauses were crap, and so the Army sang the last verse as loud as we could to get things started. And then the match began. Keel was in for defense, as Nishimura was not on the bench (apparently, he has a VISA problem that is being resolved) and Keita started up front with McLaughlin, but I had the rest of the starters pegged.
The first half was a pure passing clinic by the Timbers, as they tried to stretch the Rhinos defense with short passes and crosses. The plan worked pretty well, as they were getting chances, but as with previous matches, some players seem content to pass rather than shoot. The Rhinos, meanwhile, countered with some solid, extremely physical defense, as they held position and really pushed our guys around a lot. Some of the tackles were good, hard challenges, while a few drew cards, which they should have. Overall, the first half was pretty even until Brian Farber knocked in a gorgeous cross from Keita to get the Timbers' first goal. We had the control of the possession, and the defense was doing a great job on Johnny Menyonger, the Rhinos key forward. Steve Cronin was solid in goal, even sporting a cool black and light blue kit in two color English fashion. The mood of the Army was still a bit all over the place, as some sang and danced like a normal match, but many people had a heavy heart, and so getting the goal helped ease some of the tensions.
The second half saw some of the same pinpoint passing from the Timbers, while the Rhinos were content to play long balls over the top to get chances, and try to create set piece opportunities. While Andrew Gregor might not be a favorite person around here, he's still dangerous in set pieces, and we got to see that later. At the 62nd minute, Nino Short from Rochester went in with a hard challenge, and drew straight red for the contact, putting Rochester down to 10 men. However, the Rhinos seemed energized by this and actually outplayed the Timbers for the next 15 minutes or so, creating chances all over the place and testing Cronin. In the 66th minute, a free kick from Gregor was headed towards Cronin and saved, but Darren Kenton pounced on the bounce and knocked one past Cronin to level the score and end the Timbers' defensive scoreless streak. And after that, they kept the pressure on, as shots came at Cronin and the defense seemed to be struggling to find itself.
Taka Suzuki came on in the 70th, and the offense continued to sputter until about the 82nd minute when the TA broke into the Sunshine song. The passes that weren't working for the Timbers suddenly found players, and the pressure on Scott Vallow, the Rhinos keeper, over the last few minutes was relentless. It appeared at minute 83 that Rochester was simply trying to play for the tie and a point, but the Timbers were trying to salvage a win. The game's physicality escalated with some altercations, a few more yellows, and some challenges that went awry but were missed. Until the game hit stoppage time and at the 94th minute, Steven Keel was in the box and went down hard on contact away from the ball. Darren Kenton had shoved Keel in the box, and the center official called it with only seconds remaining.
The Rochester players were incensed, and Vallow did his best to delay the kick by walking around and drinking water. The other Rhinos players did their best to wander around and mess with the shooter by kicking the ball around. The Rhinos were also upset at 2 minutes of announced stoppage time, yet when Menyonger was substituted for in the 90th, he took over a minute to leave the pitch after first trying to feign injury with a limp. The official extended the time, and so Ryan Pore stepped up to take the PK. Vallow, after a delay, went left, and after waiting a tiny bit, Pore punched it right and into the back of the net. Pandemonium struck the shed, as we got a second goal, and just 30 seconds later, full time was called and it was over.
For such a draining night, it was nice to get a win, and everyone felt Howie was in the house, watching down on us and his team. I've never been so relieved to get a win, because we deserved it. As much as soccer has talent determine winners, sometimes luck has more influence in determining outcomes. Needless to say, we got a win for the General, and so we could all smile after a rather trying day.
Match Reports:
Allison's recap from Soccer City USA, including pictures.
Official Match Report from the Timbers.
My Observations
Next Timbers match is next Friday night in Puerto Rico. If you need a Timbers fix this weekend, the U-23 boys will be playing at PGE tonight (actually the game tonight versus Spokane is done) and tomorrow night versus Yakima. The game tomorrow is a 7 PM kickoff.
And finally, Howie, rest in peace, and Rose City Til I Die.
As many long time Timbers Army members know, General Timber Howie was a fixture at the Timbers matches, he sat in the first seat in the first row in 108, arriving right as the gates opened. Often times, he would waive to girl and I to join him up front in line to get into the stadium, as we are notoriously early arrivals as well to stake out our space. I've talked with Howie for many years about his love of baseball and hockey, traveling with him to England in a large TA group, seeing him on the road at many locations. He gave us a great tour of San Francisco, including eating lunch at a great place in Chinatown and we saw him at a Giants - Diamondbacks game that same night from AT&T Park. The man had a enormous heart, and always had wonderful things to say to everyone, and I will miss his smile, the talks with him, and his presence in the TA.
I found out the news about Howie about 4 hours before the kickoff, and my emotions were all over the place for the rest of my day at work as I tried to concentrate as best I could. I came home, and hugged girl and we cried and talked about our feelings. Howie always asked me to hug my wife to make sure she knows how I feel about her, and after the news, I needed a hug. We felt a bit odd going to a Timbers match after the news, but I also know that I needed to be there because it's what Howie would have wanted. It was a late start, so we wandered to our usual gate and nobody was in line where Howie stood. So in his honor, I stood there and waited. And I waived other TA to come up and join me. I felt odd being there, but at the same time, it felt right.
We got into the stadium, and there was a memorial already being constructed at his usual seat. For the first time in over 3 years, I went to a Timbers match without a camera, but at the same time, I wanted to just watch and be a fan for a night without worrying about the shots or the angles. I did notice that in the back of section 107, the team had hung a sign labeling the section as Timbers Army Supporters Section, which we'd been asking about for a long time. It was a nice touch. TA members filed in, and there was a lot of hugging and crying, as we all tried to deal with the loss. For one night anyway, Howie's seat held flowers, and as I helped with the memorial, others came to pay their respects. The team even agreed to have a moment of silence before the anthem, which I really appreciated, even if some of the tourist fans didn't have a clue about or care to observe the moment. As a few of us tried to shut them up, it became apparent to me like on many Thirsty Thursdays, there are some fans that don't give a flying fuck about anything but getting drunk at the match. I appreciate new people wanting to experience this for themselves, but at the same time, you should show some respect.
The anthem singer decided to do her version of the anthem, which was way slow and done like a bad R and B song. Seriously, the pauses were crap, and so the Army sang the last verse as loud as we could to get things started. And then the match began. Keel was in for defense, as Nishimura was not on the bench (apparently, he has a VISA problem that is being resolved) and Keita started up front with McLaughlin, but I had the rest of the starters pegged.
The first half was a pure passing clinic by the Timbers, as they tried to stretch the Rhinos defense with short passes and crosses. The plan worked pretty well, as they were getting chances, but as with previous matches, some players seem content to pass rather than shoot. The Rhinos, meanwhile, countered with some solid, extremely physical defense, as they held position and really pushed our guys around a lot. Some of the tackles were good, hard challenges, while a few drew cards, which they should have. Overall, the first half was pretty even until Brian Farber knocked in a gorgeous cross from Keita to get the Timbers' first goal. We had the control of the possession, and the defense was doing a great job on Johnny Menyonger, the Rhinos key forward. Steve Cronin was solid in goal, even sporting a cool black and light blue kit in two color English fashion. The mood of the Army was still a bit all over the place, as some sang and danced like a normal match, but many people had a heavy heart, and so getting the goal helped ease some of the tensions.
The second half saw some of the same pinpoint passing from the Timbers, while the Rhinos were content to play long balls over the top to get chances, and try to create set piece opportunities. While Andrew Gregor might not be a favorite person around here, he's still dangerous in set pieces, and we got to see that later. At the 62nd minute, Nino Short from Rochester went in with a hard challenge, and drew straight red for the contact, putting Rochester down to 10 men. However, the Rhinos seemed energized by this and actually outplayed the Timbers for the next 15 minutes or so, creating chances all over the place and testing Cronin. In the 66th minute, a free kick from Gregor was headed towards Cronin and saved, but Darren Kenton pounced on the bounce and knocked one past Cronin to level the score and end the Timbers' defensive scoreless streak. And after that, they kept the pressure on, as shots came at Cronin and the defense seemed to be struggling to find itself.
Taka Suzuki came on in the 70th, and the offense continued to sputter until about the 82nd minute when the TA broke into the Sunshine song. The passes that weren't working for the Timbers suddenly found players, and the pressure on Scott Vallow, the Rhinos keeper, over the last few minutes was relentless. It appeared at minute 83 that Rochester was simply trying to play for the tie and a point, but the Timbers were trying to salvage a win. The game's physicality escalated with some altercations, a few more yellows, and some challenges that went awry but were missed. Until the game hit stoppage time and at the 94th minute, Steven Keel was in the box and went down hard on contact away from the ball. Darren Kenton had shoved Keel in the box, and the center official called it with only seconds remaining.
The Rochester players were incensed, and Vallow did his best to delay the kick by walking around and drinking water. The other Rhinos players did their best to wander around and mess with the shooter by kicking the ball around. The Rhinos were also upset at 2 minutes of announced stoppage time, yet when Menyonger was substituted for in the 90th, he took over a minute to leave the pitch after first trying to feign injury with a limp. The official extended the time, and so Ryan Pore stepped up to take the PK. Vallow, after a delay, went left, and after waiting a tiny bit, Pore punched it right and into the back of the net. Pandemonium struck the shed, as we got a second goal, and just 30 seconds later, full time was called and it was over.
For such a draining night, it was nice to get a win, and everyone felt Howie was in the house, watching down on us and his team. I've never been so relieved to get a win, because we deserved it. As much as soccer has talent determine winners, sometimes luck has more influence in determining outcomes. Needless to say, we got a win for the General, and so we could all smile after a rather trying day.
Match Reports:
Allison's recap from Soccer City USA, including pictures.
Official Match Report from the Timbers.
My Observations
- My man of the match was Steve Cronin. After some shaky communication at points, he settled in and kept us level. I would say the entire defense would probably be 1B, because everyone in the back stepped up to keep Menyonger from getting shots, and they marked Gregor well all night.
- Keita continues to get shot opportunities, and I like his work rate, although he doesn't have a goal yet. As a matter of fact, our 4 goals are all from midfielders, and we had 2 official shots from forwards last night. I like our forwards but at the same time, don't be afraid to pull the trigger from time to time.
- McManus, Pore, Farber and Claesson all put in solid work all match. Claesson may not be the fastest guy out there, but he's smart and crafty, and he works very well with faster players like Pore and Farber. McManus has some tough matchups, but he held his ground, and I was impressed with his play.
- Taka did OK in his short stint, but he still struggled with a couple of good chances. We overall shot 25 times to 9 and 11 shots on goal, but we had to pull it out late.
- Vallow is a seasoned pro, and so is Sancho. They payed a lot of respect to the TA after the match, and I loved watching them work. It's nice to see some veterans from other teams get it when they are on the road, and they showed class in defeat. I didn't like some of their tactics during the match, but if you're willing to try it.
- There will be a lot of talk about the officiating, but the center official actually did an even job of calling things. There were calls missed on both sides, and while Rochester earned 6 cards, I felt that we deserved one or two with some awkward challenges. But in my mind, Keel was contacted hard and Kenton extended his arms, and the PK call was made I think because of that, plus a few other non-calls just prior. The Rhinos played physically, and we lost our composure after the 63rd minute and it cost us because they turned up the heat. We deserved the win, but seriously guys, can you do it a bit earlier next time?
- And yes, we always win 2 to 1!
Next Timbers match is next Friday night in Puerto Rico. If you need a Timbers fix this weekend, the U-23 boys will be playing at PGE tonight (actually the game tonight versus Spokane is done) and tomorrow night versus Yakima. The game tomorrow is a 7 PM kickoff.
And finally, Howie, rest in peace, and Rose City Til I Die.
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