Joining The Army

Growing up in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, I was fortunate to follow such entertaining soccer clubs as the now-defunct Minnesota Strikers (who played in the Major Indoor Soccer League--one of their homegrown stars, Gregg Thompson holds great camps where I learned to play) and the still operating Minnesota Thunder. I remember going to Thunder matches in their inaugural season of 1990, when they were still an amateur team before joining the professional ranks a few years later.

In 2001 I moved from Minnesota to Portland (for the 2nd time) and was excited to find out there was a new soccer team playing in downtown, the Portland Timbers. At the time I knew little about the history of the Timbers and the old NASL days, but I enjoyed the quality of play and the urban environment (Thunder matches were played in the suburbs). Previously the Timbers were in the "A-League" of US Soccer, and now they are currently in the first division of the United Soccer Leagues along with 11 other clubs, including the Thunder. Basically just a name-change, the "A-League" to "First Division" switch is more in keeping with the traditions found in Europe with multiple divisions within a country in which a club can be promoted or relegated based on performance. In the US, the top division is Major League Soccer.

I continued attending Timbers matches over the years--a particularly memorable match occurred in 2003 when newly acquired Byron Alvarez, unable to be paid due to some immigration snafu, was subbed into the second half (during a promotional free-hat day) and proceeded to score a hat-trick, prompting many to throw those fresh caps onto the pitch. In 2002 I attended a Thunder-Timbers match at PGE Park and instinctively cheered a terrific long-range Thunder goal, prompting many around me to wonder what the hell I was doing. However, last year I fully committed to becoming a Timbers fan, attending 7 matches and making an attempt to understand more about the now-burgeoning rowdy fan-base, the Timbers Army.

Camping out in the traditional spot behind the north end of the goal, I initially saw this group as an embarrassing attempt to adapt European and South American chants to a US audience without any of the underlying history. However, as I attended more matches and read about their dedication in multiple articles (the Willamette Week has been covering their exploits on a regular basis) I began to understand that their support was legitimate and endearing. Sure, some of the Army are probably more interested in getting drunk and making fools out of themselves--but most of them are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the game.

Now it's 2005 and I am finally standing, chanting and cheering with the Army. Check out my flickr photos and be sure to read the Timbers blog (in a new blogspot home) for up-to-date info, and join me in Section 107!