Soccer: August 2005 Archives

Over at the Hott Denn we tuned in to 1010 AM KZNY to listen to the Timbers play the Atlanta Silverbacks. Near the end of the game Dan Antoniuk got a red card because he threw a ball at one of the Silverbacks? The Silverbacks player got pissed and was also red-carded. So both teams played without one player for the end as Atlanta tried to score an equalizer.

WE WIN 2-1! Dan Antoniuk made two goals then gets a red card? Ouch.

This bumps the Timbers up to 6th place in the league, which means a playoff spot!

The next Timbers vs. Silverbacks is here in Portland on September 8th.

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!