Photos by Jose M. Romero
(SBI Staff writer Jose M. Romero was one of the thousands of Portland natives who braved the elements at Jeld-Wen Field last Thursday to take in a historic night for Portland soccer. Here is his account of that unforgettable night.)
By JOSE M. ROMERO
PORTLAND, Ore. — Yup, that's me above, waiting to get into Jeld-Wen Field Thursday night for the Portland Timbers' inaugural home game in MLS. It was pouring rain, and the rain never stopped.
But what a night, and one I didn't want to experience as a media member but rather as a paying customer soaking it all in. The only crowds that loud I've ever experienced in my home state of Oregon are at University of Oregon football games and Portland Trailblazers basketball games.
This was different, however. Completely organic and fueled by a passion for soccer that quite honestly, I never knew was so strong after living away from the city for the past 12.5 years.
Back in my youth, soccer was just something for kids to play. I was too young to get into the NASL TImbers of the 1970s and early 1980s. There was no soccer to watch on TV except the weekly Bundesliga game on Oregon Public Broadcasting, and the World Cups every four years.
I was a baseball, basketball and football fan; soccer was fun to play but I had no favorite team. Until 1986 when Mexico made a good run in the World Cup they hosted.
Over the years living out of state, I began to observe the Timbers from afar, and in doing so taking notice of the kind of support a lower-division team was receiving in my hometown. Then I saw Timbers games in person on vacation breaks and covered an amazing atmosphere for the U.S. Open Cup third- round match between the Timbers and then-first year MLS club Seattle in 2009, and realized that soccer meant something to so many in Portland.
That is now more clear than ever. And new converts are getting on board. I overheard the following on the train home: "Now that I've seen them (the Timbers) in person, I can feel more a part of them."
The Timbers got so much right Thursday night. Allowing the crowd to sing the national anthem. Playing well on the field and winning. Keeping some traditions from USL and A-League days. And giving away slabs of wood to commemorate the event.
Jeld-Wen Field, in all honesty, is too small. There isn't enough space for 18,627 fans getting there at about the same time. The concourses were so packed and lines for concessions, souvenirs and just to get into the stadium were horribly long. It looked so nice, so much cleaner and sharper than when I was a kid going to Beavers minor-league baseball games at old Civic Stadium (what the facility was called two names ago) and I'll always love the stadium for its location and its look. But big crowds have always been an issue, and they were in the rain on Thursday.
No one seemed to mind though. Everyone was so happy to be witnessing history.
I saw a civic pride in the stadium and around it, and even on the light rail train to the match, that one doesn't see much. The placards that read "Rose City 'Til I Die.' The ubiquitous green of those in A-League, USL and MLS jerseys. The fans not in the TImbers Army section (I was outside of it) chanting right along with them.
Portlanders are often branded as a bit offbeat, an easy label to pick up when there is a message painted on a building wall near downtown that says "Keep Portland Weird." But we are a devoted bunch. We love our sports teams, our roses, how other cities "go green" for a little while but ours does that all year; our bike paths and public transportation system, our parks, our Voodoo Doughnuts and our local bookstores. But soccer is not weird in Portland. It's as if the city was made to have a major-league franchise. The spirit of the sport seems to go hand-in-hand with what Portland the city is all about.
Before the match started I looked across from my seat at the new sections of seating that had been built. I couldn't help but smile seeing the word "Portland" painted into the seats. It filled me with some pride.
I'm pretty sure a lot of people who were there felt the same. Which is why the game will work in Portland for a long time to come. I'll miss the baseball that has now gone away, forever perhaps, but I know that there will always be a summer sports event in town and that people will go see it.
That's the best thing about soccer. It brings communities, people, neighborhoods, together. Which might have been a more beautiful thing to see than any of the six goals scored that night.
I see it has inspired a bumper sticker I’ve seen here that says Keep Salem Lame.
Wow, you beat out my brother who came from Nashville.
True true. The Mariners have to suck…it’s part of their charm I think!
Cascadia is going to be great, just taking a look at the standings gives me the chills! Every game will count this year and the head to head games will definitely by 6 point games.
Soulless? You SOB! Haha jk…as much as I was rooting for your team to fail the past week, I have to hand it to you guys. Very impressive both on and off the pitch. I can’t wait for the Cascadia games to start!
And lets be serious, even if Portland did have a pro baseball team to create a rivalry, the Mariners would still be pitiful beyond belief.
Jeremy, it is true a lot of us love the Mariners and the Seahawks but if we had our own teams it would be different! We actually love your city, just not the soulless MLS team you have! Haha.
I was just in Seattle this weekend, in between the Timbers games had to see those, and I talked to a lot of Sounders fans. Boy do we hate each other! But both camps are so proud of our rivalry, because lets face it there is no rivalry in the US Soccer that is as passionate or as venomous as Timbers v Seattle. It will be good for both our teams I think. If only Portland had a team that fueled the Mariners in a similar way the Timbers and Sounders fuel each other!
I didn’t see any Mariners hats Thursday. Saw one yesterday on TV, probably a tourist.
Nice job Jose. Great perspective from someone that is a type of fan that MLS should be ( and is ) courting.
Sooo many of us, from the teams that draw, are huge “other sport” fans. Sad to see our minor league baseball team gone ( or our basketball team in Seattle ), but very excited about our soccer team.
Whether we were soccer fans in the 1970s with the “original” teams or just since they replaced the previous love, the teams have been great additions.
That is funny. At one point, I heard Portland was the 15th largest MLB viewing town ( Mariners games )
Probably not anymore with how bad the Ms stink.
How about a slogan for both your cities:
“Keeping Hipsters from bolting to Brooklyn Since 19__”
You can fill in the rest. 😉
I found it funny seeing all the guys in the Mariners hats personally. With how much you guys hate Seattle, it is hilarious watching you support our city anyways.
On a soccer note, congrats on the opener and beating Dallas yesterday.
Yes inside the stadium to me wasn’t that bad it was moving around outside. First weekend, for now at least I have faith they’ll figure that out.
really?….sound like a crotchety old man.
It sounds like “many readers” is just you.
Rain is the new Snow.
I can’t believe all the whining and negativity in response–some of you make soccer fans look like a bunch of nit-picking boobs.
1. Kudos to Portland. You’ve supported soccer from NASL days through USL and A-League to now.
2. The stadium and the experience there look to be majorly cool.
3. Austin is a really nice place (yes, I’ve been there a bunch of times) but Portland has got you beat on the “weird” factor on a bunch of levels…maybe the most pedestrian-friendly city in the US….a diversity level (people-wise and culture-wise that puts most cities to shame)…Voodoo donuts (need I say more)? Lots of cities have the “keep ______weird” tag and while I don’t know who said it first, I do know that Portland put the “We” in “weird”.
I believe you, and Portland is very similar to Austin (in fact Austin is growing a little too fast for my taste). I just think that a lot of places use the slogan without understanding its meaning. The “keep” is the most important part of the phrase. There are some places that say keep “blank” weird when they really mean “Hey! we are weird too, look at how weird we are! over here!” Most of the people in Austin who are weird don’t actually were those shirts because they know they are weird and don’t need to prove it to anybody. It’s just like how someone who hates corporations wouldn’t buy a Che Guevara shirt.
Soccer in Sun and Shadow is the best book on soccer ever written. Poetic, ironic, with a nice, at least for me, political angle. I would be happy to hear of a better one to check out. Didn’t care for the neocon how soccer explains the world, though interesting and with it’s high points.
Traitor! 🙂
Kidding Jose. I was impressed as well. Even the weather cooperated for a proper evening of Northwest soccer.
Enjoy it Timbers. All those hopes and dreams will be smashed to pieces next month.
edit out “not”
Has there been any talk of squaring the north end stand that is not curving and bringing it down closer to the end line? It could add probably another 200 seats and have the TA even closer to that north goal!
Well said. I am a Manchester United fan as I have followed them since I was a wee young lad in Africa, and I still love them. But I have found that my love (and care) for DC United and MLS is much greater than that of any foreign club or league. I still watch and love the game at the highest level, yes. But something about this league being OURS is what does it for me. I have found that I care more about MLS than I do other leagues. I like that feeling.
Being a part of the journey as we build this league for the future gives me great pride…and like the many nameless faces who helped grow the big leagues to where they are today, I am proud to be a fan of MLS right here and right now, and to be numbered as one of the many who will make MLS the power it will become tomorrow. Man, I love this league.
Timbers Army, thank you. You guys did us proud that night. It was something to behold.
VAMOS UNITED!
Rev: You would definitely be wrong, especially when it comes to Portland. Small businesses are every bit as important in Portland, as they are in Austin. In fact, I would argue that they are more prevalent in Portland.
In reality, the concourse wasn’t much worse (at a sold out Timbers game) than the concourse is at Safeco Field (for a half full Mariners game). The city would have to close Morrison between 18th and 20th to make room for any added concourse space. That is something that should be on the table in the coming years, as that street isn’t offering much to anyone as a street. Nonetheless, other than when leaving the park, the concourse is just fine as is.
OK, as someone who grew up in Austin, “Keep Austin Weird” is all about supporting local businesses. Our local business it what gives Austin flavor or “weirdness”. My sense is that all the other places that have decided to use that phrase use it to show how hip and non main stream they are and because it sounds cool. I guess I could be wrong though.
That’s right. Jose is not allowed to root for Mexico!
Sheesh. What a bunch of hogwash. Great piece, Jose! Thank you!
Heck, in Austin, it was a marketing concept used by a business alliance. Why Austin would want to lay claim to a marketing campaign is quite odd.
Any plans to expand the concourse or in some other way alleviate the crowding issues? I’m not from PDX and haven’t been to PGE Park, but I’m curious/hopeful.
ok, fair point, saying “not true” wasn’t the best choice of words. i guess i’m pointing out that that slogan IS an Austin original and the article makes it seems like it is Portland’s. Sure, many cities adopted that slogan, but I just didn’t like the way it read i guess. And I just took your comment as Austin didn’t make that slogan up, they just also happen to use it. Just pointing out that the slogan was coined by an Austin resident for Austin and many other cities adopted it. There is a whole story/meaning behind that slogan that is specific to Austin’s music scene.
Exactly the type of fans that MLS needs. Not people deluded into thinking that the league is the best, just that believe the league is THEIRS.
Great weekend for American soccer, Timbers, and MLS! Being there Thursday night was one of the best sports experiences of my life. I’ll remember it forever. The soccer itself (almost forgotten it seems) was fun too.
PS to Jose – Much easier to get in the stadium through the new east side gates. Once people start figuring this out the lines up north might get shorter. But yeah, the west side is a zoo… but the intimacy of the place is part of what helps create the atmosphere, I wouldn’t change that for anything.
like the 7K strong that braved the elements in Columbus or the 14K strong that braved the elements in NY.
Congrats for being die hard kpugs, but NY fans arent exactly lined up behind you.
You do realize that Ives is not even a fan of your national team right?
Jose, you gave yourself props??? LMFAO wow.. it’s only rain bro, it’s not like they played while a Tsunami was going on.
You would have written the same article in ’96.
Props to Portland for coming into MLS with a bang (buzz?)! Diggin’ the slabs of timber as commemoration.
Exactly. There is a keep Louisville weird as well. You cannot take that for yourself.
why would that turn anyone who is not a bigot off? This article was about the Timbers, no?
I didn’t know you were only allowed to read any soccer-related articles that were written by bona fide supporters of your own national team. Your loss if you’re never going to read something like “Soccer in Sun and Shadow”.
+1
No longer a fan of foreign leagues. MLS is where it is at for me. I always followed the MLS, but now I am in 100%. I watched the 2 seconds of Barcelona v Madrid before I realized I didn’t really care and switched to watch the Red Bulls. I am even questioning who is my number 1 team now Timbers or USA. The last week has changed everything.
Agreed “keep it weird” is not original to us, but soccer isn’t either. We don’t have to be first or the best. We just have to do it as best we can. And love doing it.
I am not going to get into the “we are the best” argument. I hope every fan is having as much fun as we are. And all the respect in the world for the fan who goes to an empty stadium to cheer their team on.
Going to the games has been like a fairy tale for me. How many places can I go to an event, and sit with 20 of my closest friends. Run into 5 to 10 friends I did not expect to see. Sing for 2 hours. Watch my team player their hearts out. Then ride my bike home 4 miles with a couple of eight year olds with cars passing us singing Timbers chants to us.
This is going to be a summer to remember.
Kpugs – grow up. people can, and do, root for whatever team strikes their imagination and personal/family history. The fact that someone exists in the world that roots for a team you dislike shouldn’t be a surprise or cause for any irritation.
can’t wait for the Portlandia skit on the Timbers
This is what I wrote:
“Lots of places have ‘Keep ____ Weird’ campaigns. It’s not unique whatsoever to Austin.”
You then replied: “not true.”
How is anything I wrote “not true”?
not true. Austin was the original to use the slogan and many believe it was coined by Red Wassenich, who was on Austin radio. Many cities have now adopted this phrase, but it’s certainly an Austin original.
I flew back to Portland from Shanghai, China for this game. It was SOOOOO WORTH IT.
RCTID
Stopped reading this the second he mentioned his first favorite soccer team was Mexico. Jose, you had to realize that was going to immediately turn many readers off.
I also give no credit to any group of fans for “braving the elements.” It’s called being a true fan. Weather has never kept me from attending a MetroStars or Red Bulls game as long as the league has been in existence.
I give this piece a rousing “meh.”
Perhaps if the Timbers really take off in the next several years and the games become regular sellouts they can invest in expanding the stadium by adding another deck on the sides of the field. That seems to be the next evolution for SSS in the next 10-20 years as MLS continues to grow and flourish.
I am a Portland fan in the greater seattle area and I couldn’t help but love that team and town more after this weekend. Unbelievable.
The whole “weird” Portland thing explains a lot of what I saw on TV while watching this thing.
Lots of places have “Keep ____ Weird” campaigns. It’s not unique whatsoever to Austin.
Imagine what this fanbase will be like when the median age of the TA is a bit older and there’s a new class of young folks in the north end. Crazy.
“Keep Portland Weird”: Offbeat? Sure. Original? No. Sorry Rose City, but that slogan is Austin’s.