How'd We End Up At The Timbers Game?
Saturday night, Teresa and I found ourselves watching soccer. We weren’t on the couch enjoying Telemundo, GolTV or Fox Soccer Channel. It was real life soccer USL style courtesy of the Portland Timbers Football Club. I hadn’t planned on attending this specific game, but I’d been hoping to see my first as soon as possible. I’ll back up a second and retrace the afternoon’s steps.
It all started with a glorious day. They say it rains until June or July, but only in bits. Its still mostly cold and raining, so the unseasonable spring continues. Anyway, the day was perfect for walking around the city. Teresa and I discovered a new coffee shop over on Thurman called Dragonfly. Its really cozy and had tasty muffins and breakfast bars. Come to think of it, my Date bar might have been dessert. We ate our breakfast at an outside table and enjoyed the company of many local dogs.
Unfortunately, I did need a haircut. My last cut left me with too many bangs. I looked like Robert Smith from the Cure sans eyeliner. I’ve been getting it cut at the Aveda Institute. It takes a long time for students to cut your hair, but its really cheap. I should have learned from the bangs debacle, but I’ll give the place a few more tries. This time, its too short. I’m hoping the third time is a charm.
Without much of a plan, Teresa and I walked south toward Pioneer Courthouse. We did need to pickup a few things for the honeymoon , so we were headed to the mall. Conveniently placed in between Aveda and the mall is Ringlers Annex. We took advantage of the perfectly positioned outdoor seating and comfortable weather. I tried a Scottish Ale and Edgefield Wheat. I enjoyed the latter. We did nibble on hummus that passed for a light lunch. The spot is perfect for afternoon relaxation, but we continued on.
The mall is the mall; they all suck. However, we did stop in Nordstrom Rack. They normally sell shoes on the cheap, and I found a pair of Keens way below normal price. This made me happy, and they should come in handy in Kaui’a.
Next to “the Rack” is the Rock Bottom Brewery. It is another nice spot for outdoor beer consumption (at least for its neighborhood). We sat down to have a few pints, and two people walked by wearing Timbers scarves. I glanced at my watch; the time was around 6:30pm. I called PGE Park, and there was a game at 7pm. We quickly paid the bill and caught the MAX.
As we pulled up to the stadium, I become very excited. The place was packed with soccer fans. Good thing Teresa was wearing green. I wasn’t wearing green and kind of disappointed, but no matter. We waited in a long but quickly moving line for $15 dollar tickets. They were located along the sideline closer to a goal. The timbers were playing the Vancouver Whitecaps. A somewhat local rivalry was brewing.
As we took our seats, I wasn’t surprised by Timbers Army and their fanatic support. Next time we see a game; we are sitting down there and learning the chants.
The game was soon underway. The Whitecaps quickly took control and didn’t relinquish for most of the game. The Timbers were able to counter a few times, but they didn’t score any goals. In the second half, the Whitecaps took a 1-0 lead. The game ended in pouring rain with a disappointed crowd and team. It was the first Timbers home loss since 2006. I feel bad. Should I go to another game? Who am I kidding, I think we’ll be back next Thursday. The Timbers are scheduled to play Minnesota.
The rain put a damper on the evening. We had to walk quickly home in the rain. Thankfully, we only live a mile or so from the park. We ate a quick dinner at Laurelwood. Yay late night happy hour!
Phew, that was a long day. We romped all over town. It was a good day. I love falling into fun plans. It was so enjoyable to see a live game. Not only was it a live game, but the fans were really into it! I can’t wait to see my second, but I hope the Timbers have a better showing. They ended up losing on Monday to Miami. I hope they pull out of their funk before I attend my next game.
