Portland Timbers Home Opener--Year 33

It was chilly Thursday night.  Dry but carrying the damp cold reminder that we aren't that far past March and this is the Pacific Northwest where weather can sneak off the ocean or out of the north and turn your sunburn to frostbite without a blink.  We gathered in Section 109,   just off the starboard flank of the Timbers Army.   Close enough to feel the blaze of energy; far enough away for us older folks to occasionally sit down.   The first year there were Timbers in Portland,  the seasonn began in June.  It rained but it was warmer.   I wore a big grin most of the night.  Was glad to have friends and teammates around me.  And my son, Sean, one of the second generation Timbers' fan/footballers.   And  way down the Timbers' green strip of the Willamette Valley was my daughter, Kaeli,  also a Timbers' fan/footballer waiting for me to text her if something exciting happened.   

So I confess that I am happy just to be at Timbers' games regardless of outcome.   They're my crew.  "Rose City Till I Die" as the crowd chants.   I remember the years when there were not Timbers.  As a player I always revert to the bottom line--any day I can play soccer is a good day.  But I like the excitement of having a home team.  Interludes with FC Portland, the Thunderbirds,  the early Surge,  and the Pride just didn't quite meet the standard.   But on Thursday night,  that was all in the past.   The "boys" were coming out on the field,  and the world was good.

The game was one of the prettier ones I've seen in PGE Park.  The venue has had many many lovely qualities since renovation.   The turf wasn't one of them.  The new carpet this year is a gift from the gods!  The ball actually plays in a way that allows for some of the prettiest elements of the game to surface.   That in itself was a big deal.   The departure of Josh Wickes from our goal to the roster of the LA Galaxy is terribly disappointing.  He was the lynchpin in our game last season, and will be missed.  How come the Galaxy can't just buy some supa-star keeper?  Like Brad Friedel?  I guess I don't begrudge him his opportunity.  However,  I watched anxiously to see what the new guy in back would do.  Not bad...but he wasn't seriously tested.   Our defense, however, was.  We could easily have gone down 0-2 early on since balls were played in front of our net to Islander players who were unmarked.  It's one thing to be rusty, but our defense last year was solid.  We got lucky this week.

At the other end of the flow,  I saw some things to like.  I thought our Japanese acquisition, Suzuki  (Solo Suzuki?) showed himself a class player.  He took the ball in traffic,  shook off double marking,  and played dangerous balls into the center.  Unfortunately,  he reminds me of Robbie Rensenbrink coming to Portland years ago in the sense that his skill makes him an immediate target for thuggery.   If his physique can handle it,  I think he's a winner.   I liked Chris Brown.  I missed his shot because I was looking at Timber Jim's last descent from the press box,  but he was just part of a varied attacking form that we've missed.   The midfield,  a little out of sync,  showed signs of good potential to put their small side game and movement to work picking apart opposing defenses.    

When the evening was over,  I went off with my folks to get my Timber Jim Log.  I was content.  We'd pulled off a win out of the gate.   The second game was now only a week away.   And new legends waited to be made.