Memorial Day, Portland Timbers, and storms

This Memorial Day weekend was memorable in several respects. Saturday night the Portland Timbers ventured onto the field against the Whitecaps and turned in a frustrating performance. The 'Caps lobbed a ball over our keeper late in the game and took home a one goal win. Portland, despite several nifty setups, couldn't put in a goal. This isn't a new problem for the team which has had several scoring droughts over the years. Apparently the locker room afterward was stormy with Coach Wilkinson becoming volcanic. For those of us on our way home, the night itself got wild. Rain and thunder and lightning had rattled around the edges of our consciousness in the stadium, but seemed to be distant. Mar and I set out to walk back to the Pearl where the car was parked unfazed by the weather. However, the skies cut loose as we proceeded- rain cascading as hard as a monsoon, roof gutters overflowing so that cascades thundered onto the sidewalks, and thunderbolts and claps of sound rattling the buildings overhead. We were soaked and full of mirth by the time we arrived. The Timbers had a second game on the docket for the weekend. This time, they faced Miami on Monday afternoon. The result was even worse. Wilkinson was ejected from the game for angry display before the half and then was followed from the field by our striker, Taki Suzuki, for a flying foul and then dissent. More tempers! Truly, Taki had been taking a beating from Miami and was deservedly angry. However, in my opinion, Wilkinson's demonstrative explosiveness is dangerous because it gives the message that acting out is okay; not something that goes very far on the pitch. I really like the crew of players Wilkinson has put together this year and think they can be contenders, but not if they act out. The loss of focus was apparent when the team gave up the first goal. The Timbers had a throw-in past the half mark in their attacking end and bobbled it so that a Miami player ended up racing toward goal with a lone defender trying to catch up. As is so often the case, this led to a desperation move, the attacker went down, and a penalty was given. While the Army voiced its opinions on the ref's ancestry, the goal was scored and we were suddenly in a hole. A hole we dug ourselves with the miserable throw-in. Is that about focus? I'd guess focus is part of it. Miami put the game completely out of reach in the second half with a low hard shot into our right net from outside the box. Burse said he was screened from the shot by defenders. To give credit, though, the Timbers worked very hard at getting game back all the way to the end. Totori made a first and impressive appearance, and there was no lack of attacking play right to the last tick of the clock. But it was not enough. If the great talent wearing green jerseys is to succeed this year, they will need leadership. And leadership isn't self-indulgent. Leaders ask themselves first whether they're doing the right thing and then demand that of others. I'm hoping we'll see more leadership.

All of this on the holiday when we remember those who've served our country and those who are still serving. I thought of my Dad, whose ideas of services to country extended past the time he was a Navy man to include everyday. And I thought of my children and their friends and cousins, some of whom are in harms way today. I hoped that I would be able help them understand some of that greatness my Dad exhibited. I hoped that I would be able to share soccer games with them in the future on some other stormy spring afternoon. And I was thankful that I was able to do it in the 'home of the brave and the land of the free'.