MLS Regular Season
This weekend, the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps will face each other in the second Cascadia Cup match of the season. The first match saw the Timbers draw even with Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field. The Timbers will look to take sole possession of first place in the Cascadia standings at BC Place on Saturday, and there is no doubt that many Timbers fans will make the trip.
As the season wears on, the costs of traveling to away Cascadia matches can start to add up. This season, our friends at 76 would like to support the fans that support the team. All you need to do is Instagram a shot of you traveling to or from this weekend's match with the hashtag #76roadtrip and you'll be eligible to win a $100 gas card and autographed Timbers team jersey. Not going to Canada this time? Never fear, the contest will also be happening for future Cascadia Cup rivalry matches on August 25th at Seattle and October 6th at Vancouver.
Onward, Rose City!
Dominic was the recipient of a Spread the Love welcome packet for the May 2nd match against the New England Revolution. Mick Hoban, current Timbers community ambassador and former NASLTimbers midfielder nominated him.
“I was looking forward to being in the company of soccer lovers, the Timbers Army, Timber Joey, [and] watching a great game of soccer,” said Dominic.
A native of Sierra Leone, Dominic spent 25 years teaching physical education in the Lake Oswego area. He is currently the head coach of the Lake Oswego High School girls’ varsity team, and is a former OYSA Girls Coach of the Year. Well-versed in soccer, Dominic says he was impressed with the how the team played.
“The team played a great game,” said Dominic. “The team's effort and gamesmanship on the field was very good. Especially team defense, speed of play, and possessing with a purpose.”
He says he also enjoyed the environment at JELD-WEN Field.
“I had a blast. The match was exciting. The Timbers fans were at their best. Their chanting and cheers echoed [through] the stadium the entire evening. The atmosphere was spectacular.”
In addition to being a coach, Dominic knows what it means to “Spread the Love” off the field. In 2006, he formed a non-profit organization called Kaimba Incorporated, also known as Dynasty House. The organization's mission is to help rebuild the lives of the people of the war-torn Sierra Leone by providing family housing and educational scholarships. So far the organization has built two five-bedroom houses, which are now home to six families, and is currently sponsoring 116 scholarships for grade school and high school age boys and girls.
What does “Spread the Love” mean to Dominic? “It means more than just those three words,” he said. “It is an act of giving/sharing a piece of whatever one has with others who might need it or benefit from it. It means making someone happy.”
Know someone you think is worthy? Nominate them at www.spreadtheloveptfc.com.
An eight-game unbeaten streak is pretty tasty, and while Timbers fans are enjoying it, they’re hungry for more.
In an effort to satisfy that hunger, Big-Ass Sandwiches will be at JELD-WEN Field on Sunday, May 12, when the Timbers host Chivas USA.
Big-Ass Sandwiches opened in 2009, and has been living up to its name ever since. Owners Brian and Lisa Wood have perfected their French fry-infused creations, topping their home-roasted meats with béchamel cheese and piling it all on to locally baked ciabatta rolls.
Brian and Lisa opened Big-Ass Sandwiches after they experienced several layoffs from their jobs. The couple saw the layoffs as an opportunity to start the business they had always wanted to own and operate.
Their sandwiches have received a lot of praise, including being called the “best sandwich in the Northwest” by The Travel Channel’s Adam Richman.
Huge fans of the Portland Timbers, Brian and Lisa provide discounts to 107ist and Axe Society Members at their cart’s permanent location at 302 SE 2nd Ave. Last season, Big-Ass Sandwiches served up several menu items at JELD-WEN Field during a Cascadia Cup match against Seattle.
“We have been going to games since the pre-MLS days. We have the ‘No Pity in the Rose City’ scarf hanging in the back of the cart and made shirts three or four years ago that said ‘Timber Joey is My Homeboy’ with part of the proceeds going to a local charity,” said Lisa.
Big-Ass Sandwiches will be dishing up their delicious creations this Sunday at the Soccer City Grill above Section 93 during the Timbers game. They will also be at the Soccer City Grill on Thursday, May 16 when the Thorns host Sky Blue FC.
Kaitlyn was the recipient of the Spread the Love welcome packet for the April 14th match against San Jose.
Carrie Cool, president of West Hills Junior Soccer Club, presented Kaitlyn with her Spread the Love packet.
Carrie and Kaitlyn had never met prior to their Spread the Love contact, but Carrie chose Kaitlyn for two reasons: “[Kaitlyn] had never seen a live Timbers game before,” and also works with the disabled in our community. “She won me over.”
Kaitlyn could not hold back her excitement when she received her packet.
“I was over the moon about finally getting to see the Timbers play live,” said Kaitlyn. “I was most looking forward to the atmosphere of the fans at the stadium, and being able to yell and holler at the game as opposed to just the TV!”
The Timbers took three points from San Jose that night after a sensational free kick goal from Will Johnson.
“It's hard to say whether my favorite part of the match was seeing Johnson score a beautiful goal,” said Kaitlyn, “or being in the crowd high fiving my friends and strangers as we all went wild right afterwards.”
She told us the excitement didn’t stop after the 90 minutes was over.
“Once I was in the car and out of public, there was a lot of smiling, laughing and all out jovial hollering with joy over the whole deal.”
Kaitlyn says she is officially hooked.
“I plan on trying my best to attend many more Timbers and Thorns FC matches in the very near future!”
Winning Instagram from April by @robynshuey
Midweek matches often change how fans travel and prepare. But for the most superstitious of fans, it doesn’t matter what day or time a match is, the matchday ritual is the same.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters want to know what your ritual is. Do you wear your lucky Timbers socks to work? Do you bring your scarf to the office? Share your ritual with us.
Throughout the 2013 season, the Portland Timbers and Stumptown Coffee Roasters are asking fans to share their pre-game rituals for the first home match of every month. All you have to do is Instagram a shot of your morning pregame ritual and share it with the hashtag #SCRTimbers.
One random fan will be selected each month to win a prize pack from Stumptown and the Timbers that includes:
- One (1) Signed Timbers Jersey
- One (1) 12oz bag of Kenya Gaturiri Coffee
- Two (2) Stumptown Coffee Roaster Mugs
- One (1) Stumptown Branded Red Rooster Hand Mill Grinder
Last month, @robynshuey won the Stumptown & Timbers prize pack for Instagram shot above. This month, it could be you.
For full contest rules, click here.
Thursday night’s featured Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance member is Stumptown Dumplings, better known as Stumplings.
Less than a year old, Stumplings was born out of a friendship between owners Justin Prasad and Nimesh Dayal. The duo wanted to branch out, and after almost two months of planning, their cart found a home serving up dumplings to Portland’s Alberta neighborhood.
“It happened much faster than either of us expected,” said Dayal.
Prasad said he had always worked for somebody else and wanted to prove he would work on his own to succeed.
“It’s exciting because it’s our idea coming to life," said Prasad. "I just want people to connect the ‘Stumplings’ with Justin and Nimesh, and this is a great opportunity for us.”
This will be Stumplings second visit to JELD-WEN Field, after being featured during a Timbers match during the 2012 season.
During the Timbers match against the New England Revolution (7:30pm PT, ROOT SPORTS, 750 AM The Game / La Pantera 940), Stumplings will be serving orders of six dumplings for $5 at the Soccer City Grill concession stand, located above section 93. Fans can choose from Cheeky Chicken, Pompous Pork, Sassy Spinach, or a mix of two of each. Fans will also be able to chose from Asian Chipotle, Chili Hoison, or Thai Mustard sauces.
The Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance (PTFCA) is a free, cross-promotional program designed to highlight the Rose City’s vibrant food cart culture. Through the PTFCA, select Portland-area food carts will have the opportunity to serve their food cart fare on Timbers and Thorns FC match days at JELD-WEN Field via fan vote.
Now’s your chance to choose the next round of carts that will serve at the stadium this season. Choose carefully, the five carts that receive the most votes on this poll will serve at three JELD-WEN Field events!
Know of any additional carts that should be included in this program? Post in the comments below or learn more about the program here.
“What a night!”
This was Christophe Vezinet’s initial reaction when we asked him about his experience at the Timbers match on April 6th against Houston. Christophe and his family were the recipients of a Spread the Love welcome package for that match.
Althea and Dougal Cullen, Timbers Army season ticket holders and former Waiting List members, nominated the Vezinet family to receive a Spread the Love welcome package.
“My brother Cedric, his daughter Madison, my daughter Manon and I had a lot of fun,” said Christophe. “You could feel all the great soccer vibrations all over JELD-WEN Field that night.”
Christophe is used to watching top-flight teams in Europe, and says the Timbers experience was very comparable.
“Even for the people that are not ‘soccer connoisseurs’, the Timbers team is really fun to watch,” Christophe explained. “Every time I see them playing I feel like they are going to crush the other team. I have yet to see a Timbers game that was boring, and since there is a little bit of French blood in that team, it can only increase my interest.”
However, says Christophe, his daughter and niece were likely more excited than him and his brother.
“A staff worker gave our daughters some passes to the autograph sessions with the players at the end of the game,” said Christophe. “You can imagine how excited they were to meet the players. I also received a hand written note from Manon thanking me for tickets. One of the highlight moments for me was getting to see how excited she was for the whole night.”
Christophe says he and his family are grateful for the opportunity, and are looking forward to coming back for another match.
“But most of all, a big thank you to the Timbers organization for letting us experience those moments; we will certainly do that again. It is a great way to spend a family night out. My daughter keeps asking me for another game night and she can’t wait to go to a Thorns game very soon.”
Rey was the recipient of the Spread the Love welcome packet for the April 6th match against Houston.
Die-hard Timbers season ticket holder and Stand Together advocate, Dwight Adkins, nominated Rey. Dwight is a good friend of Rey’s, and is a member at the gym where Rey coaches and trains.
“Rey is a trainer at Skogg, a kettlebell gym in the Pearl,” Dwight explained. “All day he motivates others to be healthy, strong and happy. Rey does a great job of inspiring others, and I thought a night at a Timbers match would be fun for him to sit back, relax and enjoy some awesome soccer with his family.”
Rey has only attended one Timbers match, about five years ago when the team played in the USL. The match against Houston was his first MLS Timbers experience.
“The fans were amazing,” said Rey. “I have been to tons of high school, college, and professional sporting events, and have never been in an atmosphere like the one I experienced that night at the Timbers match.”
Rey was also pleased with the result, as the Timbers took three points from Houston.
“The Timbers looked awesome scoring two goals against the Dynamo. I had a great time!”
He also expressed his gratitude toward Dwight for giving him his welcome packet.
“I was very excited that he chose me to give this opportunity to,” said Rey. “My schedule and budget haven't allowed for many extra activities and to get four tickets to three different events was so generous! “
When most Timbers fans look back on the matchday against FC Dallas on August 5th, 2012, they remember two things: the almost unbearable temperatures, topping 100 degrees before a late-afternoon kickoff, and Jack Jewsbury’s late equalizer against a 10-man Dallas side to pull even in a 1-1 draw.
However, another noteworthy event was taking place above Section 93. The debut of the Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance had set up shop at the Soccer City Grill concession stand. And what better cuisine for a hot summer day than Hawaiian-style plate lunches?
Childhood friends Kevin Scofield and Jensen Kip started 808 Grinds in September 2010. The Maui-raised duo brought their Hawaiian lunch creations to SW 9th and Washington in downtown Portland, and it was so popular that they were among the first food carts voted in by Facebook fans to be part of the PTFCA.
“It feels good to be voted in by our customers. There’s always a good vibe around here,” said Scofield. “A great customer experience is something that we want to accomplish, and it feels good. We’re happy to be here.”
This season, the Hawaiian boys are back. They will be setting up shop in the Soccer City Grill above Section 93 at the southeast corner of JELD-WEN Field. Not only will they be serving during the April 14th Timbers match vs. the San Jose Earthquake (7:30pm PT, NBC Sports Network, 750 AM The Game / La Pantera 940), they will also be there for the first Portland Thorns FC home match on April 21st vs. Seattle Reign FC.
This year 808 Grinds will be serving up Kalua Pig (traditional Hawaiian pulled pork) and 808 Fried Chicken (bite-size marinated chicken). Both choices will be served up with rice and macaroni salad. Single-item plates will go for $7, and combo plates will be $9.
“To be a part of the Timbers organization is very exciting for us,” Scofield added. “Not only to expand our reach, but to serve to local fans who are loyal to both us and the Timbers is a really great feeling.”
Interested in being part of the Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance? Apply today.
