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Continuing the new tradition of the presentation of roses following Thorns games to the goal scorers and goalkeeper who achieved a shutout, Girls, Inc. has been sending participants from their great youth programs to meet players after the game and hand them the roses in front of the North End supporters. For an organization that looks to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold, it's truly a special moment after the match.
Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer
May 16 vs. Sky Blue FC
Alysse:
What was your favorite part about today?
A: We got to watch the Thorns game and it was really fun to meet all the players and see so many people here to watch them.
Tell us an example of you being strong and smart?
A: I brought flyers for the arts and music for school and handed them out to different neighborhoods and it’s hard because you have to answer their questions.
Violet:
What was your favorite part about today?
V: The best part was Alex Morgan, giving us hugs and it made me really happy because she’s my favorite player on the team. I feel that being strong in sports is good for girls.
Tell us an example of you being strong and smart?
V: At my old school I was being bullied so I switched school and I felt a lot better after that.
Kaitlynn:
What was your favorite part about today?
The best thing about tonight was meeting Alex Morgan and all the other players and when the head coach gave me a scarf. I play forward and really like Nikki Washington and Alex Morgan.
Tell us an example of you being strong and smart?
It’s important to be a good sport and shake people’s hands after the game even when you lose.
Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer
May 19 vs. Washington Spirit
Marilyn Danley
What was your favorite part about today?
M: This was my first Thorns game. My favorite part of the day was the game because it was so exciting and we got to sit so close.
What was special about presenting the roses?
M: Since Alex and Christine scored I got to give them roses. It was really special presenting the roses because I got to meet the player who are really nice and it was fun. This will be a very special memory
What makes you strong, smart and bold?
M: I am strong, smart and bold because I really like sports. I love to play soccer.
What do you like most about playing soccer?
M: What I like most about soccer is that you get to use your head, in both ways. You also get to hang out with friends and it takes a lot of team work.
Isabella Ventura
What was your favorite part about today?
I: My favorite part about today was getting the chance to come out on the field and meet the players.
What was special about presenting the roses?
I: Karina didn’t let any goals in so I got to give her the flowers. It was so cool because I got to be close and see them.
What makes you strong, smart and bold?
I: I am strong, smart and bold because I get to be a voice for girls.
What do you like most about playing soccer?
I: My favorite part about playing soccer is that we get to play and the people cheer us on – just like we cheered on the Thorns today.
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!
As part of our inaugural group of ticket holders, Cord won the chance to have a VIP experience for the Portland Timbers vs. Chivas USA match on May 12th, including KeyBank Club seats, and a chance to visit with Timber Joey on the field!
We asked Cord a few questions after the match:
When was your first match or memory of supporting the Timbers?
The MLS Opener on April 15th, 2011. Portland 4, Chicago 2 – especially Jorge Perlaza’s 29th minute goal, assisted by Kalif!
What was your favorite moment of this match?
Wallace's goal to put Timbers up 1-0. His game has dramatically improved since last season.
Who would you nominate as Player of the Match?
I'd have to go with Futty Danso. He was so solid on the back line as well as aggressive on the attacking side.
What is your prediction for the next match – Timbers versus the Vancouver Whitecaps?
I no longer predict the scores, and since I've stopped, we've had a great run!
What else should we know about your Timbers fandom? Any favorite pieces of Timbers memorabilia?
I was invited to the first Banquet dinner. Let's just say I had a little too much red wine and I took a wood carved axe that was on display. I got it signed by the team and it is become a permanent fixture in my house.
A big thanks to Cord and Tammy for being our guests and for their fantastic support!
If you are an Axe Society member and would like to enter to win the title of Member of the Match, please register here.
While Bolton's Stuart Holden looks like a lock to make Jurgen Klinsmann's squad for this summer's Gold Cup, according to Soccer America, Alejandro Bedoya is also making his case to be included in the team--if not for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in June. Currently playing with Helsingborgs in Sweden, the one-time Rangers midfielder put in this great assist against BK Häcken.
(Getty Images)
Landon Donovan's near term future with the USMNT has also been a topic of late given his long leave of absence during the offseason. Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl recently reported that Klinsmann plans to omit the LA Galaxy star from the upcoming World Cup qualifiers as well as friendlies. Klinsmann had hinted earlier this spring that this may be the case saying, "there are players clearly ahead of Landon Donovan right now."
Wahl goes on to say though that the Gold Cup roster could remain a possiblity for the U.S. star. You can also hear more about Wahl's thoughts on the Gold Cup in the last edition of the Backcut Podcast.
For a guy with 144 caps and 49 goals for the national team, it seems like the Gold Cup could be a good stage to work him back into the mix. What do you think? Who should feature for the USMNT in this Gold Cup tournament? Get your tickets now for the July 9 match against Belize.
UPDATE: Donovan addressed the situation on the Galaxy's All-Access Podcast on Tuesday saying, “Jurgen and I have consistently spoken over many months now. I was not aware that that was information that was already made public. Jurgen has not told me that it was definitive that I wouldn't be there – you never know. All I can do, as I've said all along, is do what I do."
World Cup qualifiers. Gold Cup roster. Donovan probably fits in there somewhere. The question is where and when.
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.
The Portland Timbers Don't Cross The Line.
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.
Liviu Bird of Soccerwire.com goes in depth into the creation and growth of the Timbers Academy charting not just its MLS development but also its early roots going all the way back to the USL era.
“It’s a tremendous pyramid we have within the top level of soccer here in Oregon,” Timbers Academy co-director Mike Smith said. “We basically would love to have everybody on the same page and under the same umbrella.”
It's a good read and charts out how the Timbers are looking to build deep roots throughout the entire state. Take a closer look at it here.
As part of our inaugural group of ticket holders, Mark and Cathy won the chance to have a VIP experience for the Portland Timbers vs. New England Revolution match on May 2nd, including KeyBank Club seats, and a chance to visit with Timber Joey on the field!
We asked Mark a few questions after the match:
What was your first memory of supporting the Timbers?
Growing up in London and having football in my blood, I was excited to take my two young sons to those early seasons when the Timbers first started, back up in the then A League. The crowds were sparse, but the fun was there. What I remember best is hearing the sound of some distant drumming and realizing it was coming from Timber Jim who was perched on a telegraph pole at the far end, beating a rhythm on his drum! I couldn't imagine that at any other football game in the world!
What was your favorite moment of this match?
My favorite moment was the give and go between Valeri and Nagbe in the first half, while the shot did fly over the bar, the lay off from Nagbe was exquisite!
Who would you nominate as Player of the Match?
Player of the Match for me was Chara, while we know he can run box to box endlessly, he has now added the telling pass to his repertoire, another great game for him.
What is your prediction for the next match – Timbers versus FC Dallas?
Dallas will be tough, realistically a draw would be a good result, at the moment though with the way the Timbers are playing and creating chances I'm going for a 2-1 Timbers win!
What else should we know about your Timbers fandom? Any match day superstitions?
My son Simon and I usually go to Alexis restaurant on Burnside for a big plate of calamari prior to a Timbers game. If we are lucky we may get a free shot of ouzo to help us on our way!
Thank you for a lovely evening, Cath and I had wonderful time! I think what made it a night to remember was the care and consideration that came from everyone on the Timbers staff, it did make us feel extra special!
Thank you again for a memorable night!
No Mark, thank you! And thank you for your wonderful support!
If you are an Axe Society member and would like to enter to win the title of Member of the Match, please register here.
A busy summer awaits for Jurgen Klinsmann and his USMNT squad as they'll have key World Cup qualifiers in June followed by the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July.
Portland will host two group stage matches in a double header on July 9 with US vs. Belize and Costa Rica against Cuba. Who Klinsmann will bring to Portland has been a big discussion but there's at least one name that has surfaced: Bolton's Stuart Holden.
The ex-Houston Dynamo midfielder became a key player in the EPL before a series of injuries tripped him up. Now on the comeback with a number of appearances on loan with Sheffield Wednesday, Klinsmann said of Holden, "I spoke to his coach at Bolton, and spoke to his coach at Sheffield Wednesday where he played some very important minutes and games while on loan. He’s on his way back. That being said, we want to have him back in our picture. We are going to bring him for the May-June camp, and also for the Gold Cup.”
Read more about the story over at ussoccer.com, watch video on Holden's inspiring comeback below, listen to SI's Grant Wahl talk about what to expect with this summer's Gold Cup and then get tickets for the Gold Cup showdown at JELD-WEN Field.
