On Sunday we went to our first (of many) Timbers games at the newly renovated Jeld-Wen Field in Portland. Only a few blocks from our house, and informally dubbed "The House of Pane" (Jeld-Wen makes windows, clever), the intimacy of the stadium makes you feel like you are in the storied soccer environs of Old Trafford or Maracana, albeit on a much smaller scale. Still, 20,000 screaming fans led by the rabid Timbers Army, waving scarves, continuously chanting songs for our team or yelling obscenities at the blind refs, makes for an event that everyone must experience at least once. The Timbers Army, once a rag tag band of hooligans, has progressed and grown through the years into a well-oiled non-profit that is credited with, in part, helping influence Major Legue Soccer to expand and bring a team home to Portland. Because of that, the Army was given the honor on Thursday's opening night with the singing of of the National Anthem. For any fan of soccer, it was truly a special event. Check it out here via ESPN and watch the highlights of the amazing opening night where the rain, the joy, and the goals, never ended.
So when you hear us clap our hands and sing out, "When I Root, I Root For The Timbers!" you will know that we are #Rose City Till I Die.
