SOCCER CITY, USA!

The past 4 days have been the most soccer-packed of my short life as a soccer fan. It began with the home-opener of the Portland Timbers versus the Chicago Fire. While the Timbers have been around for years, this is their first season in Major League Soccer (MLS), the most prestigious American soccer league. Shown below is a picture from Jeld-Wen Field before the stands were filled.



I have season tickets, but since it was a weekday game I went with my friend Jason. We won 3-2! The home crowd was amazing- especially a cheering section of fans called the Timbers Army at one end of the stadium. For 90 full minutes, they sang, chanted, clapped, and cheered the team to victory.

Yesterday, my friend Jason, Nicholas, and I watched the first of four clasicos, the term given to matches between our beloved team FC Barcelona and the scoundrels from Real Madrid. It was a draw thanks to Real's twelfth man, the officials, who called a bogus foul in the penalty area. Sigh... These 2 teams will face each other 3 more times in the next 3 weeks, so we will have ample chances for revenge and missed productivity at work and at home. It will also give us a chance to wear our favorite gear!







Today, I played pick-up soccer for 2 hours (advil is on board as I type this), and I have come to notice several things. Number 1: I am not the worst guy out there... by a long shot. Number 2: I am less frazzled when I get the ball and have a defender bearing down on me. Number 3: I can score goals because I am often in the right place at the right time. Yes, soccer does take brains in addition to brawn.

Finally, later today the whole family attended our first Timbers soccer match. The fact that it is so easy to go to the games makes this experience all the more enjoyable. Indeed, it was a mere 30 minutes from our door to the gates of the stadium. That includes parking and taking a shuttle to the field. You have to love Portland's brilliant urban planning and the downtown stadium!



The game was a little more low key than the home opener as it was a day game and many families were there, but it was still an amazing atmosphere. I brought ear plugs for Nicholas because I knew the noise and cheering would freak him out, but he did great! Cate, as you can see below, really got into. She is still doing the chant "FC PT" (Football Club Portland Timbers) that she heard over and over again at the game, which we won!



The one thing we do not do well in Portland is apathy, and the Alumkal-Kemmer family is doing its part to help Portland live up to its self-proclaimed nickname- Soccer City, USA!