—by Lucas Grzybowski

Greetings, Timbers Army!

Some of you may know me as the short furry guy with the knitting, some of you may know me as the stadium renovation pics guy, and some of you may not know or care who I am. Nonetheless! My name is Lucas and I will be blogging for this gorgeous new website.

Don't expect hardcore soccerhead stuff from me: the extent of my ability to analyze a soccer match is about as acute as Jimmy Buzzard's. From me you will get less talk of formations and tactics, and more "Taka is dreamy and I want to kiss him on the mouth" type of stuff. Without further AduEduado, welcome to my first post, and first in a series I plan to pursue in chronicling the USL Timbers Era, as remembered by me (I started coming to games in 2004, so apologies in advance for the lack of Chugger Adair stories).

The Sunshine Goal

This is one of the most emotionally intense memories I have connected to a sporting event, and perhaps in any context.

It was late August, 2004, and Timber Jim's first game back after the passing of his daughter Hannah. The Timbers were locked in a tight game with Milwaukee Wave United (don't laugh, it was a real team). It was a hot day. Emotions were running high. A win would clinch the Timbers' first A-League Commissioner's Cup, a draw would send 8,000 drunks home surly and frustrated.

I'd been sort of distracted all game, thinking about Timber Jim and what he must have been going through. When he ascended atop the dugout late in the 2nd half, holding a little girl in his arms, I recognized that it was his granddaughter Keiana and began to get choked up. When he began leading us in our very first rendition of "You Are My Sunshine" (Hannah's favorite song to sing to Keiana), there were tears in my eyes. Somehow I managed to snap this picture, right before IT happened:

While we were singing, with Jim and Keiana standing right there as living breathing testaments to everything that makes the Timbers Army a true Family, along comes super-sub Fadi Afash, who settles a cross from One-T and cool as you like puts in a back-heel goal from seven yards out. Bedlam. Chaos. Instant Legend. Love. Love. Love. Timbers win the game, the league, and a permanent place in my psyche.

Watch the Sunshine Goal on SoccerCityUSA.com. Sunshine Scarf image courtesy of Tim Chamberlin.