—by Mike Coleman

First, let me say that I want you, dear Reader, to understand that these words are coming from Mike Coleman, the soccer supporter and not Mike Coleman, the 107ist board member. As a 107ist board member, I will work to ensure we uphold our mission to support soccer in the Portland area from the grass roots to the highest levels. I will follow the lead of the membership, and work to ensure we continue to be Soccer City USA.  This may not always align 100% with what I may want, but that’s the way it should be.

That being said, there was a meeting Friday night – a lot of passionate people came out to determine how best to support Thorns FC. They bandied about questions and opinions, voted on names, thought about flags, talked about tifo, and designed their merchandise line.

This was all streamed over the Internet where several folks thought it was a better use of their time to throw stones instead of participating in the discussion.  It’s fun to mock people on Twitter (hell, I do it all the time), to cast aspersions, but not bring anything to the party – this is the American way in the Internet age.

As I sat back at the meeting, participating a bit as a supporter and answering questions about the role of the 107ist the best I could, I thought to myself “while a lot of this is a real clusterfuck, these folks are getting together and trying to move stuff forward – bravo for them”

Then I came home and I read Twitter. I saw folks I respected arguing with other folks I respected (as well as folks who I think are complete cotton-headed ninny muggins weighing in on both sides, when they should be turning the lights off in their parents’ basement and going to bed). There was even a sock created representing one of the final name choices. It was all entertaining, but simultaneously frustrating.

“You have to let this happen, you can’t dictate the culture, let it grow ORGANICALLY”

“How is calling for all interested parties to come together and talk about what they want to see not ORGANIC”

Repeat those two sentences about 500 times and you’ll get the nature of the argument.

My thoughts originally were more aligned with the “we are all working on this together, everyone is free to join in” crowd.

People who have been around a lot longer than me will say, “The Timbers Army took years to evolve. You can’t just fork lift in supporters’ culture and expect it be genuine”

To that many of us replied, we already know what to do. We’ve seen it in our own backyards for years. It’s not 2002, we have a cadre of volunteers, we have materials, and we have financial backing – it would be ludicrous to suggest that we forget that we know all this and go back to an age when there was no Twitter or Facebook and we didn’t have 4,000 flags sitting up in a cage above the field.

And then I read more. I read about how this is all for the “Mo’s” of the world (Mo is a teenage female TA who designed an initial scarf which was the genesis of the meeting last night). How this is for the teenage girls in Portland to give them role models, and show them they can pursue their dreams.

And that is great. That is something we need to do. We need to teach young women (and young men for that matter) how to derive self-worth from healthy avenues. Young boys growing up seeing stadiums full of people worshiping teams made of male athletes. Having a chance for young women to see an entire city stand behind a female team is nothing short of awesome filled with win dipped in incredible.

But what I realized this morning was that none of us know what the experience inside that stadium is going to be.

I had thought in my own head that it’d be just like a Timbers match. All of the same folks I see at Timbers matches would be there, and we’d do what we do in a slightly varied manner. The chants may change, but many of the faces would be the same.

At this point I’m sure you, dear Reader, are thinking that I’m the cotton-headed ninny muggin.

When the Thorns FC season starts, I’m sure a lot of my friends are going to be there. I’m sure a lot of them are going to want to bang drums and chant. But, like at a reserves match, a lot of them are going to want to grab a beer and move to a place where they can become supporters of a different nature. Just like the folks who sit on either side of JWF and cheer their ass off when it suits them during Timbers matches

And who will fill their place in the North End? Will it be a concentration of Timbers Army? Will it be legions of teenage girls? Will it be curious people from the community who can’t get Timbers tickets but want to experience the beautiful game played by some of the best players in the world?

We don’t know. We just don’t.

They say in fighting everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. It is great to have a plan. But, it’s also vital to understand that you can’t build a plan that’s viable when you don’t understand all the variables.

How do you scale a tifo design when you have no idea who many people will be there to execute it? How many t-shirts do you order when you have no idea how many people will buy them? How many flags do you make when you have no idea how many people will wave them.

Do you go out and march bravely ahead and hope you don’t end up with 800 DVDs you can’t sell? Or, do you start small with some core things you know will work and then as lay of the land becomes clearer do you grow . . . . judiciously.

Anyone who loves soccer wants NWSL to succeed, and if they live here they want the “yet to be named supporters group” to be a shining example of what Women’s soccer support should be. But, it doesn’t have to all be done by mid-April for first kick.

—by Chris Rifer

New faces were in abundance around Jeld-Wen Field on Monday morning, as the Timbers opened training camp in preparation for the 2013 season.  Unlike years past, the team was mostly together on Monday, as Rodney Wallace was the only absent player expected to be in green and white on opening day.

Before the Timbers opened practice to the media, the club announced that Jose Valencia had been signed to a multi-year contract.  Trencito’s deal will not make him a young designated player, however, likely leaving the third DP spot open for the Timbers.  The Timbers could leave this spot open and rake in the appurtenant financial benefits, or could look to add a player midseason, especially if somebody attractive were to surface through the allocation order process.

Conspicuously absent from training, however, were Kris Boyd and Franck Songo’o.  At training, the club reported that it was still in discussions with Boyd, and that an update may be available in approximately one week.  The Timbers were also guarded as to Songo’o, saying that discussions were ongoing and more detail was likely a couple weeks away.

The Timbers were split into three relatively casual games of keep away on the south end of Jeld-Wen Field when the media were let into practice, with the goalkeepers practicing in the shadow of the North End.  After a brief meeting with new skipper Caleb Porter, the team split into two more vigorous games of keep away, with two centerbacks playing all-time distributor at each end of the box.

Mobi Fehr stood out in the game closest to the media on the west side of the field, consistently displaying good technique on the ball, quick passing, and active movement playing mostly in the center of the box.  Both Hanyer Mosquera and David Horst looked a little bit rusty in distribution, although – to be fair – no more than should be expected on the first day of training.

After those games were finished, the team split into three teams for 8 v. 8 short-sided games.  Most of the presumptive starters were on the blue team, including Diegos Chara and Valeri, Johnsons Ryan and Will, and newbie left back Michael Harrington.  Diego was stranded out wide right in the 3-4-1 diamond midfield formation and – consistent with his history on the right – didn’t make much of an impact there.  Ryan Johnson showed nicely, displaying early signs of being a much more technical striker than the Timbers have had in the past.  Valeri had a couple nice moments at the point of the diamond, including an early goal and some good link up play with Ryan Johnson.  Otherwise, Valeri had a solid, if perhaps a little bit unspectacular, day.

The orange team featured a flatter midfield of Darlington Nagbe, Danny Mwanga, Eric Alexander, and Kalif Alhassan, with Bright Dike up top.  Freshly signed Ryan Miller took up a spot on the right flank.  This team looked a little bit out of sorts, as Alhassan was often caught with the ball at his foot.  Eric Alexander, however, had a couple nice moments in central midfield.

The green team was primarily composed of youngsters, including Jake Gleeson, draft pick Dylan Tucker-Ganges, Brent Richards, Sebastian Rincon, Steven Evans, Fehr, and Valencia.  While young, this team showed some pluck, giving the star-studded blue side all it could handle in the final game of the day.  Sal Zizzo made a few nice runs from the right back position,[1] including one in which he found space to unleash a shot that sailed just high of the far upper ninety.  I was again impressed with Fehr’s work in the middle, often finding Rincon and Valencia in a position to test the defense.  Finally, Rincon showed off the runs that made him a starlet on the reserves last season, as well as a very recognizable high-pitched yell.

After practice, Caleb Porter, Will Johnson, Jack Jewbsury, Ryan Miller, and Ryan Johnson addressed the media.

Notes

• Gavin Wilkinson and Merritt Paulson took in practice from the sidelines.  Neither stuck around to talk to the media afterward, however.
• The Timbers were donning new training outfits featuring white stripes down the sleeves.  They’re nicer than the old training get-up.
• While nobody with the club would admit as much today, it is clear that Kris Boyd’s departure is imminent.  The bigger revelation from this morning, however, is that it seems unlikely that Franck Songo’o will stay in Portland.  I would think Franck would be in camp if it were simply a matter of renegotiating his contract to retain him at a lower number.  Rather, I think it is probable that the Timbers are in the process of offloading him, one way or another.  Because I think the Timbers are going to use their single free offseason buyout on Boyd, it seems likely that Songo’o will depart via trade or transfer, which would also explain the longer timeline for finalizing his status with the club.
• Unlike his introductory press conference, Caleb Porter refused to comment on the status of either Songo’o or Boyd.  Porter didn’t let on much about the captaincy, either, saying only “most likely we’ll have a captain who will be our captain throughout the entire year.” Porter did, however, leave open the possibility of having a club captain and a separate gameday captain.
• Jack Jewsbury, for his part, expressed his desire to retain the armband.  “Yeah it’d be huge.  Obviously it’s a position that I’ve had the last couple years, and it’s an honor to put that on every single game, not only for the guys in that locker room, but for this organization.”
• While all three of the new players interviewed after training were affable in front of the press gaggle, Will Johnson shone above all others.  It is clear that Will is very familiar with the organization and the challenges of the past two years.  Relatively unprompted, Johnson spoke to the difficulty of winning on the road.  “Every team has good players, every away game is a very tough game, and so we just have to learn that very quickly and bring a new mental toughness to this organization.”
• In the best quote of the day, Johnson further spoke to his approach to the road, saying, “I always used to tell Jason [Kreis], if I had to be rested, I don’t want to be rested at home because those are easier games.  I’d like to play all the road games because you really need a strong mentality, you need a road warrior mentality, if you will, because without road results you have to be perfect at home.  And the realistic point of view is that no one is going to be perfect at home, so winning on the road needs to be an absolute priority, and something that hasn’t gone right in the first two seasons, and is an extremely difficult challenge, especially when you’re assembling a new team.  But it’s something that we have to figure out a way to do, otherwise we’ll be on the outside looking in again, and I don’t see that as an option.”  Welcome to Portland, Will Johnson.
• Ryan Miller came out to the media gaggle wearing flip-flops, humbling me, and my freezing shoe-and-sock-ensconced toes.  Miller said that if he came back to MLS, he either wanted to play for his hometown Chicago Fire or a “very good situation.”  The person Miller credited with convincing him that Portland was such a situation was USL Timber George Josten, with whom Miller played with in Columbus.
• On a final programming note, I’m going to try to make it to training as much as I can.  As a practical matter, that means primarily weekends and holidays.  When I do, I’ll try to put together at least a short recap and, of course, will live tweet the open portions of practice.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Andrew Brawley

How serious is this Cascadia Cup trademarking issue to the affected supporters groups? It’s forcing us to be nice to each other on the Internet.

Nice.

To each other.

On the Internet.

Yeah…it’s THAT serious!

You might think I’m joking here, but this is something of a milestone. The amount of smack-talk, trolling, pouring glasses of Haterade, or whatever the kids call it these days, has plummeted ever since Major League Soccer quietly snuck into Canada to attempt a claim on the rights to the words “Cascadia" and "Cup.” (Of course, the Sounders no longer having Montero and Levesque on their roster ain’t helping, either, but I digress.)

Naturally, being the tech-savvy Pacific Northwesterners that we are, word got out about this power grab. (Did MLS assume our membership forbid lawyers or the use of Google Alerts?) The respective supporters groups checked their meeting notes, found no mention of any conversations with MLS about this issue, consulted with each other, and immediately threw the collective red flag.

Now we have an off-season quickly turning into pre-season, and bitter rival supporters groups are forced to…*gulp*…work together and fight the man.

If you happen to associate with me by some means (Twitter, Facebook, marriage, etc.), you’re probably familiar with my occasional mockery of our rivals. Some of it is witty. Some of it is stupid. Some of it crosses the line. Some of it should’ve just hit the cutting room floor. But it’s what I do. It’s a part of who I am. I have good friends who are Sounders fans, and I would take a bullet for them, but even they understand that it’s a part of the rivalry process. It’s bigger than us, and who are we to go against it?

If it weren’t for this Cascadia Cup trademark issue, I could spend the next few weeks helping my fellow supporters get amped up for our first game against Seattle on March 16th. I have no way of proving this theory, but I believe in my heart-of-hearts that some of this rivalry ramp-up among supporters carries over into our team’s locker room (we know they occasionally check the hashtags, see the memes, Diskin’s rad artwork, etc.). Some of the players have been here long enough to know how this regional rivalry business goes down.

That nasty ramp-up time creates an atmosphere that league officials and network TV executives salivate over. It’s a solid week of YouTube videos, TV commercials, offensive memes, two-stick prep, tifo-making and liver-testing that helps this league advance into the next level. By going after the one thing that we three supporters groups focus a large portion of our respective energies on (in a very sneaky fashion, mind you), MLS managed to undercut that bitter rivalry atmosphere that they sell to advertisers and turn our collective focus onto their Manhattan headquarters.

Bad move.

When it comes to never forgetting even the most trivial of things, US soccer supporters groups rank just behind bitter divorcing trophy wives with high-powered attorneys and major assets to mull over. Not only do we three supporters groups remember the past, we celebrate it. We go to great lengths to honor our collective history, one that goes back to the 1970’s, which (if my math is correct) has a bit more historical timeline to it than MLS itself.

If we wanted to attach a corporate sponsor’s name to the Cascadia Cup, we’d have done it already. Why didn’t we do that already? Probably because we have something people refer to as “integrity.” It’s not about money for us, it’s about pride. Pride in our respective clubs. Pride in the Cascadia region. Pride in the sport itself. Pride in a trophy that was funded by individual supporters across the region who handed over any small bills and change they could spare at the time. If MLS Commissioner Don Garber thinks we’re going to forget about this fiasco, especially during the week leading up to the March 16 match, by plowing the league’s largest and loudest supporters groups with tricked out TV spots and league-created fluff pieces about the I-5 rivalry, he’s going to be disappointed.

Mr. Garber, the phone lines of the Cascadia Cup Council are open. They’ve even got some email addresses you can write to. A civil tone can be achieved here. Trust me…you don’t want the alternative. Have you not learned anything from when Noah’s Arcade attached its name to Wayne’s World?

(The clip linked above is kinda not safe for work, as it features the demeaning of a corporate type via use of assumed sexual characteristics written on the back of note cards…but whatever, you’ve already seen it over 50 times.)

#RCTID

#EBFG

#Southsiders

#GrandTheftCascadia

 

This is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the 107ist or the TA.

This comes to us from American Outlaws PDX Vice President Robert Cross who asked to respond to Brawley's Op Ed. What is your opinion? You gotta have one. Share it below in the comments and mad props to Robert for the argument!

They call our sport the beautiful game. It is with good reason. One may root for club. One may root for country. Some choose both. The vast majority of soccer supporters realize there is a common thread no matter what your allegiance. Passion drives us all.

For me it has been a lifelong love affair. I first embraced the sport growing up in NJ watching Cosmos great Giorgio Chinaglia race around manically, waving his arms after finding the back of the net. There was Paolo Rossi's torrid performance in the 1982 World Cup. A feat I would have never seen if my next door neighbor had not been from Italy. I screamed when Paul Caliguri put USA back in the World Cup in 1990, embraced Giovanni Savaresse of the MetroStars in the early days of MLS, and yelled bloody murder when Torsten Fring's handball on the line kept the NATS from tying Germany in 2002. Ryan Pore’s “Sunflower Goal” got me stuck in with the Timbers Army after arriving in PDX several years ago now. I won’t talk about Coach Klinsmann’s and the boys recent performance as we head to the Hex for obvious reasons. And so it goes.

I share my passion of the sport I love. I do so as a founding member of American Outlaws Portland. I do so as a member of 107ist. I do so as a “founding member” of the 103rd Ballistic Unit of the Timbers Army. Anyone who knows me, knows my love for soccer. If you want to witness it firsthand, stand near me in 103 during a goal celebration and watch out. Those bruises on my body are real.

My expectations for any USMNT match at JELD-WEN is that we put forward a world class atmosphere. The Timbers Army brings our best to every match, for a full 90, no matter what our record may be, no matter whom we are playing, and no matter that GW is still in. I understand that the team before us would not be wearing the “green and gold” of PTFC. I would expect that TA members, traveling AO nationals, AOPDX, and random supporters, would fill the North End for the match and stand side by side. I would expect that we would sing and chant together. I would expect that everyone would be filled with unbridled passion for the match.

Why would anyone expect anything less? Members of the American Outlaws and Timbers Army share far more in common than one would think. Do tell …

· Both groups aim to bring fans together.

· Both groups desire to put forward the best match day atmosphere.

· Both groups are inclusive and attract all kinds of fans

· Both groups are passionate about whom they support

· Both groups are organized but organic and strive to keep it that way

· Both groups adhere to a code of conduct

I would argue that the only real, tangible differences between the TA and AO are whom we choose to support.

I’m not from Gresham, am pro-Cascadia, and pro-American. I choose to be involved in both American Outlaws and Timbers Army because I love the game and want the sport to grow in this country. My fellow AOPDX members, the vast majority of whom are TA/107ist, feel the same.

Do I want a USMNT match here in 2013? Damn straight. Make sure to get the hell out of the way when we score.

With the Timbers 2013 regular season schedule being released recently, finding out when the home games are is interesting, but it's even better to figure out if you'll be able to make travel plans and still see the Timbers play. I've been fortunate to have been able to watch the Timbers lose (or get a plucky draw) at a number of different MLS stadiums now (and let's be honest, "fortunate" implies I haven't been able to make most home games, so I use that term loosely).

Based on my travel experiences, here's my ranking of the 17 away games for the 2013 season. I've used the totally subjective ranking of "if I could only go to X number of away games this season, which ones would I go to?", but even though it's subjective, I've tried to take into account: quality of opponent/importance of game; the quality (or perceived quality) of the stadium experience; the city; the day of the week; and what other away games the game falls around. I have not taken into account which stadiums I've already attended (which would change the list), but I have taken into account the gameday experiences at those stadiums I have attended.

Without further ado, let's Bleacher Report:

1. Sat. April 27 - at Kansas City If you get to do one non-Cascadia away trip this season, make it KC. Their stadium still has a bit of sparkle and is an impressive place to watch a football match. There's even a full bar adjacent to the supporters' section! Add barbeque, jazz museums and Nebraska Furniture Marts to the agenda and this could be a fun weekend.

2. Sat. May 25 - at D.C. United This could be your last chance to see the Timbers play in an original MLS stadium. The game will have a hard time living up to 2011's aggressively entertaining attack-fest, but the District Ultras tifo alone may be worth the price of admission. The atmosphere is always good, the tailgating is well-known throughout the league and Senator Merkley may even show up again.

3. Sat. March 16 - at Seattle Might as well kick off the traveling season with a game at our closest rivals. While the Timbers have to make two trips up to Cascadia's lesser metropolitan area, the first Cascadia Cup game of the year should be a good time.

4. Sun. Oct. 6 - at Vancouver This game could fall down the rankings a bit depending on how the Timbers are doing in the Cascadia Cup, and also depending on the time of the game - an evening game may make it harder to get home before the work week starts. Other than that, this is the last Cascadia Cup away match of the season at our B.C. "house", which makes it potentially critically important.

5. Sat. May 18 - at Vancouver Both Vancouvers are listed next to each other because there's not much between the two - this is the first trip up there, and it's May in Vancouver, and it's on a Saturday, which could make it easier for you to get to Canada and eat as much poutine as you can physically handle. This game is better logistically than the October Vancouver game, but I've ranked it behind just because I believe the Cascadia Cup ramifications are more dramatic in October. This is the Timbers' second Cascadia Cup match of the season.

6. Sun. July 7 - at Columbus The United States' "original" soccer specific stadium is already starting to show its age just a little bit, and it can't quite match up to some of the new stadiums in the league. Still, I think it still seems to be a good place to watch a game, even if the atmosphere has been hit or miss in Ohio recently, and the Crew have a chance to be better this year. On the plus side, the game is in July which means a good chance of a thunderstorm!

7. Sun. Aug. 25 - at Seattle Our second trip to the clink, this game is going to be vital towards determining the winner of the Cascadia Cup and is nicely at the end of the summer after a three-game homestand which includes Vancouver. The 7pm Sunday start means you'll get home late, but other than that, a date you really should circle on your calendar.

8. Sat. March 30 - at Colorado Colorado in March again! The weather could be terrible, but the game's at 3:00 and the Rapids supporters have been truly hospitable in the past. If the Timbers start fast out of the blocks, this could also be a chance to see a rare road win outside of British Columbia.

9. Sat. June 8 - at Chicago This game has been getting a lot of talk, but honestly doesn't excite me that much. Despite the fact the MLS Timbers have never lost in Toyota Park, the stadium is of the generic-new variety in the style of Dick's or PPL. On the upside, when the game ends, you're in Chicago. Still, from a pure soccer-watching perspective, there are better options this year.

10. Sat. July 27 - at San Jose Your last chance to see the Timbers play at the intimate Buck Shaw, which also means it's possibly your last chance to nearly destroy their bleacher seats. With two chances to hit up the Bay Area this year, this is the one to go to, especially if you're thinking of doing both San Jose and Kansas City.

11. Sat. October 26 - at Chivas USA It's the last game of the season, which actually could be meaningful with Porter at the helm, and gives you an excuse to get to southern California as the clouds set in for the winter. This may be your best opportunity to visit the Home Depot Center this season - and the Chivas fans are said to be a lot of fun.

12. Fri. August 30 - at Real Salt Lake This game comes shortly after the last away game against the Flounders and is on a Friday - but it's your only chance to see the Timbers play a regular season game at the lovely Rio Tinto.

13. Sat. July 20 - at Philadelphia Some of the Union supporters are class, but the supporters' section is far away from the field. The stadium is nice because it's new, but it kind of feels like you're watching a game in a generic FIFA stadium. It's also in a terrible part of town, which overall makes for a strange away day experience. I would go if your mother lives in Philly, and you'd like to have something to tie your visit home in with.

14. Wed. May 8 - at FC Dallas Having talked with their ticket reps, Dallas are doing their best to make themselves into an interesting place to watch a soccer game. The problem is, the Timbers played there twice last year, and the Wednesday date May (pun intended) only bring out the Texan members of the Army.

15. Sat. September 14 - at Chivas USA We play Chivas USA twice on the road this season. Though it's on a Saturday, this is the less interesting game in my opinion. It could be one of the last nice summer weekends in Oregon in 2013, Chivas isn't expected to be much good, and there are other opportunities to make the Home Depot Center this season. Still, the weekend date makes it easier to make it to than the Galaxy game.

16. Wed. June 19 - at Los Angeles So the Timbers get the defending MLS Champions on a weekday in between two weekend home games. The Galaxy should be good even if it's a rebuilding year, but if you really like to watch the Timbers play the Galaxy in Los Angeles, the schedule makers didn't do you any favors.

17. Sun. April 21 - at San Jose If you're going to make it to the Bay Area this season, this Sunday game against the Earthquakes doesn't really fit into the schedule well - the Timbers play them at home a week before, so there's no novelty factor, the game is on a Sunday, and Kansas City is the next weekend.

Hope to see everyone out at an away match this season!

—by Chris Rifer

Last week we recapped a busy week in the Timbers front office in Part I of the Morrison Report’s Omnibus Offseason Edition. But the headquarters on Morrison Street wasn’t the only one that was busy.  The MLS front office had a whale of a week as well, releasing the 2013 schedule, preparing for a draft that is quickly losing relevance, and dodging questions about why its trying to trademark the term “Cascadia Cup” in Canada.  Let’s discuss, shall we?

Cascadian Imbalance

The 2013 schedule came out with absolutely no surprise.  As promised, it was a mirror image of 2012.  The disappointing part, though, was the League’s refusal to fix a glaring – and easily remedied – problem in the schedule.

When the MLS announced the format of its imbalanced schedule in 2012, I assumed the League would take the extra effort to ensure Cascadian balance.  While perfect balance is impossible under MLS’s current format, relative scheduling parity can be achieved by making sure that each Cascadian club has three home and three away Cascadia Cup matches each year.  It doesn’t take a John Nash to figure out how to do this.[1]

Yet, somehow, the MLS decided to make it so either Portland or Seattle will play four at home and two on the road each year, with the other playing the inverse. Last year, the Timbers were the recipients of the good fortune, which – if we’re being honest with ourselves for a moment – was key to liberating the Cup from the Wharf in the North.

So, before the 2013 schedule came out, I harbored a fool’s hope that MLS would right its mistake from last year and balance the Cascadian schedule.  No dice.  Maybe MLS just wants to let what went around in 2012 come around in 2013, with plans to right this obvious wrong before 2014. If so, while I would modestly dissent on there’s-no-better-time-than-the-present-to-fix-your-screw-ups grounds, what’s fair is fair, and Timbers supporters can’t complain too much about that.

While I’m sure this sounds trifling to the League office, it’s important.  Under the current format, absent a year in which the unduly burdened club is a clear Cascadian hegemon, [2] or a year in which Vancouver isn’t Cascadianly challenged,[3] either Portland or Seattle will be at a distinct disadvantage, Vancouver a slight one, and the homebody a massive advantage.  My prediction is this homebody will take the Cup with Metamucil-like regularity.

The Cup can certainly withstand another year of this.  But if, as I predict, the competition becomes too predictable, it will eventually wilt.  Sure, the rivalry between Portland and Seattle will endure, but the uniquely awesome three-way competition will eventually wither.  That would be just as unfortunate for the League as it would be for Cascadia.

But the League is nothing if not stubborn.  The problem didn’t get fixed this year.  If it doesn’t happen next, we may be in for the long haul.  Let’s hope that’s not the case.

SuperDraft’s Kryptonite

There’s a palpable wah-wah feeling around this year’s SuperDraft.  Around Portland, that’s in large part because the likely highlight of the global online stream of the draft for Timbers fans will be the shots of Gavin Wilkinson, Caleb Porter, and Merritt Paulson playing a spirited draft day game of Scrabble.

But the talent pool this year is also way down.  While there are surely multiple causes, one major contributor is the emergence of prominent homegrown signings.  This is a fantastic development for the League and North American soccer.  Simply put, better academies mean better talent and better soccer, both on the league level and the national team level.

It, however, is also a major potential source of competitive disparity in years to come.  As young players are shepherded into academies at younger and younger ages, the homegrown signings will largely follow regional lines.  Simply put, the Timbers are going to sign kids from Oregon and southwest Washington, the Red Bulls from New York, and the Galaxy from Los Angeles.

The danger here is obvious.  There is much more talent in L.A. than Kansas City.  If the Galaxy do a halfway decent job of developing their academy,[4] they will have a continuous pipeline of some of the best talent in America, whereas Sporting will have to largely look overseas to stay competitive.

So, how do we reform the way MLS brings young players into the league? Well, the first thing I would do is phase out the SuperDraft in favor of a more market-oriented approach.  You see a North American college player you like?  Go sign him.  MLS could still provide incentives to sign North American high school and collegiate players through the use of salary cap discounts for every such player signed to their first MLS contract.[5]

Then, to incentivize academy development, MLS could essentially borrow restricted free agency from the NBA.  Any other MLS team can come in and sign any other team’s academy player, but the parent club gets the first right of refusal on the same terms as the signing club.  The parent club would still be at a significant advantage in retaining its own product, but not to the absolute exclusion of the rest of the League.[6]  This would mitigate the geographic competitive bias the current homegrown system is likely to produce, while maintaining the strong incentive to build academies and develop top talent at home.

What was that, Don, you don’t like the fact that this deprives you of the opportunity to stream your midday, midweek draft live on the Internet to the entire globe?  Fear not, fearless leader.  You could still hold a combine for academy and non-academy MLS prospects in early January, and make the first day to sign these youngsters to an MLS contract sometime in the next week.  So, instead of having GCA tweet about uncompetitive games, you would have national media covering both the combine and, more importantly, the bidding wars going on behind the scenes.  Then you would have the MLS equivalent of NCAA football’s national signing day.  That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

Oh, if only it would happen.

Onward, Rose City!

Portland, OR., Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, WA. — January 10, 2013 —The supporters groups in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver jointly oppose Major League Soccer’s claim of ownership of the Cascadia Cup trademark. The three supporters groups have jointly used the Cascadia Cup mark for many years and have been the rightful owners of the mark. In response to recent statements and actions by MLS, the supporters groups recently formed a new entity, the Cascadia Cup Council, which acquired the supporters’ groups trademark rights in the Cascadia Cup mark. The Cascadia Cup Council will ensure that the mark remains in the hands of the very supporters who created it.

The Cascadia Cup Council recently filed a U.S. federal trademark registration application for the Cascadia Cup mark, and a registration application will likely be filed in Canada as well. The Cascadia Cup Council also intends to formally oppose Major League Soccer’s attempt to register the trademark that the public recognizes as a fan-created competition that predates Major League Soccer in Vancouver, Portland or Seattle.

Not only does the Cascadia Cup Council believe they rightfully own the trademark to Cascadia Cup but they also are of the belief they are the appropriate entity to protect the mark from third parties that are unaffiliated with the supporters groups in the Pacific Northwest.

—by Chris Rifer

I hope nobody took a long holiday vacation. In as busy a week as the Portland Timbers have had in the last two years, the Portland Timbers have added a designated player to their roster, introduced a new coach, had their schedule unveiled, and stood idly by while the MLS made a brazen attempt to trademark the term “Cascadia Cup.”  Oh, brother.

If you have been under a rock for a couple weeks,[1] well, you have some catching up to do. Luckily, The Morrison Report has you covered. In Part I of the Omnibus Offseason Edition we tackle the additions of Valeri and Porter and the funny things that people said when those additions were announced. In Part II this weekend, we’ll cover MLS-oriented issues and a little bit of Timbers potpourri.

Welcome to Chez Valeri

There is no such thing as too much of a good thing.[2] So when one guy named Diego was serving the Timbers well in the midfield, Caleb Porter and Gavin Wilkinson decided to add another.

Enter, Diego Valeri, former Lanus number ten and occasional Argentine national teamer. In a move that was sussed out by the TA’s own Sheba weeks prior, the Timbers on Thursday announced the major creative signing that had eluded them for two years.

While Valeri’s signing was exciting enough, the Twitter drama began shortly after the announcement when The Oregonian’s Geoffrey C. Arnold speculated that Franck Songo’o may be on the outs, bro. Arnold may prove to be correct,[3] but I don’t see the Valeri move as being the primary causal factor. Songo’o’s position in the team was imperiled the moment the Timbers traded for Will Johnson, who essentially stripped Songo’o of the benefit of his incumbency at left mid.

That said, Franck is a good player at a very decent price, which makes him of value to both the Timbers and potential suitors. In this respect, however, he is similar to Eric Alexander and Sal Zizzo, both of whom have proven to be productive players but who at the moment appear to be relatively unlikely to crack the XI.[4] In this way, the addition of Valeri just added a chef de cuisine to an already very crowded midfield kitchen. In this kitchen, Zizzo, Alexander, and Songo’o represent three chefs de partie who other restaurants may just desire as a sous chef. Accordingly, don’t be surprised if the Timbers dangle all three of these guys on the trade market, and see what offers come their way.

I think Zizzo is probably the one the Timbers would most readily part with. Both Alexander and Songo’o can play multiple midfield positions.[5] On the other hard, of the three, Zizzo looks like the only one with a better than longshot chance of starting.  Don’t be surprised, however, if the Timbers trade one or two of these guys. The team still needs a right back and, if a high enough pick were offered and a prospect catches Porter’s eye this weekend, the Timbers might jump at the chance to get back into the draft to lock up another off budget Generation Adidas player.

Hey Porter

In even less surprising news, the Timbers introduced Caleb Porter as the new head coach on Tuesday morning at Jeld-Wen Field. After being hired nearly five months ago, Porter finally made his official debut appearance wearing Timbers green.[6]

With one exception, the introductory presser was notable more for how much Caleb said than what he said. As he showed in his occasional press conferences at Akron, if Porter is asked a question of any specificity, he will often give a surprisingly forthright, think-out-loud answer that runs a few seconds longer than his boss would probably like.

The most prominent example of Caleb saying more than prudence may advise was in his answer to a question about Kris Boyd’s fit in Porter’s system. Caleb answered that he had a hard time seeing how Boyd fit, especially because he expects his forwards to defend and, you know, move.

This may have been an example of a rookie coach unaccustomed to answering difficult questions under pressure.[7] But a little bit of me has a hard time believing Porter wasn’t given a pointer or two beforehand on how to handle a question about the elephant in the Timbers’ boot room. Not to mention, it’s not like Porter had a negative slip of the tongue amidst of a long answer about how Kris is a great scorer whose nose for goal fits in any system.  No, Caleb dove right in, swam a couple laps, and stole Boyd’s swimsuit on the way out of the pool.

The answer, though, brings simmering questions about Boyd’s future in Portland back to a boil. We may get a hint when Trencito Valencia's purchase is announced. If Trencito is still a young designated player, then he and the Diegos would take up all three DP slots. All indications, then, would be that Boyd is on his way out before the roster compliance date.  If the Timbers have negotiated Valencia’s purchase price low enough, it very well could be that it’s worthwhile to keep the DP tag off of him.[8]

So, what about Boyd? Well, there are a few options. First, and I think least likely, the Timbers could welcome him into camp with open arms, keep him around, and see what he offers in 2013. To be frank, I don’t see how this helps anybody. Second, the Timbers could find a willing buyer within the next month, ship him out on free transfer, and likely swallow a good chunk of his million-and-a-quarter salary in 2013. This requires a taker and, as explained in footnote nine below, may not make that much sense for Portland financially.

Third, however, the Timbers could use their once-per-offseason get out of jail free card on Boyd, which allows a team to buyout one player’s contract per offseason and have it come off the salary cap for the subsequent season.[9] This possibility makes some sense if Porter’s Boyd bashing session was something less than absent minded. Namely, Porter may have been sending a message to Boyd that he better take the Timbers’ buyout offer. By making it clear that Boyd was out of favor here, he creates a strong disincentive for Kris to return. Simply put, at the age of 29 – and after two years completely off the European footballing map – Boyd can’t afford another season without production. If he toils in Portland for a year and then, at 30, tries to return to Europe, he wouldn’t receive a serious offer. So, after being told he’s persona barely grata on Morrison Street, Boyd may prefer to take a buyout from Portland for a fraction of his 2013 salary, and try to resuscitate his European career now.

Nonetheless, Gavin’s coy response to the follow up question clearly shows nothing yet it settled with Kris. Stay tuned.

Onward, Rose City!

At the January 2013 107IST Board meeting, the board carried out its annual reorganization, election of officers and appointment of committee chairs for the 2013 calendar year. The board welcomed back Jeremy Wright and Sherrilynn "Sheba" Rawson as well as welcoming newest board member Mike Coleman; elected officers; and established committees for the 2013 calendar year.

The following board members were elected to board offices for the 2013 calendar year:

• President--Scott V Swearingen
• Vice President--Jeremy Wright
• Secretary--Sherrilynn "Sheba" Rawson
• Treasurer--Joanne Couchman

 In addition to the election of officers, the board appointed the following board members as chairs or co-chairs of standing committees:

Communications--Chaired by Abram Goldman-Armstrong and Garrett Dittfurth, with Abe focusing on Whipsaw and on internal communications and Garrett focusing on public relations, with additional members to be approved by the board for a one-year term

Community outreach--co-chaired by Nando Machicado and Sheba Rawson, with Nando focusing on soccer-specific community outreach and donation requests and Sheba focusing on volunteer coordination and other (non-soccer-specific) community outreach, with 3-5 107IST members to be approved by the board for a one-year term

Ethics--per the bylaws, this committee has the vice president (Jeremy Wright) and secretary (Sheba Rawson) serving, along with three 107IST members to be approved by the board for a one-year term.

Game-day ops--co-chaired by Nando Machicado  and Jerry Makare with Mike Coleman

Member benefits--co-chaired by Mike Coleman and Matt Talley, with additional 107IST members to be approved by the board for a one-year term

Merchandise--co-chaired by Scott V Swearingen and one non-board member 107IST, nine members total on the committee

Travel--co-chaired by Harper Morgan-Werner and Jeremy Wright, with additional 107IST members to be approved by the board for a one-year term

In addition to committee work, the following task forces will be in existence to get other non-committee work done:

Membership--co-chaired by Harper Morgan-Werner and Bruce "Obi" Eaton

Gisele Currier Scholarship Fund--chaired by Sheba Rawson

(For brief biographical information about board members, along with photos, email links, and committee assignments, check out the Board of Directors page)

If you are a 107IST member and are interested in serving with any of the committees listed above, feel free to contact the appropriate board member indicating your interest, availability, and expertise.

Congratulations to all Board officers and committee chairs. We look forward to the work ahead!

—by Garrett Dittfurth

From the Cauldron

KC Cauldron hosting the ISC Annual meeting in advance of the 2013 MLS Season

Who: Independent Supporters Council of the United States and Canada (ISC)

What: Annual meeting of representatives from soccer supporters associations across the US and Canada

When: Jan. 24-27th

Where: Livestrong Sporting Park.

(October 26, 2012) – The Kansas City Cauldron, Sporting Kansas City's largest supporters group, will host the Independent Supporters Council of the United States and Canada Annual Meeting. Representatives from supporters groups across North America will come together in Kansas City. The ISC conferences in order to identify and promote the needs of soccer supporters. As the organization is comprised primarily of supporters from Major League Soccer markets; that is the main focus of the discussions. Supporters groups from all levels of professional soccer such as the NASL and USL Pro are welcomed and encouraged to join the ISC.

“We are excited to be hosting these meeting here in Kansas City. It gives us a chance to showcase the ever growing soccer supporters culture in this city as well as the fantastic facilities created by Sporting Club at Livestrong Sporting Park. At last year's meetings we took on some large projects that are coming to fruition now. We look forward to sharing those projects soon. It is inspiring to see people from across the country put away rivalries in order to accomplish a common goal. ” Sean Dane, The Cauldron

The ISC has invited MLS officials to join them in order create a stronger working relationship between supporters and the league.

More information about the ISC and its members can be found here:

http://www.soccersupporters.org/about/faq

More information about the Cauldron can be found here:

http://www.kccauldron.com/about-kc-cauldron/history.cfm