Thanks to the support of 107IST members, one of last year’s scholarship recipients and his teammates had an unforgettable experience: Issa Hassan and two friends got to stand in the Timbers Army for the season opener on March 12th.

Through 107IST financial support for community outreach, we were able to donate four TA season opener tickets to the Portland non-profit organization 4 Worlds United Soccer Alliance, or 4WUSA (on Facebook). The 107IST is committed to supporting the work of groups like 4WUSA, whose mission is “to enhance the lives of fourth world children by providing opportunities that improve their soccer skills, build confidence, support their education, and unite communities and cultures.” 4WUSA has worked with fourth world children at Kateri Park, giving them both financial and volunteer support for youth soccer, and the 107IST has worked with the group in a variety of ways, offering assistance in the past.

This year, thanks to the support of the 107IST and the work of 4WUSA, three young men got the chance to attend the Timbers home opener on 3/12/12. One of the youth is well known to the 107IST: Gisele Currier Memorial Scholarship Fund recipient Issa Hassan attended the match, along with his friends "Mudy" Mohamud Abdikadir and Nick Osborn. Here's a bit about the boys who attended the match, courtesy of Mark Verna with 4WUSA and the 107IST (from L to right, they are Nick, Mudy, and Issa):

Issa Hassan was awarded the first scholarship from the Gisele Currier Memorial Fund in order to help facilitate his participation in the Olympic Development Program. Issa’s mother had 11 children, six of whom survived the exodus from war torn Somalia and the subsequent 8 years in a refugee camp in Kenya and immigration to the United States. Issa is now the oldest sibling in a single parent home; he is essentially the man of the house in addition to his studies at Cleveland High School. As a result of the monetary assistance from the 107IST, Issa was able to afford travel and registration for the ODP Regional Holdover Camp in California, which is essentially a tryout zone for the US National Team program.

“Mudy” is officially Mohamud Abdikadir. Mudy was born in northern Kenya and came to the country about 8 years ago at the age of 8. He was the first player to be on an official team roster from the Bantu community and the community that is now the core of the 4WUSA service area. He was on a U10 team at Southeast Soccer Club with Mark Verna. Mark says that Mudy is a great kid and a fantastic ballplayer. He has been hit with bad luck injuries (concussions) so he hasn't had the chance to keep up with Issa's meteoric rise but he recently started to show his talents at the Cleveland HS Varsity level and according to Mark his skills are increasing with every session on his club team with ESUFC. Mudy is a starter on that squad and they play at a very high level. In fact that team, with the talents of Issa and Mudy along, went all the way to National semi finals last year at the U16 level.

Nick Osborne is a longtime teammate and friend of Issa and Mudy. Nick has been playing soccer with both boys at East Side United since their U12 year (4 years now), and his family has been constantly at the forefront of providing all sorts of support for the boys from rides to training, games and tournaments to helping out with homework at school. The boys have all become very close friends over the years. Nick was on the roster as a CHS Varsity alternate last fall and plays on the ESUFC Pumas with Issa and Mudy.

All three boys were chaperoned by 4WUSA secretary Jim Whyte, who wanted everyone to know how much the boys enjoyed the match. Jim writes: “We all had a great time and what a stellar way to start the season, with a good strong win. The boys' eyes lit up many times as the chants rolled out…. One of the most interesting things for them was listening to the Timbers Army and listening to the stadium chant, cheer and support our Timbers. Some of the chants had Mudy and Issa looking at me to validate the vocabulary they heard. It's a big person's world there. No high school chants. But it also got them listening to the chants. I got them moving left and right with the Army, though they were a bit hesitant and shy, as teenagers. Funny how an old man has to teach these young whippersnappers how to lighten up.”

The experience of being in the Timbers Army with the constant singing made quite an impression. Says Jim: “The feel of the game, the sounds of the stands and the constant support for the Timbers was a big treat for them. It was fun to be with them and watch them watch the game, watch them watch the fans and take in the experience. They were quiet, but their eyes would light up, smiles rolled across their mouth many times just because of the Army, not to mention the game. It was funny to see Issa point out ‘See that guy down there? He's teaching them to sing.’ I had to point out that (A) there were many guys standing all along the railing and (B) everyone knew the songs, these guys were coordinating the songs.”

Jim noted that, as much as the TA made an impression, the boys definitely enjoyed the play on the pitch as well: “As for the game, they were quite impressed by Kalif Alhassan's play. There was a lot of discussion about whether his goal was intentional or accidental, but the move he put on after Jewsbury gave him the ball was quite a discussion point too. They joked about which one had the same moves to upstage Alhassan. Typical kids, trying to top the pros. Alhassan was the most talked about player at the game and on the way home. Funny how he was Player of the Week.”

Jim and the boys wanted to be sure to express their thanks for the chance to attend the match: it was a blast for them all.

If you’d like to know more about 4 Worlds United Soccer Alliance, visit their Facebook page here. And we wish Nick, Mudy, and Issa all the best as they continue to develop as soccer players, currently with East Side United, a Portland Timbers Elite Youth Club. Who knows? If you were near them in the stands that night, you just might have been sitting next to a future homegrown Timbers player.

—by Chris Rifer

If John Spencer thought the questions about whether his side could perform on the road were annoying before, he’ll find them downright oppressive now.

With everything set up for the Timbers to take their first road win of 2012, Portland laid an absolute egg in Foxborough. The match started—and ended—in the first minute, as Chris Tierney casually sent a ball from the left wing into the box, where Saer Sene casually nodded it in.

After a week of emphasis on starting strong, the Timbers did exactly the opposite, practically escorting New England to the opener and winner.

The Timbers’ response was anemic. Portland looked to create a chance in the 13^th minute when Eric Alexander squared the ball for Diego Chara 10 yards out, but Chara sent his promising opportunity wide. Control + C.

If missing promising chances in front of goal is cool, consider Kris Boyd Miles Davis.[1] After Shalrie Joseph popped up a 32^nd minute clearance to Boyd, the heretofore fox lined up a free header and screwed the pooch. Control + V.

In the 43^rd minute Revs rookie Kelyn Rowe looked to make it two after beating Eric Brunner and getting out on the break. Troy Perkins did well to cut down the angle, however, and Eric Brunner recovered just in time to poke the ball away.

One would think Portland would come out of halftime with their ears pinned back looking to find an early equalizer. One would think wrong. The Timbers came out of intermission looking as flat as they went into it, with the Timbers nearly conceding again when Troy Perkins spilled Tierney’s 58^th minute free kick.

Moments later Kalif Alhassan mustered a beautiful cross into an unmarked Boyd at the top of the six. Control + V.

In the 60^th minute Franck Songo’o made his Timbers debut, and, for the first time in the match, injected some life into Portland. After inadvertently kicking Kevin Alston in the face[2] on a bicycle attempt, Songo’o showed flashes of what Timbers fans have been waiting for by keeping possession, combining well, and looking dangerous with an eye toward goal.

Kris Boyd wasn’t done, though. Alhassan’s 77^th minute corner again found Boyd at the top of the six, but again, Control + V.

The Timbers last best chance came in the 85^th minute when Songo’o gathered a cleared corner, took a touch, and absolutely blasted the ball on frame from 20 yards out. Matt Reis, however, was right in the ball’s path and easily deflected clear.

After opening weekend enthusiasm, two mediocre to poor performances on the road have Timbers supporters wondering if 2012 will be a repeat of 2011. Points like Saturday’s are crucial in the hyper-competitive Western Conference. Portland deserved none, and got none.

Match Observations

• That was awful. Just miserable, miserable stuff.[3]
• From one team the Timbers didn’t lose to in 2011 to another next week. Let’s hope it turns out better the second time around.

Timbers Grades

Troy Perkins, 3.5 Wasn’t at fault on the concession, but was unusually dodgy between the sticks. Spilled a couple balls that would typically be routine.

Rodney Wallace, 3 The guy looked like he had turned a corner. He really did. Looks can be deceiving. Helloooo, Mike Chabala.

Eric Brunner, 4 Guilty for giving Sene so much room to work on the goal, and otherwise captained a poor backline. To be honest, New England really didn’t look that dangerous; after the initial goal their best opportunities came off of some three stooges defending.

Hanyer Mosquera, 5 Looked fine until he took a shot to the nose. Hope it’s not broken.

Lovel Palmer, 4 Looked slightly—slightly—better than Wallace in defense and at least had some nice moments combining with Kalif going forward.

Eric Alexander, 4.5 Wasn’t awful on the left, but was far from great. A little bit slow on some of his passing, but was at least engaged enough to get a few crosses off. Still, Songo’o’s performance shows he’s living on borrowed time in the Starting XI.

Jack Jewsbury, 4.5 Was anonymous in the midfield, where Portland struggled to establish itself all day. Still, Jack had some crucial emergency defending that kept Portland in the match.

Diego Chara, 3.5 Diego’s struggles on the road was one of the underreported stories of mid last season. He righted the ship a bit toward the end of last year, and last week seemed to be a promising continuation of that progress. Today was a step back. For the Timbers’ sake, it better only be a temporary step back. As goes Diego, so go the Timbers.

Kalif Alhassan, 4 Very tough grade because, as always, Kalif had some nice moments. He was partially at fault for the early concession, though, by giving Tierney acres to work with, and wasted two late chances by sending hopeless shots from distance way off target.

Darlington Nagbe, 6 Man of the Match. Showed why he belonged in the Starting XI with some fantastic holdup and combination play.

Kris Boyd, 3 The only reason he gets a 3 is because I like the fact that he made himself available so much in the box. With no fewer than three golden[4] opportunities to equalize with his head, however, coming away within nothing on target it an absolute disaster.

Andrew Jean-Baptiste, 6 Another nice outing for AJB. Had a couple scuffed headers, but otherwise looked pretty controlled in back. This is looking more and more like a shrewd pick.

Franck Songo’o, 7 As long as his ankle is okay after taking a late knock, it might not be too long before we see him in the XI. For his 30 minute spell he was the best player on the field by a pretty wide margin.

Jorge Perlaza, 5 Inherited a mess and really couldn’t do anything to clean it up.

Preseason Prediction – Timbers 3, Revs 3. Boyd, Songo’o, Brunner, Rowe, Feilhaber, Sene.

Actual – Revs 1, Timbers 0. Sene.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Garrett Dittfurth

This speaks for itself.

Bazi Bierbrasserie concludes its celebration of Women’s History Month with the Joan of Arc Beer Release Party on Saturday, March 24 at 6:30 PM.

Women for Girls teamed up with Bazi and Portland U-Brew to create The Joan of Arc saison ale. The first beer celebrates the French heroine for embodying the first tenet of the Girls Inc motto "Strong, Smart and Bold".

All proceeds from The Joan of Arc beer (available at a cash bar section of Bazi) benefit Girls Inc of NW Oregon. A specialty beer cocktail named "La Pucelle" or "The Maiden" one of Joan of Arc's nicknames will also be available on this night only.

Following the beer tapping and in the spirit of soccer season, the Timbers Army OGFC (Old Growth Football Club) and its sponsor Bazi will unveil the team’s inaugural season jersey at 7 pm. A limited supply of jerseys will be made available for purchase to benefit Girls Inc of NW Oregon.

For more information about this event call 503-234-8888 or visit www.bazipdx.com

Bazi Bierbrasserie is a full service restaurant and bar featuring 17 rotating Belgian craft beers, bottles, wine and signature cocktails. The brasserie style food menu is inspired by a diverse and eclectic Belgian community influenced by the French, Dutch and German. Bazi embraces bringing community together through local sports and televises the Timbers, Blazers, and College Football on its 114” HDTV screen. Visit www.bazipdx.com to learn more about upcoming game viewings and philanthropy initiatives.

Timbers Army Old Growth Football Club (OGFC) is a founding member team of the 107ist-sponsored Timbers Army Football Club initiative. The Over-40 squad formed in October and begins play next month in the Greater Portland Soccer District. Core to the OGFC mission is to be involved in the community. OGFC is fully engaged in 107ist-supported initiatives and works closely with its sponsor Bazi Bierbrasserie to support the mission of Girls Inc of NW Oregon.

Women for Girls is an ever-growing collective group of people in the greater Portland area working to inspire girls of all ages to be Strong, Smart and Bold. The mission of the non-profit is to cultivate a strong and diverse community of women dedicated to Girls Inc. of NW Oregon’s vision of empowering girls in an equitable society. To learn more visit www.girlsincnworegon.org

The 107 Independent Supporters’ Trust is the machinery behind the Timbers Army. It supports soccer in and around Portland, Oregon, from the grassroots to the highest professional level. It fuels the Army and supports soccer charities and soccer events in Soccer City USA. 107ist is a member-based organization open to anyone who loves soccer, the Timbers, Portland, and, especially, the combination of the three.

In addition to funding spectacular tifo, providing the means to set up organized away matches, and affording discounts at businesses throughout town, your 107IST membership also supports a variety of charities and community outreach efforts. These efforts include opportunities to bring more of the community into JELD-WEN to experience the Portland Timbers and the Timbers Army first hand. Thanks to your support for community outreach and charitable giving, some of Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare's clients had the chance to share in the preseason tournament experience.

Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare is an organization that provides community mental health and addiction services in Multnomah, Clackamas and Lane County. They serve a variety of individuals: some have been homeless, some have battled addiction or have otherwise have been struggling in the community. CBH provides comprehensive treatment services and also seeks out different activities to help integrate their clients into the community. One of the CBH staff members is a die hard Timbers fan and Army supporter and has taken clients to matches in the past as part of the community integration effort.

As part of our community outreach efforts, the 107IST ensured that several tickets to two of the preseason matches were donated to Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare for their clients to use, so that they could enjoy the game day experience. One of the residential counselors recounts their experience during the preseason:

"The first game, our staff member Meghan (also a huge Timbers fan) took a great group of guys. They had Pizza at Hot Lips and found great seats in the upper levels of the TA section. Two of the guys are huge Timbers fans and attended several games last season with our facility. They were very excited to see the Timbers play again, see captain Jack (who is their favorite Timber), and just be back in Jeld-Wen. For the 3rd guy, it was his very first Timbers match, but he was very excited. The other guys helped him find Hot Lips pizza, helped him find his way around Jeld-Wen, and taught him some of the cheers. Our staff member began to tell him the basic rules of soccer and he explained that he that played soccer as a young adult in the Portland area. They enjoyed the game very much.

"For the second game, our staff member Kyle took three guys to the match. They also got pizza at Hot Lips and then found their seats. All 3 of the guys had been to a Timbers game last season, and had been asking if they would be able to attend this season, so they were very excited to go. Last Christmas, one guy had been given a Timbers hat by his family as a present and this was his first chance to wear it to a match.

"One of the guys, an older gentleman, isn't very talkative at all and hardly even does any group activities...except Timbers games. At the Timbers games, he is animated and cheering loudly and smiling... And for several days after the game, we are able to sit with and talk sports with him.

"Last season, he caught 'Timbers fever' and was an integral part of bringing Timbers news and updates to our clients. He reads the morning sports sections daily and speaks to me and other clients about trades and injuries and any other Timbers news. He watches 'Timbers in 30' on TV and makes sure the TV is on the correct channel for away games. He even asked staff to teach him to use the computer and Internet so he could read news on the Portland Timbers website. He especially enjoyed following Darlington Nagbe from his rookie start, seeing him score his wonder goal, and to go on to win goal of the year.

"Thank you so very much for this opportunity. Many of our clients have been in and out of hospitals and group homes their entire life. That life causes them to feel separate and different from everyone else and not feel part of their own community. To be able to attend a major league sporting event and cheer on their local team has brightened their lives. During soccer season and even during off season, they have a connection with each other, staff, timbers fans and the Portland Timbers players that you can just see on their faces." (Angela Markham, Residential Counselor, CBH)

On behalf of Angela and her clients at Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, thank you, 107IST members, for continuing to include the community in the Timbers Army experience, and for supporting community outreach efforts such as these. Your membership makes it all possible.

—by Andrew Brawley

Let’s just call New England what it really is: Boston. We could spend this time droning on about how Gillette Stadium isn’t even in Boston (it’s actually 30 miles away!), or how the Revolution’s stadium situation is less than optimal (the Patriots come first, followed by their cheerleaders, major concerts, a rodeo or two, and THEN the Revs), or how the Revs front office’s “interaction” with their supporters’ groups has been somewhat unpleasant in recent years. Oh, and we also won’t discuss this…not at all.

Instead, let’s focus on the fact that Boston is actually a pretty great city. The connections between Portland and Boston are definitely worth a read. I’ve been to Boston, but both trips did not allow me to really explore the city enough to provide my own tips (aside from a really rad pho place). However, I think this post’s guest contributor more-than-makes up for my travel shortcomings.

MLS/NASL player, and Portland native, Ryan Cochrane spent 2011 playing defender for the New England Revolution. While he was only there for one season (he spent previous seasons in San Jose and Houston), he’s been around the league long enough to know how to seek out the local haunts. Now playing for the San Antonio Scorpions, he took the time out of his schedule to send these suggestions for TA members traveling to Boston. Thanks Ryan for the hook-up!

 

Faneuil Hall is a cool place in the city that has all of the shops and food spots you could ask for. Also a good selection of bars and pubs like The Black Rose Pub in this area as well.

For the most authentic Irish pub Boston has to offer, it’s got to be Mr. Dooley's Boston Tavern. An all Irish ownership and staff keeps it very traditional. Most days you'll find soccer on the TV's and live music.

In a similar area downtown is, in my opinion, an awesome walk through the city along the Freedom Trail. If you want a little history it's about 2.5 miles and worth the trip.

For more upscale shopping the place to do that is on Newbury St. downtown (however you wouldn't catch me on Newbury).

Boston Public Garden is also a cool spot to be if the weather is nice. Pretty scenic area within the city.

One place I definitely recommend is the Sam Adams Brewery. Portlanders love their microbrews and Sam Adams is THE Boston beer. Tours at the brewery are pretty interesting and it’s a good time all around. Their seasonal beers are fantastic!

You can't go to Boston without sampling the best clam chowder you'll ever taste! Everyone will tell you that Union Oyster House in Boston is THE place to go for it. It’s also the oldest restaurant in the country and located on the Freedom Trail, very close to Faneuil Hall. It can be a little touristy but it’s a must! You could say Union Oyster is the Voodoo Doughnut of Boston.

—by Chris Rifer

The Portland Timbers scratched out a point in Dallas on Saturday night in an ugly game that featured plenty of tackles but few chances.

Monday’s opener made it easy to forget just how painful it was to watch the Timbers on the road at times last year. The first half hour in Frisco made it easy to remember.

Portland came out unable to time a tackle or a pass, as the match started off with some of the least aesthetically pleasing soccer you’ll see all season. Fortunately for Portland, for the first twenty minutes Dallas looked almost as inept.

While the Hoops were lacking much of their creative talent, they weren’t lacking their finisher. In the 22^nd minute, Carlos Rodriguez sent an early cross through the box. After Rodney Wallace failed to clear it for a corner, Bryan Leyva hit hard low shot that forced Troy Perkins to make a difficult diving save. The rebound, however, found the feet of FC Dallas striker Blas Perez, who slotted into the open net.

Two minutes later, the bleach-coifed Andrew Jacobson again found some space toward the top of the box, but sent his shot well wide. From there, though, FC Dallas were completely devoid of ideas.

It took half an hour, but the Timbers finally started to develop some rhythm late in the first half. In the 36th minute, Jack Jewsbury sent one of his signature world class free kicks from the right wing into the box, but Lovel Palmer’s header glanced off the far post and Dallas cleared.

Portland’s next chance came six minutes later, as Kalif Alhassan took a ball from Rodney Wallace on the wing and sent it across, but Eric Alexander’s header went wide.

After a positive last quarter hour, but still down a goal, the Timbers went into halftime facing a hill to climb, but some confidence to climb it with.

Take that confidence, stir in some luck, and glaze it with a clinical finish and you have yourself a fine recipe for an equalizer. That’s the dish Darlington Nagbe cooked up six minutes after halftime.

After Dallas keeper Kevin Hartman popped up a clearance only as far as the top of the box, the ball fell to the feet of the freshly introduced Nagbe. Darlington controlled the ball in the box and calmly rolled it by a helpless Hartman to pull the Timbers level.

Kris Boyd would call on Hartman twice more before the day was out, but both times the veteran keeper had the answer. In the 59^th minute, Alhassan found Boyd on a through ball. The Timbers talisman hit a hard shot first time, but a perfectly positioned Hartman punched the effort away. In the 71st minute, Boyd collected a throw from Palmer, turned a fired right at the near post, but Hartman’s left foot was there to keep the ball out.

From there, neither side seemed to have any more questions to ask of each other. The ball largely played around the midfield, as both teams seemed content to share the points.

In the end, the point is a quality result for Portland. While the potential for a win over the short-handed Hoops was clearly there, the Timbers will be happy to leave Frisco with a point in hand.

Match Observations

• As goes the midfield, so goes the Timbers. The middle of the park was wretched for the first half hour for Portland, as everything was poorly timed. Thereafter, however, the Timbers midfield started asserting itself, and Dallas never truly threatened the rest of the way.
• While the result was fine, the performance was somewhat lacking from the Timbers. At their best, the Timbers were passable. At their worst they were unwatchable. This FC Dallas team was missing a lot of its quality, and a decent Timbers performance—especially in the final third—could have led to the Timbers walking away with maximum points.
• To be fair, though, a lot of the Timbers struggles at the front were due to some good defense by FC Dallas. While Portland exploited Dallas’ defense toward the end of the first half, once Schellas Hyndman brought on George John, the Dallas backline was much better. The Timbers were able to unlock it once, but really never had anything golden after that.

Timbers Grades

Troy Perkins, 6 Believe it or not, his best moment may have been when the Timbers conceded. Perkins did well to block Layva’s strike, and certainly can’t be faulted for Perez’s put back. Otherwise, Troy controlled his box well and was hardly called upon to do any emergency goalkeeping.

Rodney Wallace, 3.5 That’s the Rodney we grew to know and be frustrated by last year. Culpable for the concession and had some absolute forehead slappers on the defensive end. Unlike Monday, he was also mostly ineffective coming forward.

Eric Brunner, 6 Nice outing for Brunner, as he seemed to be defending two positions most of the night; his and Wallace’s.

Hanyer Mosquera, 6.5 Very strong in the air and was overall dependable in back. Good regular season debut. If he keeps this up, Futty will have a hard time winning his spot back upon when his foot heals.

Lovel Palmer, 6 Had a nice night. Combined well with Kalif at times, and wasn’t caused any problems in defense. Lovel was unlucky his header didn’t deflect into goal—from that angle that’s as close as you can come without scoring.

Eric Alexander, 4 Had some nice moments on the left wing where he showed some ability to break defenders down, but had two pretty appetizing looks at goal the he got all wrong. His spot is Songo’o’s to lose.

Jack Jewsbury, 6 The ball that Palmer put off the post was magical. Nothing short of magical. In the first 30 minutes, Jack looked like the only guy that had things together. Jack sat a little bit deeper as the game went along, but he certainly contributed to the Timbers’ dominance of the midfield in the second half.

Diego Chara, 6.5 Looked out of sync at the outset, but by the second half was single handedly dominating the midfield. Earlier I said as goes the midfield, so goes the Timbers. You can refine that a bit to as goes Diego, so go the Timbers. Diego is quietly the most influential member of the team.

Kalif Alhassan, 5.5 Different guy on the road than we saw at home last week, isn’t he? Had a few nice moments on the ball, and his crosses are substantially better than they have been in the past. Kalif, though, disappeared for extended periods on Saturday.

Jorge Perlaza, 3.5 Absolutely anonymous. When he did get on the ball, his touch was either heavy or too numerous.

Kris Boyd, 6 Hardly got a touch on the ball, but he nearly scored both times he did. Both of his opportunities were half-chances that he turned into something potentially deadly.

Darlington Nagbe, 7 Great work on the goal. He was the guy who put the pressure on Hartman that caused the poor clearance, and then had the presence of mind to know what to do when the ball took a surprising bounce off a Dallas defender. Otherwise looked like the Timbers most dangerous threat, too.

James Marcelin, 6 Like I said, I love Marcelin in that closer role.

Preseason Prediction: Dallas 2-1 Dallas, Shea, Boyd, Perez.[1]

Actual Result: Draw 1-1, Perez, Nagbe.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Garrett Dittfurth

March 15, 2012

Commissioner Garber,

We are writing on behalf of the Independent Supporters Council, a group made up of twenty-seven American and Canadian supporters groups, including supporters from almost every team in Major League Soccer. Our mission is to advocate for fair treatment of home and away supporters at all levels of American and Canadian soccer.

Our members and supporters across the league are alarmed by the recent punishment handed down by the league office to supporters groups of the Houston Dynamo, including ISC member the Texian Army. We, representing supporters from across the league, support the Texian Army's official response to this matter and ask that the league meet with the Texian Army and the other Houston supporters' groups to review this unnecessarily harsh action.

We have no issue with the league taking individual action against individual fans who violate stadium policy at any league stadium. As we understand it, there have already been individual bans issued to some Dynamo supporters responsible for the problems at the MLS Cup. We do not take issue with the individual bans. But we object to the league taking retaliatory action that serves only to harm supporters' culture in Houston. The statement from MLS read “As of March 1, Dynamo traveling supporters will not be permitted to utilize items listed as Supporter Group Exemptions in the MLS Prohibited Items policy (e.g. flags, banners, confetti, drums).”

Banning flags and drums will not stop individual fans from smuggling smoke into the stadium or throwing prohibited items on the field. Cutting off safe, legal avenues of support does not punish the flashlight throwers. Instead it punishes supporters who spend their own time and money making flags and banners, and creating the atmosphere that the league loves to promote. Such broad-based punishments do not address the troublemakers. All this action does is punish the majority of supporters who show the passion and dedication you claim to value.

Furthermore, the Houston away supporters' section at the 2011 MLS Cup was a supporters' section in name only; it was a mixed group of fans, including both members of supporters groups and unaffiliated fans. It is one thing to ask the supporters to police themselves; it is not reasonable to ask them to police every Dynamo fan, especially on a trip where they were not given the opportunity to organize or screen the attendees.

We ask that the League:

1. Does not hold supporters groups responsible for the actions of unaffiliated fans. Hold the individuals who behaved poorly accountable without punishing good supporters groups.

2. When supporters do travel, take attacks on them as seriously as you do incidents involving them. Traveling fans are regularly treated to racist chants and thrown items, not from other supporters' groups, but from other fans in the stadium. They do not receive support or follow-up from security or the front office at these stadiums. This does more to contribute to ugly incidents like we saw at the MLS Cup than any number of flags or banners.

3. If the league intends to punish supporters for incidents at games, work directly with the leadership of the affected supporters' group first and give them an opportunity to appeal, rather than simply announcing an open-ended ban.

Banning flags, banners, and drums will do nothing to further the goal we both share: creating the best possible atmosphere in every American and Canadian stadium. No amount of heavy-handed bans and restrictive security measures will stop someone from throwing something on the field. That is an element that we must work together to eliminate. Work with us, not against us. Only by working with your supporters, instead of against them, will we build a relationship of mutual trust & respect and accomplish our common goals.

Sincerely,

The Independent Supporters Council

—by Owen Longstreet

Of all the clubs in MLS to put out a video making fun of another club, it's New England that puts out this pile of garbage? Here are some notes for whatever "genius" in the Revs' front office dreamed this up.

1. If you're going to have some dope in a green shirt do our chant at least make sure the dope gets the words to the chant right.

2. If you're going to have your mascot tackle someone you should probably have just used the Patriots mascot because Pat Patriot is about 100 times more terrifying than the Revolution's fox furry. By that I mean neither is terrifying or inspires any amount of trepidation. Just keep the mascot in the kids' section where it belongs.

3. Whomever is writing descriptions of videos should probably know the difference between a beard and what the dope in this video has. Special to the dope in the video: The 1990s called. They want their goatee without a mustache back.

I suppose I shouldn't expect any less from a club that inspired a mass revolt from their own supporters group and a league-wide protest from virtually every supporters group around the country. When the owners clearly don't care and the President is obviously far more concerned about his US Soccer position it allows some guy down the food chain to come up with these sorts of "clever" ideas. That video is basically MLS 1.0 in a nutshell. Coming from a club still dripping with MLS 1.0 syndrome I really shouldn't be surprised.

—by Chris Rifer

And we’re back.

The Portland Timbers downed the Philadelphia Union 3-1 in a torrential downpour at Jeld-Wen Field on Monday night, using a dramatic second half comeback to win comfortably.

The Timbers started on their front foot, as Eric Alexander put a seventh minute shot on goal that Zac MacMath could barely tip wide of the far post. Just two minutes later, the Timbers looked to be running into the box with a free look at goal again, as Jorge Perlaza sped by Danny Califf. When Califf pulled Perlaza down in the box, however, referee Baldomero Toledo refused to point at the spot and put the Union captain in the book.

Portland continued to press until the 20th minute, when Perlaza cleverly played Kris Boyd into space, but MacMath was able to close down the angle and block Boyd’s effort.

Philadelphia’s lone legitimate chance of the first half came just a minute later, when Josue Martinez found the Union’s Colombian import, Lionard Pajoy, in the middle of the box. Pajoy’s header, however, was blocked by a perfectly positioned Lovel Palmer to keep Troy Perkins’ sheet clean.

Neither team could muster much in the way of rhythm or chances for the rest of the first half, however, and Portland reluctantly went into halftime level with a fortunate Union side.

Just three minutes into the second stanza, however, the Timbers foreshadowed the drama that was about to unfold. Alexander’s cross found Kalif Alhassan beyond the far post, but while Kalif’s bouncing shot beat MacMath, it was cleared off the line by Carlos Valdes.

The game changed in the 51^st minute when Freddy Adu appeared to get a cleat stuck in the turf. Toledo, however, whistled it a foul on Jack Jewsbury. Gabriel Gomez’s free kick from 40 yards out whipped into the box, skimmed off the head of an inexplicably ducking Andrew Jean-Baptiste, and into the net. Completely against the run of play, the Union found themselves with an unlikely 1-0 lead.

Open, floodgates.

Three minutes later Jack Jewsbury sent a free kick in from 35 yards out on the right wing. Jean-Baptiste, looking to forget his blunder on the defensive end, nodded the ball toward the far post. What should have been a relatively routine diving save for MacMath turned into a goal when the wet ball skidded beneath his gloves and into the far corner. Game on.

The Timbers didn't waste much time breaking the deadlock. In the 66^th minute, Alhassan collected a ball from Alexander on the right side, earned himself a sliver of daylight, and sent a cross near post. You know who likes to sit near post? Kris Boyd. 2-1.

Alhassan could scratch providing expert service off his to-do list, but his agenda wasn’t finished for the evening. In the 76^th minute, Kalif received a short set piece from Jewsbury, took two touches, and chipped the ball over the helpless Union defense into the far side netting.

As the two sides took care of some formalities, a party broke out in Portland. The 2012 MLS season has officially begun, and it looks like it might just be absolutely tremendous.

Match Observations

• It looked for a moment like the Timbers might get Toledo’d. After Portland dominated vast stretches of the match, Philly pulled ahead on a set piece that probably shouldn’t have been. How many times have we seen the Timbers hang their heads in that situation and go on to a harsh result? Not so tonight. The Timbers immediately seized control back from the Union and put the game away as quickly as it had slipped away.
• Here is some shocking news: Baldomero Toledo is still the worst referee in the MLS. I don’t know how he kept his job in this economy, but his refereeing on Monday could only be describes as completely random. The missed penalty<<a href="#ftn1">[1] was shameful, and apparently he left his cards in the dressing room. During the match, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Independent Supporters Council could draft a resolution calling for his sacking. The North American game would be better off for it.
• It’s going to be an even leaner year for the Eastern Conference than I expected. After going 1-5-0 against the West, the East looks downright awful. The Philadelphia Union, fingered by some optimistic prognosticators as contenders, were run out of Jeld-Wen Field. Dallas shellacked New York, another East favorite.[2] Montreal and Columbus were blitzed by Vancouver and Colorado, respectively. Even the San Jose Earthquakes got in on the fun by beating the supposedly improved New England Revolution. But for Houston[3] needing second half stoppage time to beat Chivas USA,[4] the Eastern Conference would have gone home empty handed.
• Finally, congratulations to the Army, and thank you to all who participated, for a wonderful tifo display. It was great to get the whole stadium involved; something I would hypothesize made for a livelier atmosphere throughout Morrison Street for the rest of the match. It’s a little unfortunate the fireworks diminished the effect a bit, but from what I could see it came off fabulously.
• Look at the Timbers’ By the Numbers piece. That, friends, is a back alley whoopin’.

Timbers Grades

Troy Perkins, 5 Really wasn’t tested. Was caught a little flat footed on the concession, but that had more to do with Jean-Baptiste than it did Troy.

Rodney Wallace, 7 He looks like a totally new player. Was dangerous coming forward and, except for a couple relatively insignificant moments, looked pretty reliable in defense. We have all spent a lot of time ruing the McCarty-Wallace trade. If Rod keeps this form for the rest of the season, the Timbers will end up on the better end of the deal.

Andrew Jean-Baptiste, 5 This would have been a pretty bloody grade had he not scored the goal. Looked pretty unsure in defense and has absolutely culpable on the concession. He redeemed himself, however, with his first goal as a Timber. With his physical tools he will be a stud. Just not yet.

Eric Brunner, 5.5 The backline was understandably a little bit dodgy tonight. AJB was certainly not his expected running mate in central defense, so Eric gets a little bit of a pass this time. Brunner still had a few nice clearances, and didn’t do anything to reflect poorly on his sterling reputation.

Lovel Palmer, 6 You can see the beginnings of some chemistry with Kalif on that right side. Lovel overlapped well, and for the most part looked improved in sending crosses in. He had one cross late in the first half that was the second best ball sent in all night. Who sent the first? If you don’t know already, keep reading.

Eric Alexander, 4.5 I was ready to absolutely murder Eric for what looked to me at first glance as a horrible outing. And don’t get me wrong, there were some brutal moments. But when I looked back at some video, I realized that Alexander had a little bit of influence on a lot of big plays. He was still the worst Timber on the evening, and has to be looking over his shoulder at Franck Songo’o getting fit.

Diego Chara, 5 Not Diego’s best night as a Timber by any means. Looks a little bit rusty, as he’s turning the ball over more than we’re used to seeing. Still has a tremendously positive influence on the midfield, however, which was one phase of the game the Timbers absolutely dominated.

Jack Jewsbury, 7 Great stuff from Jack tonight. The Timbers’ captain was the best player in the center of the pitch all night long, and he was rewarded with a pair of assists.[5]

Kalif Alhassan, 8 What can I say? Well, a few things. First, I was wrong—oh, so wrong—about relegating Kalif to the bench. Second, what a night. His cross to the forehead of Boyd was world class. His goal was world class. He still dribbles too much, but oh my goodness the dazzling things he does with the ball at his feet. Kalif does too many good things—even if sometimes they’re the wrong good things—to keep him off the field.

Jorge Perlaza, 6 Can join Rod as the underappreciated player of the evening. First off, his handles have improved substantially since last season. He still takes a heavy touch here and there, but he has already left more defenders grasping at air this season than he did last. Absent something radical changing, he is Kris Boyd’s strike partner, at least in my mind.

Kris Boyd, 7 As I’ve said before, 90% of this grade revolves around whether he scores a goal. Mission accomplished. Having him on board might just be a lot of fun.

Darlington Nagbe, 4.5 Pretty anonymous in a fairly lengthy stretch. Not surprising, though, considering the amount of preseason he missed.

James Marcelin, 5.5 While some clamor for Marcelin to start, I love him in the role of defensive sub for Boyd.

Preseason Prediction: 3-1 Timbers, Boyd, Alexander, and Perlaza.[6]

Actual Result: 3-1 Timbers, Jean-Baptiste, Boyd, and Alhassan.[7]

Onward, Rose City!