—by Andrew Brawley

I been to SLC quite a few times, but my more recent visits have been in the form of layovers. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the city proper. Since I have a ticket to see The Book of Mormon on Broadway next month, I can’t imagine a better time to prepare for that than with a visit to SLC this week (yes, I’m actually going on this trip. It’s my second away match this season, after the epic Seattle jaunt in May).

Since it’s been a while for me, I sought help for this entry. Turns out we have quite a few SLC ex-pats amongst our flock. One of them even recently played for the Timbers (shoutout to Ian Joy). The honor for this particular entry fell onto the very capable shoulders of 107ist board member Garrett Dittfurth, who is lucky he sent this info to me BEFORE he started bombarding my Twitter feed with sacred images of Tim Tebow and terrible Toby Keith music videos. (Garrett’s a habitual acceptable/offensive joke line-stepper.)

(One final note: this is the last entry of the away game travel guide series for 2011. I managed to post for all but the first three cities, and that’s because this idea didn’t pop into my head until after those first three away games. Thanks to all who contributed to these entries and helped with even more tips via the comments section. Extra thanks to those who appreciated the Seattle guide for what it truly was…a joke that went over way more heads than I anticipated. If you want to help with the 2012 series, you know where to find me.)

Alright, it’s go time. Here's Garrett!

Oh Salt Lake...it feels like just yesterday I was there last.

Salt Lake's public transportation system, UTA, is just as good as TriMet so getting around downtown is easy. Rio Tinto Stadium is located just off the TRAX line in Sandy. Other than Rio Tinto Stadium there is nothing of value in Sandy unless you love strip malls and big box stores so make sure you get a hotel downtown.

As far as things to do I'm not going to lie…it's a little straightforward. Heavy Metal Shop is basically a nationally recognized institution and it's awesome that it's located in a place like SLC. The Salt Lake Library is really something to behold even if you're not all that into libraries. Beyond that, the stuff to see is all pretty straightforward. If you've never been to Temple Square it's worth the trip just to get a look at the architecture (religious mumbo jumbo aside). There are plenty of museums around there focusing on church/pioneer history, but since it's basically like the Vatican there are all kinds of weird religious things around. There's also Olympic Cauldron Park at the University of Utah where they rather spectacularly lit the Olympic Flame for the 2002 games. If anyone wants to rent a car and head up into the canyons I'd recommend going up to Park City where they hold the Sundance Film Festival. If you don't want to go to another town try Big Cottonwood Canyon. A scenic drive to the top will put you at Brighton ski resort and you can walk around Silver Lake. There may be snow on October 22nd but it's too early in the year for any lifts to be open.

Food: SLC isn't exactly known for its gastronomical excellence. That being said, there are some pretty Utah-ish places I'll be hitting up that I haven't had in a while. Crown Burgers is sort of the local better-than-fast-food chain that beats any chain we have in Portland. I think it beats In-N-Out as well, although it doesn't have the 1950s charm or secret menu. Just go simple and have the Crown Burger. Make sure to try the "Fry Sauce." You should be able to find or request Fry Sauce in almost every restaurant in Salt Lake City, but Crown Burgers nails the recipe. Past that nothing would really stand out other than The Pie, which I've been craving since I left. It's the best pizza in Utah and ranked as one of the top 10 pizzerias in the country. If you decide on that, avoid the ones in strip malls and hit up the original location in a basement where you'll find 30 years worth of college kids writing their names all over the walls.

Drink: the bar scene is a little different in Salt Lake. They've recently got rid of needing a private membership to get in so you can go in and out of any bar you want. You won't find a Kelly's Olympian in SLC but there are plenty of good places to hang out and get a beer. As I used to spend a lot of time at Port O' Call I would recommend all of the places in this article. I haven't been to any of them but I know most of the owners and can't imagine they'd screw it up. (This is a lie…my friend owns Gracie's and I will be there most of the time. I just don’t want a lot of people to know about it.)

Everyone may think beer sucks in Utah but that's not the case. Not even a little bit. Squatters has been around for a long time and they're a great standard brewpub. Red Rock Brewing is also a downtown staple. Oh yeah, this is Utah, so they brew Root Beer too. It's the best Root Beer I've ever had. I'm not lying. My personal favorite is Uinta Brewing. I'm going to guzzle Cutthroat Pale Ale the entire time I'm in Salt Lake. I'm sure everyone is aware of Utah's most infamously named beer. Sadly the brewery, while excellent, is located in Park City. If you do head up there definitely check out Wasatch Brewing.

TIPS FOR DRIVERS - Courtesy of 107ist member Paul Schmidt

Since I have a whole reputation tied up in drives from Boise to both cities, I owe some guidance to those of you making your first trip on this route.

The time I went straight through, I did it in 11.5 hours (but, of course, it registers as 12.5 because you lose an hour before entering Idaho). I wasn’t exactly legal that day, but it was the early 90s; speed limit was a straight 65. Aside from gas savings and environmental concerns, you’ll be happy the limit in Idaho and Utah is 75. You don’t have to trust me… you’ll see soon enough.

About I-84: it’s not driving north or south on I-5. There are greater distances between towns, a lot more desert; spontaneity is not generally rewarded. You pay a serious premium for gassing up in towns smaller than Pendleton. I don’t envy vegans making this drive; you will find that most of this route worships the burger. (Boise does have an option or two, but I have to track the name changes again before I can declare anything, but if you can handle Subway, there are enough of those along the freeway to manage.)

I might suggest breaking up this trip. There are some half-decent places to stay in Pendleton, La Grande, Baker, and maybe Ontario for under $50, and there are a couple decent places to stay for more if you wish. Yeah, expect Motel 6 or so if you pay less. Departing from Portland around evening rush hour, you should expect to reach Pendleton in 4 hours, La Grande in 5 and Baker City in 6. I am factoring in stops. I’ve usually done it in less, but that’s out the window when you’re sharing rides.

Driving east provides some early issues. The curves and the wind in the gorge will slow you down a bit, if only because it slows the rest of traffic. Climbing Cabbage Hill out of Pendleton strains any vehicle. Climbing into Ladd Canyon out of La Grande is a bit stressful to the car. Don’t be dismayed if you make a stop in The Dalles; you might need the break. If you can hold on another 20 minutes, however, you’ll find the truck stops and C-Stores in Biggs to be plentiful and easy to work through. I really think stops in Biggs, Pendleton, and Baker City (for those driving through) are timed about right. Once you pass Baker City, while there are more curves to deal with between there and Ontario, the drive is less stressful, and you’ll get used to the rhythm of this drive.

If you split up the trip - I haven’t found too many places other than the faster foods in Pendleton of note. Foley Station in La Grande is pretty good; there’s a couple Mexican restaurants I like, it’s a college town. Geiser Grand Hotel in Baker City isn’t bad... and while I haven’t been able to visit Barley Brown’s Brewpub yet, I hear good things.

If you gassed up in Portland (or waited through the lines in that row of truck stops in Troutdale), you’re probably going to want to gas up into Idaho. The prices are better across the border than they are in Eastern Oregon. The Treasure Valley sort of begins in Caldwell, there’s a Flying J and a Maverik near the freeway (both on the north/left side), good bets. If you wait to fuel, one thing to note: you’ll get to 3,500 feet in elevation closer to south central Idaho. Your car will drive better on 85 octane fuel at altitudes above 3,500.

The freeway through Boise won’t usually be crowded going east, unless you’re passing through early on a weekday morning. The only real traffic goes from Caldwell and Nampa into Boise in the morning and back in the evening; once you see I-184 splitting off towards downtown Boise, you shouldn’t have to worry. However, if you feel like stopping for a break in Boise, beware Exit 50 and the descent into Wal Mart/Strip Mall/Garish Movie Complex Hell, with accompanying traffic. Naturally, I probably have to drive through there to get to Sierra.

If you stop for a night in Boise, that’s your problem. ;) Well, I have a recommendation or two, but keep that on the side.

If you stop for a break in the Caldwell-to-Boise corridor, I argue you only need one more break on the route, probably around the twin towns of Burley and Rupert east of Twin Falls. The freeway moves faster, you’re hopefully used to the drive now, things are more efficient. Both of the legs are over 2 hours, so if that doesn’t appeal to you, there’s always the little corridor including Jerome and the junction to Twin Falls (city of Twin Falls is 4 miles south of I-84, but another truck stop at the junction is serviceable), then either the last rest area before Utah (kind of nice, especially compared to Oregon rest areas) or just into Utah at Snowville.

BTW, Nevada isn’t too far away - 124 miles from Salt Lake to the border town of Wendover, only 54 miles via Twin Falls off I-84 to the border town of Jackpot. Jackpot is sort of a rip-off in a decent setting. Wendover is more accommodating in a less hospitable setting (near the Bonneville Salt Flats). You can blow through Jackpot down US 93 to Wells and take I-80 from there - adds 1.5 to 2 hours to the trip.

Otherwise, a couple notes. If you hate life after driving up the hill out of Boise and reaching the desert plateau above, just know that this was my commute for 12 years, and yes, it sucks. Also, I-84 breaks up just after Rupert with I-86 heading to Pocatello. The problems: (1) the main freeway heads to Pocatello, so you have to remember to take the exit; (2) there’s practically nothing from Rupert to Snowville; (3) there can be dust storms on that stretch past a weigh station/rest area, you’ll see the warning signs, I’ve fortunately never been in one. I have been in a snowstorm on that stretch at night, and it is a struggle to figure out that you’re still on the freeway. You have to take as much care in stopping as you do moving in either situation.

Oh, snow. I’ve never seen it along the route in October. I’ve run into it in Pocatello, higher elevation, roads weren’t a problem. What I do recall: I’ve always had to wear layers for October Real Salt Lake games. It rained once. It is desert; precipitation is rare in any event. It’s not impossible, but it would be shocking.

I did not make a lot of effort to “learn” Salt Lake City; get in for sports and get out at night (sometimes to Wendover) was my MO. However, a meal at Red Iguana (out on West Temple the other side of the freeway from downtown) is pretty good Mexican fare. Old Blitzz fans kept raving about Rodizio Grill, located in Trolley Square, between downtown and the University of Utah campus.

In any event, have fun!

—by Roger Anthony

With a little help from the Timbers Army, the Portland-area’s second TOPSoccer program opened during the last week of September at Beverly Cleary School on Northeast 33rd Avenue.

TOPSoccer is a year-round program for young players with disabilities. It’s designed to let kids from 4-19 feel the joy of playing soccer. Any boy or girl with special needs is welcome to play. A similar program has been taking place on the west side at Mittleman Jewish Community Center. (By the way, TOPSoccer is short for The Outreach Program for Soccer.)

At the outset, players must register through the West Hills Soccer Club (www.westhillssoccer.com/Registration). Participation is free; the program depends on volunteers to do the organizing and coaching.

To help raise money for the program, 107ist will be selling strings of beads at the merch trailer Friday night. As is often the case, this fundraising idea originated with Timber Jim: At the 107ist Annual Meeting at the Bagdad in February, he told a moving story on the origins of Mardi Gras-style soccer beads he’s worn.

Jim charged us to create something for the new generation of Timbers fans that would continue the history of our beloved club. From there, capo extraordinaire Justin Doty picked up the ball and ran with it.

In keeping with civic and local mission of the 107ist, we have worked diligently to keep every part of this project within Oregon borders. Most supplies came from Grants Pass-based Fire Mountain Gems and Beads (www.firemountaingems.com); for production, we partnered with Coast Rehabilitation Services (www.coastrehab.org), a private non-profit organization that supports more than 120 individuals with developmental disabilities in Clatsop and Multnomah counties as well as Pacific County in Washington. These gleaming green-and-gold necklaces come from Oregon and are made in Oregon, supporting Oregonians in need of work – all for this great community fostered in the love of our fair PTFC.

This run of beads will be available in sets of five (for $25) so that you can spread the love from shoulder to shoulder – and you don't even have to take your top off.

It's been an amazing year for all of us in and around the Timbers Army.   As your capos, we’d like to thank every single soul who joined us in the North End and helped the greatest football supporters the world has ever seen create a summer of magic.

Before the season slips away, we've got one more request of you. 

You take it for granted that you’ll be at the next match, singing and chanting yourself hoarse. You’re North End and you’re there to make some noise.

But what if you couldn’t?  What if the joyful soundtrack of the Army was off-limits to you?

You wouldn’t be alone.

Every summer, the Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp, located in Pendleton, provides a mix of summer activities and intensive hearing and speech therapy for kids with communication difficulties.  The camp is open to kids from 6-16.  Next summer, Meadowood plans to launch additional programs focused on children and families affected with social learning issues,  such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADD, ADHD and more.

For the final month of the season, the capos are asking you – the Timbers faithful – to raise money so that others may raise their voices.   

Here's how you can help: Instead of buying a pint or two in honor of an unforgettable year and your hard-workin' capo, use that money to help them build a fund for Meadowood.

Checks can be made out to the 107ist; just write either “Meadowood” or “Capo Pint” in the subject line.  The 107ist will total the amount collected, and pass it on to the camp.  Or, you can connect with your capo and a designated fund collector in each section.   If you’re still not sure who you’re looking for, you can make your contribution with the Drum and Trumpet Corp.

Finally, to make it even easier, we’ve created a PayPal account earmarked for Meadowood.

The Timbers and the Timbers Army made your summer - before it ends, please make a small investment in a deserving kid’s summer of 2012.

Thanks,

Your Capos,

Timberista,  Sunday,  Bickle, Hermes, Camm , Pong,  Rob aka Ice Funk,  Timber Joe, Cowbell,  Purple Cow

And your Drum & Trumpet Corp:

Glenndiggity, Frank OG, Dantastic, Benjamin, Jamie, Special K, Ben, DirtyD,  Lazorrobots

Portland State University Vikings football, the other major tenant of the renovated downtown jewel known as Jeld-Wen Field, wants YOU (i.e., the Timbers Army).

With the new "pistol" offense scoring in buckets, PSU has gotten off to a great start at 3-1; their home opener was a 52-0 steamrolling of Southern Oregon, and their only loss was away to TCU (who play in a higher division than PSU and went undefeated last year).

In a battle for first place in the Big Sky Conference, PSU plays Montana State University this Saturday, October 8, at 1:05pm, and Vikings head coach Nigel Burton has invited the Timbers Army to come to the match for free (as in: $0) and make the North End of JWF noisy like a Timbers game.

To get your free ticket, head to 107ist partner bar The Cheerful Bullpen (1730 SW Taylor) starting at 9am. All Timbers Army are invited, so grab your scarf and some friends, get some breakfast (and perhaps a breakfast-style adult beverage) and get into some gridiron football! There's no Timbers game this weekend, so this is a great chance to stretch your vocal chords while you jump and clap and sing for the other football team in town.

What: PSU vs Montana State Football

When: tickets available starting 9am, kickoff 1:05pm

Where: tickets at Cheerful Bullpen, game at JELD-WEN Field

Go: Mental

—by Chris Rifer

Coming off a very bad, no-good, hard luck week, the Portland Timbers crossed the Canadian border knowing that anything short of three points put their playoff hopes seriously on the ropes. Awaiting them was a frustrated Vancouver Whitecaps team desperate to open the remodeled B.C. Place in style and save some face in Cascadia.

The opening moments went to form, as Vancouver looked to be the more aggressive side. Portland, though, created the first bona fide chance, after James Marcelin took a Mike Chabala set piece and nodded it just over the bar in the 10^th minute.

In the 22nd minute, the Caps created their first legitimate chance, as Shea Salinas gathered the ball and found some space at the top of the eighteen, but pulled his shot wide of the far post.

Moments later the Timbers would break a bottle of champagne over the goal at B.C. Place.  After Diego Chara cut out a lazy Alian Rochat pass, he aggressively pushed the ball up with Jorge Perlaza to his left and Sal Zizzo running to his right. Instead of making the conservative play, Chara sent a beautiful ball to the far corner of Vancouver’s box. There Kenny Cooper settled the ball and calmly hit a classy strike beyond the outstretched Joe Cannon and into the far corner.

In the moments after the goal, Vancouver would respond with perhaps their best chances of the evening. In the 31st minute Camilo found a little space at the top of the box and forced Troy Perkins to tip the ball over the bar.

Moments later, after a clever—although imperfectly executed—back heel from Eric Hassli, Davide Chiumiento pulled a shot just wide into the side netting, sending much of the Whitecaps faithful into a confused celebration that only ended when the travelling Army politely reminded them to sit back down.

The Timbers escaped into the half with the lead, however, and Vancouver showed little impetus to change things in the second stanza. Portland threatened to make it two in the 59th minute when Darlington Nagbe collected a long ball near the byline and laid it off for Cooper in the box.  Cooper appeared to have Cannon fooled, as the keeper dove the wrong way but was able to drag a leg just enough to preserve the scoreline.

Despite plenty of possession, Vancouver could not figure out a way to create anything seriously threatening. Corners were routinely cleared. Balls into the box were easily collected.

It wasn’t until the waning moments that the Timbers defense went into a shell and Vancouver showed any serious intent to score. Even then, however, the Caps could only produce a Long Tan header that sailed well over the bar.

The three points the Timbers pack home put them at 40 points, and momentarily into a tie with New York Red Bulls in points. More importantly, the win sets up a massive showdown between Portland and Houston at Jeld-Wen Field on October 14^th.

Match Observations

• Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Sunday’s win was the Timbers’ ability to make Vancouver’s possession harmless. Once again, the Timbers got dominated in possession and pass completion percentage, but kept Vancouver from doing anything serious. Yes, the Timbers were outshot 13-9, but of Vancouver’s 13 shots, only 2 were on frame. The result was just a good road win. Very rarely will you dominate a team on the road. Instead you have to make the most of the chances you get, and keep everything else in front of you. That is exactly what the Timbers did on Sunday, making the trip home much more enjoyable.
• I don’t envy John Spencer’s task of determining Eric Brunner’s running mate at central back. Because of injuries and international duty it has been a spot of inconsistency throughout the season with David Horst and Futty shuttling in and out. Yet, even in October, it is hard to determinatively say which has laid better claim to the starting spot, Simply put, both have impressed.
• After two weeks of pretty thrilling playoff action, we’re basically in the same place we were in mid-September. It’s essentially a five-team race for two spots.
  • Houston looks to be in the best position on 43 points, three clear from the pack. Dynamo, however, only have two games remaining—at Portland and home against Galaxy.
  • Red Bull New York sits on 40 points, in the final playoff spot on goal differential. They have three matches remaining—home with L.A., at Sporting K.C., and home with Philadelphia.
  • Portland is tied with New York in points, but trails significantly on goal differential. The Timbers also have three fixtures left—home with Dynamo, at D.C. United, and at Real Salt Lake.
  • D.C. United sit two points behind at 38, but have a game in hand and a favorable schedule. They travel to Vancouver on October 12, then come home to face Chicago and Portland on the 15th and 19th, respectively. Finally, D.C. finishes off with a visit from Sporting K.C.
  • Finally, Chicago Fire are the newcomers to the playoff race, sitting at 37 points and coming off an improbable run of form over the last two weeks. The sledding isn’t easy for Chicago with a visit from F.C. Dallas, a trip to D.C., and a final home match against Columbus.
  • Realistically, Portland has to beat Houston to have a prayer. Putting the Timbers on 43 points won’t be enough, however. The Timbers at this point probably also need to at least share points with D.C., likely putting them on 44 points. With some help, that may be enough. To be certain, though, the Timbers need to find six points from the next three games.
  • Finally, a huge thank you to everybody who helped organize the Vancouver away trip. Again, it came off without a hitch. Fantastic job.

Timbers Grades

Troy Perkins, 6 Not too much work to do, but on the rare occasion that the Whitecaps found the wherewithal to put something on frame, Perkins was inevitably in the perfect spot to snuff out the Caps hopes.

Mike Chabala, 5 A little bit quiet from Chewy on Sunday. Didn’t create a ton getting forward, and a few times Caps players got lost between the midfield and defense on the left side. Still, it wasn’t a jail break on the left side by any means, and a strong overall defensive performance casts Chabala in a good light.

Futty, 6.5 Futty was excellent on Sunday. Eric Hassli was limited to one shot and rarely found himself in a dangerous position. Futty and his partner in defense get huge quantities of credit for that.

Eric Brunner, 6 Huge match in defense. Perhaps wasn’t quite as dominant as Futty, but when things go well in defense, its leader gets a good share of the credit.

Lovel Palmer, 5.5 Is starting to look a little bit more comfortable moving forward and had a quality outing in defense.

Darlington Nagbe, 5.5 It’s clear that he is more comfortable and more effective up front. Got exposed a couple times in defense, but still had a nice game in the midfield. Was unlucky not to register an assist in the second half when Cannon blocked Cooper’s effort.

Diego Chara, 7 Many aspects of excellence from Chara on Sunday. Was clutch in defense with a couple key blocks—although to be fair he has to take some responsibility for the little bit of extra space Vancouver found at the top of the box. Primarily, though, was brilliant in vision and passing on his assist to Cooper.

James Marcelin, 5 You always know what you’re going to get with James. That said, Jewsbury’s value was underscored a little bit the times that Vancouver found extra space in the center of the field.

Sal Zizzo, 5 Not Sal’s most active game. Like most wingers, Zizzo is more effective when the match is open. By design that’s not how things went down in Vancouver.

Jorge Perlaza, 5.5 Nagbe is certainly more dynamic on the ball, but he just doesn’t have the pace Perlaza presents. I still like the Nagbe-Cooper combination, but it’s not entirely without its sacrifice.

Kenny Cooper, 7 Fantastic strike. Just fantastic. Coop is now sitting on seven goals for the season which, considering the length and depth of the drought he went through, isn’t too bad. This is the Kenny Cooper the Timbers paid for this year.

Onward, Rose City!

Last Saturday was one of the weirdest, most bizarre days of my life.

We'll meet again...don't know where, don't know when...

I took a road trip to Vancouver, British Columbia (that's not the weird part, just keep reading). The driver of the vehicle was Bruce 'Obi' Eaton, and we had plenty of sandwiches and snacks laid in for the 7-hour drive from Portland. The other thing we brought with us was a 2-foot-tall silver trophy, well known to soccer fans in the Pacific Northwest (perhaps less so to the rest of MLS) as the prize given to the team with the best regular season record among the teams from that region.

I am of course talking about the Cascadia Cup, which is a supporters-based trophy, founded in 2004 and contested by Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Seattle Sounders. It was a game between those latter two teams that was the reason for Bruce's and my trip; more specifically, we were bringing the Cup to Vancouver because, in the event of a Seattle win, they would clinch it (a draw or a Whitecaps win would mean the competition would be decided the following weekend when Portland visited Vancouver). The Timbers won the Cascadia Cup in 2009 and '10, in an abbreviated competition involving only themselves and the Whitecaps in the USL (while the Sounders had moved up to MLS), and as holders of the Cup we felt it was our responsibility to present it in person.

So with Frank Zappa's Hot Rats in the CD player and the Cascadia Cup safely swaddled in bubble-wrap in the back, we set off north, on a mission we dearly hoped would turn out to be unnecessary. Traffic was light, even through Seattle, which as you may know is archetypically awful, and Bruce's smooth piloting got us to the border by about 1pm.

We took the wrong exit or something right after we crossed into Canada, and ended up way over by the airport, when our intended destination was in Burnaby (which is to say: clear across town). We quickly found our bearings though, and enjoyed a leisurely drive through suburbia. The upshot of our unintentional detour is that we drove right past Swangard Stadium, the Whitecaps' former home, and the site of many thrilling Cascadia Cup matches in years past. So I started singing "The Way We Were" and before I could even get to the bit about the smiles we left behind, we'd made it to the pub.

A Southsider, a Timbers Army guy and a dirty Sounders girl walk into a bar with the Cascadia Cup (stop me if you've heard this one).

With the Whitecaps playing in a temporary stadium (Empire) for most of this season, the South Siders followed suit and picked a temporary matchday pub near the ground. We arrived at Oscar's Pub about 5 hours before kickoff, to find a couple dozen Caps fans (and a handful of Sounders fans) already ensconced with food and beers and EPL soccer. We'd intended to just peek in and make sure this was the right place before wandering off to kill some time, but before we knew it there were pints in our hands and we figured well, let's hang out for a bit.

Almost to a person, the South Siders we met were welcoming and friendly, and eager to press a beer into our hands and thank us for bringing the Cup up for this match, in which our team wasn't even involved. We immediately raised a toast, and up went a cry of "Fuck Seattle!" Kindred souls, indeed. The bummer was that Oscar's wouldn't be able to show the Timbers match at New York that evening (MLS Direct Kick isn't available in Canada, what the hell?), but we were able to get updates on a friendly iPhone.

For a temporary stadium, Empire Field was a very nice park with a cozy atmosphere.

After walking the Cup down to the stadium for safe keeping — during which we had a chance to get a look at the pitch at Empire, and at the wooden roller coaster next door — we headed back to the pub for a few more beers. By now the place was really hopping, and this is when things started feeling really bizarro for me. I was in a pub full of soccer fans getting lubricated and rowdy, singing songs, hurling profanities at Seattle fans walking by outside, filling up on manic energy and ecstatic bonhomie...it felt just like a Timbers game, except that everything was wrong.

To be sure it was fun, but much like the rest of this bizarro day, it was like having a great time without any joy. I couldn't take part in any of the unspoken love or inside jokes, I didn't know the words to the songs (and didn't want to sing them) because this wasn't my tribe. When a two-stick banner bearing the image of Wes Knight made its way around the room for people to sign (Knight was a USL Whitecaps holdover who was recently cut by the team), I recognized and appreciated the feeling behind the gesture, but couldn't share it. Every time I looked up I was subconsciously scanning the room for some green, but it was all blue. Bruce and I were interlopers.

Countless times when someone saw us for the first time, a perplexed mixture of rage and confusion crossed their face. Why was there an enemy supporter in our pub? Why are there Timbers Army in our pub when we're playing Seattle? A similar look would cross the face of Seattle fans later in the stadium; and though one or two Sounders fans reacted aggressively when they saw us — e.g. "What the fuck are you assholes doing here!?" and gleefully flipping us off — it was nothing more or less than I'd expect if the situation were reversed. In fact, we met a few Sounders fans who knew why we were there, and thanked us for it. It was like having interactions with fellow humans…who knew?

Things got even more weird when we made it into the stadium. Our seats were in the South Side, in the heart of the hard-core Whitecaps supporters section. We were handed balloons as part of the tifo display (which centered around a section-wide overhead flag of British Columbia). There were huge flags waving in front of the section, and people bitching about the huge flags blocking their view. Later in the match when the crowd turned surly, a number of beers went flying. Like I said: just like the Timbers Army! Except different!

Hey! Burpo! etc. etc.

Perhaps the most surreal moment on a day chocked full of otherworldliness was when Preston Burpo walked up the stairs. That's Preston "long-time flounders keeper, glass-jaw, going home in a Portland Ambulance, Hey Dicknose, leave those kids alone!" Burpo. Taking in a Vancouver vs Seattle game from deep within the South Side. CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER, NO?

Then the game started, and things began very well indeed for the Whitecaps. They had three excellent chances in the first half hour, one of which they managed to finish, to put themselves up 1-0. At this point Bruce and I exchanged a glance — would the Caps actually pull this off and send us home with our duty happily unfulfilled?

As it turned out: no. Not ten minutes after Vancouver's goal, the Sounders' quality began to shine through. Jay DeMerit was called for a handball in the box, the penalty was converted, and the game went to halftime 1-1. The second half was all Seattle, and when we left our seats at the 75-minute mark to make our way to pitch-level, the game was all but over at 3-1. So, as I've been told, it goes.

While we stood on the sideline awaiting the final whistle, I allowed myself to forget about the depressing moment ahead — handing the Cascadia Cup to our most hated rivals — and soak in what for me was a unique situation. I'm in a packed, raucous stadium, Sigi Schmid and Brian Schmetzer are a mere 20 feet from us in the Sounders bench; then I see Drew Carey walking up the sideline; then Adrian Hanauer comes out of the tunnel right behind us, spots our PTFC gear and walks by sort of nonplussed.

"Hey Drew, nice shoes! Just kidding, go fuck yourself," was what I would have said if I'd wanted to get thrown out of the stadium.

Three whistles, game over, and we were led out onto the pitch, in front of the traveling ECS. After watching the team salute the fans, I find myself standing a couple feet away from Kasey Keller. Now, I've heaped a lot of vitriol on Keller in recent years, and I'll continue to do so for as long as he has a Sounders badge on his chest. But this guy is a US soccer legend — I cheered my guts out for him in Germany '06 — and I can't deny being awed when he walked up and said, "What's up, fellas?" (I'm sure the next time me makes some ludicrous remark about urine bags I'll be right back on his case.)

We handed the Cascadia Cup to the ECS rep, a guy named Aaron, who handed it to Keller. The Sounders fans cheered; I looked up into the sea of rave green, jealous of their moment, and a woman in the front row, scarf raised, yelled "Thanks, Timbers!" as we walked off the pitch, job done.

It was a supremely strange day. I doubt I'd do it again, but I'm glad to have been a part of it. I have to thank Brett and the rest of the SouthSiders for being great hosts on this enemy-of-my-enemy type adventure, and Obi for driving. I hope the ECS takes good care of the Cup, and I look forward to seeing them in Portland next year when they have to give it back.

—by Andrew Brawley; last updated 11/05/2016 by 107ist Admin

Even during a hockey riot, Vancouver is a lovely city. (Proof right here.) I’ve been there a few times, and one of those is actually recent. I got the whirlwind tour from my hosts, and I learned that it will take multiple trips to accomplish everything worth doing there.

Side note: am I the only one who thinks of Ice-T’s rock band Body Count anytime someone refers to British Columbia as “BC?” Yeah, I thought so. Moving along….

We’ve got a local favorite to help guide us for this trip. Many TA will be making this journey, so having our own member/expert providing this level of so-called “abridged” guidance (his words, not mine) is awesome. So without any further ado, here's Shedbhoy's guide to Vancouver!

Top Beer Bars

Note: in BC you must have 2 pieces of ID, the drinking age is 19, last call is at 2am, and there are very few late licenses that serve until 4am.

• Alibi Room (Main and Alexander): Great food, too.
• St. Augustine's (Commercial Drive): More of a sports bar, but 40 taps.
• WaaZubee Cafe (Commercial Drive): also great food.
• Steamworks Brewing Co. (Water St and Homer, in Gastown)

BC Beers Not to Miss

• Crannóg Ales (Backhand of God Stout)
• Driftwood (Farmhand Saison)
• Central City Brewery (Red Racer IPA)
• Phillips Brewing Co. (Skookum, the original Cascadian Dark Ale)
• Merridale Cider

Beer to Go

In BC, beer is sold in liquor stores, generally open 11am-11pm

• Brewery Creek on Main
• Viti Wine and Lager
• Firefly
• Legacy Liquor Store in the Olympic Village
• Steamworks (at the pub)

Getting around

The Skytrain is fast, efficient, and covers most of the city. The usual fare is $2.75. Buses are a good option but only take coins (no paper money). Cabs are cheaper than Portland and more plentiful, but it's still no East Coast or Midwest city.

Driving

Traffic in Vancouver is pretty bad, and their drinking and driving laws are pretty stringent. The legal limit is .05, rather than .08, and they have roadblocks at night where they stop every car and ask them "have you been drinking?" If you say yes or they smell alcohol you will have to blow.

Sights to See

• UBC Anthropology Museum: out at the University, but definitely work the trip. Amazing NW Coast art collection.
• Granville Island: Imagine Saturday Market and Seattle's Pike Place market rolled into one and open every day.
• Stanley Park: Massive on a scale to rival Forest Park, includes everything from Cricket and Rugby grounds to a world class aquarium.
• Shopping opportunities: from "put a bird on it" locally designed hipsterwear to western wear. Main from Broadway north is a great shopping district. West 4th, a little more upscale. Think NW 23^rd. Yaletown: The model for the Pearl District.
• Eating: Commercial Drive is like Vancouver's version of Hawthorne St., and is lined with great ethnic restaurants from Ethopian to Russian to Belgian Frites to Caribbean. For hipster breakfast try Cafe Deux Soleils.
• Food carts and cheap eats: Though not as common as in Portland, Vancouver has a blossoming food cart scene. Japadog is a must have. Vancouver also boasts many donair kebab, poutine, and 99-cent-per-slice pizza places.
• Bookshops: MacLeod's is a fantastic used bookstore.
• Record Stores: Zulu on W 4^th. Redcat on Main.
• Clubbing: Granville Street is a pedestrian only zone and is lined with clubs.
• The beach: Vancouver has a number of great beaches right in the city. I recommend Jericho Beach. For the adventurous, Wreck Beach is a clothing optional beach near the UBC campus.
• Chinatown: E Pender St. 1/3 of Metro Vancouver's population speaks Mandarin or Cantonese. The best dim sum is located in suburbs such as Richmond, but Pender St. near Main boasts a thriving old Chinatown

Vancouver Equivalents to Portland:

Places:

• Hastings = Burnside, lots of homeless people, a long street that gets you out of town.
• Surrey = Gresham, supposedly a nice little suburb, but watch your car stereo here.
• Kingsway = Sandy, complete with car deals and Pho.
• Commercial = Hawthorne, hippy paradise
• East Van = Southeast
• West End = West Hills
• Van = PDX (slang for the city, the airport code is YVR)
• LDB = OLCC

Terms:

• Peeler = Stripper
• Jug = Pitcher
• Washroom = Bathroom

—by David Xochihua

Saturday was a tough day for Timbers fans everywhere. I know it was for me. Controversial loss to the Red Bulls, S**ttle winning the Cascadia Cup... Enough to make one sick!

But that's not all that happened on Saturday. Up in Vancouver, at a little place we like to call Dublin Down, the Northern Alliance was busy working on preparations for Vancouver Away.

The DD was host to a Timbers-NYRB viewing party for sure, and there was a pretty decent turnout as far as I could see before yours truly had to leave for work. But in addition to the match there was also "Craft Time", as we called it. Cutting out stencils to make t-shirts for the match next week, and painting up a bit of tifo for the trip as well.

Northern Alliance tifo for Vancouver Away - Photo courtesy of Bradley York

I'm hopeful that the banner will make the TV broadcast, a well as be a fixture at future Van-PDX home matches.

Vancouver Away shirts drying in the sun. - Photo courtesy of Bradley York

The t-shirts were a bit of a challenge. The initial templates were incorrect and so for the beginning of the match Northern Alliance members scrambled to cut the new ones for use. The results were amazing, as you can see.

Kelly Dews and Jacob Wright, masterminds of the viewing party and craft time, respectively - Photo courtesy of Bradley York

Thanks again to Kelly Dews for organizing the event, Jacob Wright for designing the banner and shirt templates, and of course to Dublin Down for hosting the event.

A big thank as well to everybody who made it out on Saturday and took part in the festivities with us. It was great having you along for the ride, and we hope to see you again!

Cheers and RCTID!

Over the years many in the Timbers Army have been to a lot of places around the world. A couple that come to mind off the top of my head are Kuwait and Antarctica. We have a new entry for one of the most impressive. Get a load of the cool story below.

Tara and Adam Meyer wanted to declare loyalty to their hometown Portland Timbers – emphatically! So when they got a chance to help their dad climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro, they demanded PTFC attire.

Both sister and brother played soccer at Lincoln High School well enough to help them through college. Adam works for Transportation 4 America in Washington D.C. Tara worked for Conservation International in D.C. until she had a chance to study elephant and human interaction in Tanzania. They both miss Portland. So this was a shout out from homesick Timbers fans.

The climb to Uhuru (Swahili for “freedom”) peak was a fantastic six days up through five climate zones and the steep western breach, a half hour of exhausted exhilaration and two days down on wobbly legs to the village of Moshi and local beer; it was a lot like a Timbers Army road trip!

Check out these awesome photos...