Many of us were shocked with the terrible news about Gisele's passing yesterday morning. It was unexpected and incredibly saddening. To many of us she served as more than a smiling face in the stands. For many she was the person who sold us our first scarf and a vital link to the NASL Timbers history. She served selflessly and asked for nothing in return. In Gisele's honor we have set up the Gisele Currier Memorial Fund.  All funds generated from this will go to yet to be determined soccer project in her name.

Underdog Portland has graciously donated 2 lower bowl tickets for Thursday's playoff game between the Blazers in the Maverick's to be raffled off and all the money goes directly to Gisele's fund. Each raffle ticket is $10.00 and the winner of the raffle will receive 2 lower bowl ticket (Sec 223 Row J - seats 3,4) with a face value of $110 each ($220 total). I can assure you the non-face value is much higher than that. Due to the time sensitive nature of this and the need to arrange to get the tickets in the hands of the winner we will be cutting off the sale on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. This is a very good opportunity to donate to an extremely worthy cause.

I had the extreme pleasure of being at the Rose Garden for the game 4 comeback. In all honesty it was one of the greatest sports experiences I've ever had. The intensity level at the Rose Garden for the playoffs is through the roof.

Follow this link to buy raffle tickets.

—by Jeremy Wright

Gisele with her favorite NASL Timber – Jimmy Kelly

Gisele’s family has requested that donations in her memory go to the Timbers Army / 107ist.

We will be creating a Gisele Currier Memorial Fund and all donations to this fund will be used to support a local soccer project in her name.

Donate to this fund now (not tax deductible)

“Probably the only person on earth where people at a football match would habitually have to wait in a line just to give her a match day hug” – Brian Gillespie

It is with a heavy heart and tears in our eyes that we bring you news that Gisele Currier passed away last night (Sunday, April 24th, 2011).

Kind, Smiling, Selfless, Warm, Calming, Funny, Witty, Communitarian, Passionate, Matriarch… our Queen.

These are the words that are being used to describe Gisele today as condolences come pouring in from soccer fans across Oregon, the Northwest and the world.

For many Gisele was the first face you saw at a Timbers match and probably one of the first people you ever met if you tried to get a No Pity scarf. Sitting at the top of 107 in the east corner we would each touch her shoulder, give her a hug or simply smile as we went by. That was Gisele’s seat (and next to it her departed sister Paula’s) and if some unknowing individual decided to stake a claim to it for a match there was an Army ready to gently yet firmly educate them as to why that seat was taken already.

Gisele was more than just a Timbers fan that showed up in the same seat every match. She was a connection from our past to our present. As Clive Charles once exclaimed to her in surprise when he spotted her at a random soccer match in Portland far removed from the bright lights of a stadium: “Gisele! I KNEW you lived for soccer!”

Gisele was at the very first Timbers match in 1975 with her sister Paula. Things were a little bit different back then and the stories Gisele told about her interactions with the players were priceless and truly hilarious at times. She actually hung out with Pele and George Best and was on a first-name basis with many of the Timbers players. She and Paula started the very first Seattle away days and some of the “murky business” she got up to in Seattle was a prelude of things to come 30 years later.

Gisele and Paula in their seats at the top of 107 in 2001

Even when the NASL Timbers folded, Gisele kept the light alive for soccer in the Rose City. Because for her it was more than just a sport, it was her second family.

She supported Clive Charles in his early efforts to get a program going at University of Portland, she was there when Kasey Keller and his infamous mullet wore the Timbers jersey for the short lived WSL Timbers in 1989, and she was there on opening night May 11, 2001 when the Timbers came back to town.

I will never forget in 2004 when I decided to go watch a pre-season Timbers game match at University of Portland at 11:00 a.m. on a weekday in February in the pouring rain. It was cold, it was miserable, and I didn’t expect to see another soul. But as I walked into the stadium there was Gisele. Literally she was the only person in the entire stadium. Wrapped in her Timbers blanket ready for the match to start in what could only be described as monsoon conditions. I got one of her famous hugs and together we shared an umbrella. That was Gisele in a nutshell. Dedicated to the core and always willing to share with you what she could.

This is from a CulturePulp piece in the Oregonian 2006

Gisele was extremely close to her sister Paula. When Paula passed away in 2003 every Timbers player came into the stands and placed a rose on her seat in memory. To this day we try to keep that seat open with a rose on it. Now there will be two seats at the top of 107.

We love you Gisele and will miss you terribly but your spirit will live on in the TA family forever. Every scarf, bead, sticker or blanket you gave to someone is imbued with your passion, love, warmth and fantastic hugs. Godspeed.

Links:

Gisele Currier, Portland Timbers Army ‘matriarch,’ dies – Rachel Bachman, The Oregonian
Gisele Currier: True Supporter Forever More – Brian Costello, Portland Timbers
Gisele Currier: A Timbers supporter like no other – Allison Andrews, soccercityusa.com

—by Chris Rifer

The buzz from the Timbers two wins at home didn’t last long on Saturday night at the Home Depot Center. By ten minutes into the match, Rose City’s momentum and newfound optimism was effectively killed by the star-studded LA Galaxy, who, for the first time this season, looked like the dominant offensive force that everybody expected them to be.

From the first kick, the Timbers looked star-struck and nervous. In the fourth minute, Chad Barrett chested down a Landon Donovan pass at the top of the box and sent a laser past Troy Perkins into the side netting.

The damage worsened four minutes later when Rodney Wallace grabbed Donovan at the top of the box, conceding what can only charitably be called a boneheaded penalty. Donovan, predictably, put his effort from the spot in the back of the net. Just like that the Timbers were looking at 2-nil down.

The chances kept coming for LA early in the first half, as the Timbers defense showed a disturbing lack of moxie that we haven’t seen in the early going since Toronto. The midfield struggled mightily to maintain possession and the defense seemed constantly wrong-sided.

Through the end of the first half and into the second half, however, Portland seemed to regain its composure a bit. The possession in the midfield got a little bit better—although until Diego Chara came on in the second half there was a noticeable hole in the middle—and opportunities slowly began to present themselves.

That is, until they got to Galaxy keeper Donovan Ricketts. Ricketts was magnificent, stuffing a Futty header, a Kenny Cooper crack from distance, and a Cooper touch off of a beautiful Jorge Perlaza cross, all of which justifiably could have been tallies.

Any hope that Portland had, however, was crushed in the 67^th as Juan Pablo Angel sent a cross back post to an inexcusably unmarked Landon Donovan, who did what he does. The Timbers left the Home Depot Center with a little bit of a reality check. For the second time this season, they faced an elite MLS team on the road and got blitzed early. This coming Saturday, Portland will see if they can avoid a similar fate against another elite side, Real Salt Lake, at home. It doesn’t get any easier from here.

Match Observations

• There were some interesting parallels and some interesting differences between the Galaxy match and the season opener in Colorado. Most obviously, the Timbers came out completely wide-eyed, and got punked early as a result. As a look at the stat sheet shows, though, this was a fundamentally different game. Whereas in Colorado the Timbers were thoroughly dominated, on Saturday the score line was probably a bit harsh. The Timbers outshot Galaxy 13 to 11 and put six shots on frame. Frankly, the Timbers were really unfortunate not to break through at least once. Portland lead corner kicks six to four, and created a number of other chances off of free kicks—where Jack Jewsbury continues to look dangerous.
• The back line has to right itself. Troy Perkins was completely exposed on all three goals, twice by Timbers defenders finding themselves unnecessarily on the wrong side of the Galaxy attack and once by a cross that, with proper shape, should have been cleared. Early in the week John Spencer pointed out that most goals come as a result of mistakes. That certainly held true on Saturday.
• Diego Chara is good. 24 hours before the match, Chara probably couldn’t pick most of his teammates out of a police lineup. Nonetheless, he made an impact coning on in the second half, finally creating something for the Timbers in the middle of the field. The most impressive aspects of his game were his pace – which was blistering – and the speed with which he could cut out a ball and look to make the first pass to start the attack. Stat geeks will hate this guy because he’s not likely to be scoring many goals or directly creating any, but make no mistake he is going to nip a lot of opposing attacks in the bud and start a number of the Timbers own. Granted, Chara was far from dominating the middle of the pitch on Saturday, but the flashes he showed are awfully promising. Early review: Great signing, Gavin.
• Please note, I use the terms “chested” and “at the top of the box” liberally in the second and third paragraphs. Both were controversial decisions by the referee, as Barrett looked to use his shoulder to control the ball and the initial contact between Wallace and Donovan was outside the box. Regardless, anybody who watched the game knows that Galaxy were the better side and their three points—even if they were by a margin that was a bit unjust—were well-deserved.

Timbers Grades

Troy Perkins, 5 Wasn’t culpable for any of the three goals, but I would like to see him be a bit more vocal with his defense. The defense is young, and could certainly use his leadership in back. Made a couple nice saves, especially in the 4 v 1 situation in the 38^th minute.

Rodney Wallace, 3.5 This looked like the Rod of March rather than the Rod of April. The penalty against Donovan, regardless of whether it was the correct call, was a boneheaded play. Where Wallace is best is when he pushes up, but even then he showed a lack of quality against Galaxy.

Futty, 4.5 The backline was leaky all day, and Futty was nondescript for much of the evening. Was unlucky to be denied a goal by Ricketts.

Eric Brunner, 4 Battled hard, but was culpable on the first goal as he let Barrett get in behind him. Perhaps gets an extra notch down as the leader of a backline that looked completely overmatched.

Steve Purdy, 4 Like Brunner, the usually reliable Purdy was much less reliable and didn’t pose any serious threat getting forward. It seems in the last few games that the league has figured out his shtick a little bit. It will be interesting to see is he can persevere and return to the effectiveness we saw in the early going.

Kalif Alhassan, 5.5 Really was the only guy in the midfield in the first half that looked like he belonged, or at least looked like he believed that he belonged. Didn’t have the success getting forward that he did against FC Dallas, but still was poised on the ball and showed flashes of the creativity he treated the Army to last week.

Jack Jewsbury, 5 Disappeared in the midfield for substantial portions of the match, and is certainly at fault for the Timbers essentially vacating the middle of the field in the first half. That said, was again the best set piece taker on the pitch. When you’re playing against one of the best set piece takers of all time, that’s enough to get you a passing grade.

James Marcelin, 4 I wonder if the signing of Chara has Marcelin looking over his shoulder a little bit, as he has seemed substantially more conservative since then. He just looks afraid to make a mistake, and as a result isn’t having much of an impact.

Jeremy Hall, 5 I’ve thought Hall was perhaps the Timbers most underappreciated player through the early season, but the reason for that is that he is usually pretty quiet on the right wing. He does some nice things defensively, providing an extra bit of cover for the right side of the defense, but when Darlington Nagbe was introduced in the second half the juxtaposition was clear. The Timbers lost a little bit of defense, but gained a lot looking forward.

Kenny Cooper, 5.5 This was another yeoman’s effort by Cooper. The Timbers were struggling to get him service, so he took matters into his own hands, often tracking back into the midfield to get the ball on his foot. Make no mistake, Cooper doubters, Kenny Cooper is dangerous with the ball on his foot or at his head. Just ask Donovan Ricketts, who was lucky to deny him twice.

Jorge Perlaza, 5 Made a couple nice runs, and his cross to Cooper late in the match was put on a dime. That said, didn’t come close to being as dangerous as he was in last week’s homestand, although a serious argument can be made that this falls mostly on the midfield for failing to get the ball at his feet.

Diego Chara, 5.5 As good a performance as could be expected, having been with the team 24 hours. Look for him to work into the starting XI by next week.

Darlington Nagbe, 5.5 Probably his best performance of the season thus far. Had a couple moments of brilliance on the wing in the late going, and is starting to look better in his distribution.

Sal Zizzo, 4.5 Had a relatively short stint, but left me wanting quite a bit. It is safe to say that Kalif has locked down his spot on the wing, and that Nagbe has probably laid claim, at least eventually, to the other spot. There is still a little bit of curiosity, however, about how this guy could produce given a full 90.

"Last week was incredible!" you’re thinking to yourself.

"And I know the game in LA Saturday is on the tube (8 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel).

"But where – where? – can I get my fix of live-and-in-person goals, saves and bewildering offside calls? Maybe even with a Tommy Potl-caliber elbow thrown in?"

Relax, we’ve got you covered....  Or rather, the Portland Winterhawks do.

They open the Western Hockey League’s Western Conference finals this Friday and Sunday at the Rose Garden. The Hawks play at 7 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Sunday, and they’d like nothing better than to have some of the Greatest Football Supporters The World Has Ever Seen™ come out and see them put the hurt on the Spokane Chiefs.

You can get in on the action for cheap, too, by calling Timbers season-ticketholder and Winterhawk account manager Jeff Spiegel at 971-230-2967. He’s got $10 discounts on seats in the 100 level, with prices comparable to your Timbers Army tickets.

—by Andrew Brawley

Editor’s Note #1: This is the first in a new series of our guide to cities where the Timbers are playing away games in 2011. I travel quite a bit for work and play, so I figured I could impart some knowledge on other cities throughout the country. I haven’t been to every city on this year's schedule, so not every one of them will be covered. Heck, even people living in Columbus don’t really “go” there. But for the cities I have been to, I’ll try to write something up for those who plan to make the trip.

Editor’s Note #2: To help really kick this series off, I requested the help of some LA locals. My former employers just happen to be musicians and all-around cool guys Joe Escalante and Josh Freese. They both play in a little punk band called The Vandals (I used to work for Joe’s record label Kung Fu Records). Joe hosts Barely Legal Radio, and was the morning man at Indie 103 FM for quite a spell. Josh currently drums for Devo and Weezer, and used to play for Nine Inch Nails, Ween, Guns & Roses and Disneyland’s child rock band Polo! On top of all this, they also actually reside in the area around the Home Depot Center, so they got some legit cred for this piece.

Our first stop in this away game travel series is Los Angeles. The Timbers play there twice this season (April 23 vs. LA Galaxy; June 5 vs. Chivas USA). I lived in LA from 2001 to 2006, and had plenty of business trips there since then. If you plan to travel there, you MUST have access to a rental car. I’m not even joking here. If you take your Portlandia butt down to LA thinking that they run on bikes and public transport, come find me at the next home match so I can smack you upside the head.

Now that you got your flight, hotel AND rental car booked, here are a few recommended spots from the three of us.

Joe’s picks:

• 5 Guys Burgers and Fries in Carson. Unbelievably cool and convenient.
• In the South Bay, there's no restaurant with more hype right now than Eatalian Cafe. There's two of them (Gardena 1 and Gardena 2), and they are strangely close to each other.
• At night, go to Alex's Bar, it's awesome and it's the location of the original bar from True Blood.
• If you need a place where you could take a prostitute, have a steak, and be invisible, try the anonymous JB's Dinner Room. Don't ask me how I stumbled upon this place.

Josh’s picks:

• If you want the best Mexican food in L.A. order the carnitas plate or regular carnitas burrito at Super Mex on Atlantic in LBC.
• There's a new Swiss Restaurant near LAX called Edelweiss Chalet. And it's not your grandfather's war criminal hideout...or is it?
• If you only go to one place in Long Beach during the day or dinner time make it the oldest tavern in LBC, Joe Jost’s and order the special w/ pickled eggs and a schooner of Busch.

Andrew’s picks:

• If you like your chicken cooked vertically, spiced Mediterranean style, and like to reek of garlic after a meal, Zankou Chicken has eight locations throughout the greater Los Angeles area. I can only vouch for the locations in Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena and West Los Angeles. (Looks like the one on Sunset in the bad part of Hollywood has been closed down, which sucks because I’ve seen Justin Timberlake and Zach de la Rocha order food there, but not at the same time.)
• Like music? You might be sick of it after a trip to Amoeba Music. They have just about every album ever made. Some albums they even have more than two copies of. It’s like the best parts of Music Millennium, Jackpot Records and Everyday Music all in one place, with all the indie music snobbery fully intact. A Portlander's home away from home.
• Corner of Sunset Blvd. and Highland Ave. I once saw a transvestite (I think s/he was a transvestite) remove his/her clothing and throw it at a businessman’s head here during a Monday morning commute. Major bum-age for him. Major laugh-age for me.
• Pink’s. You’ve probably seen this hot dog stand all over the Food Network. It’s the real deal. Nothing nutritious to be found here. The chili has a radioactive orange glow about it. And you’ll wait in line for at least 45 minutes in the chunky air to get one in your mouth. And you will like it!
• If you find yourself in Burbank (which is very possible since it has the best airport in the LA area), check out Yummy Cupcakes. You probably heard about celebrities and talent agents sending their assistants to a place called Sprinkles for oversized (and overpriced) cupcakes. Yummy Cupcakes has better quality and less riff-raff. The Red Velvet cupcake here may cause dizziness due to extreme deliciousness.

Got any places to recommend? Post them here in the comments.

Joe Escalante's Barely Legal Radio airs Sunday nights on KTLK 1150 AM.

Josh Freese's EP "My New Friends" can be purchased in digital format for $5, physical CD format for $12, or with a ride in TOOL drummer Danny Carey's Lamborghini and other neat stuff for $75,000.

—by Chris Rifer

Four days ago, the Timbers sat with one point, tied for the bottom spot in the Western Conference. Today, Portland is in fourth place with seven points, looking down the table at the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps. It’s been a nice week of work for the boys.

If you missed the match on Thursday, the Timbers provided an encore performance Sunday afternoon, perhaps with a sprinkle more late drama. The run of play was split relatively evenly between FC Dallas and Portland in the first half, but the Timbers looked more dangerous around the area and capitalized on their chances.

In the 13^th minute, Kalif Alhassan dropped a ball to Jack Jewbury at the top of the box. Jewsbury’s shot hit the near post, deflected off FC Dallas keeper Kevin Hartman’s back, and into the back of the net. Once again, the Timbers had an early lead.

In the 35^th minute, Portland took control as Jewsbury sent a corner kick in front of the mouth of the goal to Kenny Cooper, who nodded it into the side netting for his first tally at Jeld-Wen Field, giving the Timbers a 2-0 lead at the break.

Coming out of intermission, the Timbers quickly asserted themselves when Jorge Perlaza redirected a cross from Steve Purdy into goal only to have the score nullified by an offside call. Sound familiar? It wouldn’t take too long for Portland to net the magical third, however, as Alhassan sliced his way through a gaggle of striped shirts in the 55^th minute and found Rodney Wallace for his second goal in as many games.

Kalif looked to make it four in the 61^st minute, but his strong shot from just outside the area was parried by a beautiful diving save from Hartman.

What would a Timbers home match be without a little bit of late drama? In the 83^rd minute, David Ferriera sprinted past Futty Danso, and slotted a ball past a surprised Jake Gleeson. What was just a minor party foul became a serious issue just three minutes later as Brek Shea caught Gleeson in between and chipped the ball into the net.

Aided by an athletic Gleeson save, Portland’s defense withstood FC Dallas’ desperate attempt to find an equalizer and captured their sixth point in four days.

Match Observations

• Seriously, who in their right mind would suggest that Kalif Alhassan should lose his starting spot? Oh right, I would. Three days ago. This is awkward.
• The Timbers attack looks fantastic right now. Between Perlaza, Cooper, Alhassan, and the outside backs doing a great job of getting forward, the Timbers have deserved their seven goals in the last two matches. This is forcing teams to be more conservative than they would like to be, providing an added layer of protection to Portland’s backline. A number of times when Dallas would look to get forward they would look up and see nothing but green shirts to extinguish any attack.
• Portland’s problems appear to be arising when they stop looking to be aggressive in getting forward. Futty, although a fan favorite, has been a bit up and down at the center back spot, which looks more and more like it is David Horst’s spot to return to. If I was Gavin, and had money to make one more major signing, this is where I would look.
• We also shouldn’t overlook the fact that tired legs could have played a big part in the late game mistakes. The Timbers were playing their second game in four days, and in the waning minutes there was much, much more space than there had been throughout. The two goals were on plays where a Timber defender was beat in a footrace. So, to a certain extent you have to think the boys just ran out of gas a little bit.

Timbers Grades

Jake Gleeson, 5 Had 82 minutes of easy, routine soccer, but probably should have done better on both goals. On the first he got caught going the wrong way in a little bit of a misread. On the second he got caught in between, allowing Shea to chip him. That said, probably preserved the three points with his stoppage time save off the bar.

Steve Purdy, 5.5 Had his fingerprints all over the second concession, but otherwise was as usual reliable in defense. Unlucky not to be awarded with the assist on Perlaza’s nullified goal.

Eric Brunner, 6 I continue to be impressed. He is exactly the kind of reliable center back that a team needs. If the Timbers can continue to score goals, he is probably good enough to lock down the backline well enough to produce results.

Futty, 4.5 This hurts because I love the guy, but was by far the Timbers most blood pressure raising player of the match. Made a couple nice plays to get himself out of trouble, but was far and away the most vulnerable point of the defense.

Rodney Wallace, 6 Another nice game from Wallace. Not quite the match he had on Thursday, but still tallied a goal— although Kalif did most of the heavy lifting—and looked for the most part reliable in defense. Does have a knack for yielding needless corners, though, as he did in second half stoppage time.

Jeremy Hall, 5.5 Wasn’t as effective getting forward, but won a number of balls in the midfield and did well to start a few attacking sequences. Right now, with Nagbe still working his way in, Hall’s reliability in defense is a bonus. It’s no coincidence that in the last two matches the defense has looked leakier after he has left the pitch.

Jack Jewsbury, 6.5 Dear Sporting KC, Thank you. This guy is awesome. Wins balls in the midfield, distributes well to start the attack, and is absolutely deadly on set pieces.

James Marcelin, 5 Had his best moments when he was in defense. Otherwise was pretty quiet in the attack.

Kalif Alhassan, 8 By far the best man on the pitch. That’s saying something considering David Ferriera is the reigning MLS MVP and FC Dallas was in the MLS Cup Final last year.

Kenny Cooper, 6 Again was disruptive up front, and showed his prowess in the air. Had a couple moments where he could have pulled the trigger and failed to do so, but on the whole had a good outing.

Jorge Perlaza, 5.5 A bit unlucky not to get a goal. Had the one called back for offside which looked to be a close, but probably correct call. Had a few other chances that went by the wayside, but has to feel good about finding a rhythm.

Darlington Nagbe, 5.5 Showed his pace on a couple runs, but still doesn’t quite have the feel necessary to make that last pass. It may take him a little bit of time because he is trying to find his rhythm both coming off of injury and in a new league, but it is clear that the physical tools are there.

Sal Zizzo, 4.5 Didn’t have his best outing, and with the emergence of Kalif Alhassan it is becoming doubtful that he has a place in the starting XI. He’s still a nice player, but how can you keep Kalif off the pitch right now?

Eddie Johnson, 4 Was set up nicely a couple times but failed to make anything terribly dangerous from it. Will be a nice change of pace substitute when he gets back into full form, but for now is a noticeable downgrade from Perlaza.

—by Chris Rifer

As I was walking to get a pint with a few friends after the match, I dreaded writing this post. What more can be said that our boys and the environment didn’t already say last night? Thursday night, April 14^th, 2011, was perfect.

For the boys on the pitch, aside from being an invigorating home opener, it was a night of redemption. Ghosts that had grown over the course of the last few weeks were exorcised. Jorge Perlaza, who had looked wholly out of sorts leading some to clamor for Brian Umony or even Darlington Nagbe up top, opened his account with a brace. He was pacey, dynamic, and opportunistic. Rodney Wallace, who had committed a number of cringe-worthy mistakes over the course of the opening road trip, was reliable in defense and quality in the attack.

The party looked to be starting in the 11^th minute, when Kenny Cooper nodded home a Jack Jewsbury corner kick, only to have the goal disallowed by the linesman because the flight of Jewsbury’s ball allegedly carried it over the plane of the endline.

The Timbers continued to dominate in possession and chances, however, and their efforts paid off when Kalif Alhassan sent a well-bent ball forward for Perlaza, who left Fire keeper Sean Johnson grasping at air with a clever cut back and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner. In the 38^th minute, Rodney Wallace got into the action after a Jewbury set piece was cleared away. The ball came to Wallace, who deftly volleyed the ball through the stagnant Fire defense and into the net.

In the 47^th minute, the rout appeared to be on when Johnson failed to smother Wallace’s low cross. Perlaza, la Pantera, pounced on the loose ball in the box for his second tally of the evening.

Thereafter, the Timbers, with a few notable exceptions like Kalif Alhassan’s chip off the bar, seemed content to sit back a bit more. The Fire, relieved of the pressure that their backline couldn’t handle, took advantage and momentarily got back into the match. In the 66^th minute, Eric Brunner’s sliding tackle on the onrushing Marco Pappa deflected the ball past Jake Gleeson and into the net. The game tightened further, as in the 81^st minute, the unmarked Pappa beautifully bent a ball into the upper corner to pull the Fire within a goal.

The tension wouldn’t last long, however, as just three minutes later a Jewsbury corner eluded Johnson and led to a scrum at the mouth of the goal. In large part thanks to Cooper and Futty’s scrappiness, the ball squirted into goal, providing insurance and another moment of near-hysteria for the Army.

Match Observations

• If this is the Jorge Perlaza Portland is going to see on a consistent basis, Timbers Joey might need to get a bigger log. Chicago looked inept on their back line and in goal, but Perlaza’s pace and aggression getting forward caused several moments of panic.
• The Timbers still struggled a little bit in the second half keeping possession in the midfield. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that it is likely that three-quarters of Thursday’s midfield will be revamped two weeks from now with the return of Sal Zizzo and Darlington Nagbe to full action and the addition of Diego Chara.
• Alhassan, however, is making that decision difficult. Every match he has appeared to get more and more comfortable. The kid is dynamic, and considering he can play on both sides of the midfield—and the suspicion here is that with his distribution capabilities he could also be effective attacking from the center—he is likely to become a super sub.
• The defense gave up 13 corner kicks, many of which were needless. They covered them well, but that is far too many, and most matches will lead to a concession or two.

Match Grades

Jake Gleeson, 6 There was nothing he could have done about the two goals—one an unforeseeable deflection off of a Brunner tackle and the second an incredible bending ball that will likely be MLS Goal of the Week. He commanded his box extremely well, especially on balls coming in from the wings and on corners. Also had a typical Gleeson save on Dominic Oduro’s 1 v 1 opportunity. I’m stubbornly sticking to Perkins as starter, but this kid can play.

Steve Purdy, 5.5 Was again reliable in defense, and had a number of nice runs forward. Nothing we haven’t seen already from Purdy, but that means he was solid in back and productive moving forward.

Eric Brunner, 6 A high grade for a guy charged with an own goal, but the own goal was a little bit unfortunate, and I’m in a forgiving mood. Especially in the first half he was a one-man wrecking crew for Fire opportunities.

Futty, 5.5 Looked at times like it was his first match of the season, but also some nice moments in defense. Played a huge role in the final goal, earning a positive grade and likely another start.

Rodney Wallace, 6.5 Was simply fantastic. Energetic and disruptive in back, effective when he looked to get forward, and his strike of goal was pure quality. With the addition of Diego Chara and the substantial improvement of Wallace, all of a sudden the Dax McCarty trade is looking shrewd.

Jeremy Hall, 5 Had a couple nice runs, but probably had the most nondescript day of anybody on the pitch. With the return of Nagbe and Zizzo, it will be interesting to see where he fits in. Likely going to be as a sub that can enter in defensive situations on the wings, or even absorb some minutes at outside back.

Jack Jewsbury, 5.5 This was a more typical Jewsbury game. Solid in defense and distribution. Led a pretty good midfield effort in the first half.

James Marcelin, 5 Not Marcelin’s best outing, but nothing to really complain about either. His role is about to be significantly limited when Charra arrives, but it’s likely he will still see some pitch time in defensive situations.

Kalif Alhassan, 6 What a find last year. The kid distributes well, operates well on the ball, and has some finishing creativity to him as well. I still think Zizzo and Nagbe are probably going to lock down the wings, but Alhassan has stated an interesting case, certainly enough to at least be John Spencer’s favorite option off the bench.

Jorge Perlaza, 6.5 The first goal showed that he has quite a bit of quality to him that hadn’t been put on showcase before Thursday, and the second goal showed the predatory instincts that had been a step late until now. La Pantera seems a fitting nickname, so no need to make a change there.

Kenny Cooper, 5.5 This is probably a bit harsh considering he was in on one goal and had another arguably unjustly disallowed, but I didn’t feel like he was quite as disruptive up front as he usually is. That may not be his fault as much as a result of other guys getting that done. One thing that stuck out was his willingness and ability to track back.

Sal Zizzo, 5 Looked like a classic first match back. Had a couple nice moments of quality, but overall was pretty quiet. If the fitness is there, he may get the start on Sunday. If not, look for him next week.

Eddie Johnson, 5 Similar to Zizzo, had a couple moments of aggressiveness up front, but didn’t look completely comfortable coming off the injury.

Darlington Nagbe, INC. Only had a short stint. Did have one nice run, and was unmarked at the top of the box on the corner which led to the last goal. There is a gut feeling that we’re going to see him in the starting lineup on Sunday.

—by Andrew Brawley

It's home opener week. We got lots of information to share this week. Spread the word!

Sunday: Do's and Don'ts

Monday: Tifo 101 + the National Anthem

Tuesday: Guide for First-Timers

Wednesday: Guide for Veterans

Thursday: It's Game Day!

It’s down to a matter of hours now, this wait for Portland’s first Major League Soccer match. So close you can taste it…8 p.m. Thursday, April 14 2011.

For some, it’s been 29 years of holding out hope since the demise of the original NASL Timbers; for others, it’s been seven l-o-n-g months since Ryan Pore’s Sunflower Goal sent everyone dancing into the streets as the Division 2 days wound down.

For still others, it’s been a lifetime.

No matter how long it’s seemed, we’ve made it: Portland has taken its rightful place at the highest levels of North American soccer.

We wouldn’t be here without Merritt Paulson and so many others in the front office (Lookin’ at you, Zus). But neither would we be here without the Timbers Army – without the thousands of people who bought scarf, raised a pint, made up a song, created a two-stick and brought a newb or two along.

So what’s next? Tell you what, we’ll give that some serious thought this evening... Right after we finish changing the face of American soccer.

What are YOUR thoughts on this historic day?

2011 It takes an Army to Raise a Club

—by Lucas Grzybowski

Yesterday was my last opportunity to get inside JELD-WEN Field to chronicle the renovation process that has turned the place from a quasi-baseball park into what I'm sure we'll now find is the newest Gem of American Soccer Stadia™.

It was also Media Day, so there were all the players, mingling with the bloggers and sports writers.

KeyBank President Brian Rice kicked off the event, giving everyone a quick rundown of the amenities of the new stand and the club restaurant where we were gathered (short version: the place is well-appointed).

After that the media was let loose on the players, who'd been lined up in the back of the room, conveniently seated near the buffet line (they'd just finished their first training session on the JWF pitch, I'm sure they were hungry, and the pot roast and potatoes certainly did the trick).

I didn't go to this event with the intention of schmoozing the players; I went to get some pics of the stadium, so I wasn't prepared for much in the way of interviewing. I did chat up Bright Dike a little bit, along with OregonLive.com blogger Rick Curwen; Bright is in good spirits, despite that enormous boot on his foot, and he assured us he'd be back on the pitch before the end of the regular season.

For me the event was both surreal — to be eating lunch with the team in a fancy club restaurant above what used to be left-center field — and a welcome taste of the intimacy that we as fans have always shared with the team. I have been worried that this intimacy would ebb away with the club moving up to the top division, and all the changes one would expect to accompany that move. I'm sanguine that the familial relationship will continue.

Also: Horstache! lol

For some actual reportage on the Media Day event (including the preceding training session, most of which I missed), I would like to direct you to the following links:

The Start of a New Era [Stumptown Footy]

Portland Timbers practice in updated Jeld-Wen Field [The Oregonian]

Stadium Porn Addendum: Craig Mitchelldyer has posted a time-lapse video of the entire renovation process. It's...beautiful! [Watch it here.]