Dear Becky,

Hello. Thanks for the introduction, though you do not need one. We have been waiting for you with open arms. 

For the past 7 years, we have been in awe of you and you’ve broken our hearts more than once. We still remember the 2014 playoffs, after all. 

When news broke last year that you were coming to Portland, we were elated. This was right before the pandemic changed everything. Since then, we’ve been watching from afar and have been subtle in our displays of affection, but since you wrote us we thought it only appropriate that we respond. 

We look forward to the day where we get to root for you in person. We look forward to backing you up when there are challenging calls made, when emotions overflow, and when you inevitably net your first in the north end. In a normal year, we would have had a dance party after your first match. We missed that opportunity last year so we are working on our moves for when we’re back together.

We have been watching you on your national team duty, too. We are proud of the leadership you provide every day and we are proud to have 2 national team captains wearing our colors. 

We know the stadium is quiet now. And we suspect it will remain quiet for a while longer. And as we slowly start returning to the stadium, know that we will not be in full voice until it is safe for everyone. We have many in our community who cannot take the risk or do not want to be a risk for others, so we are being very cautious. This does not mean that we do not care, but rather that we care so much about the community we’ve built. We all return to Providence Park, to create the party we’re familiar with, but we also know we cannot do that alone. We’ll be back when we can all be together. 

Until then, know we’re supporting you and the rest of the squad from our living rooms and backyards. And as much as we love roses, we are also big fans of hardware. We’ll need something on the line for our inevitable dance off. 

Your supporters,

The Rose City Riveters