(the following is a guest post by sato)

Today, the Women’s International Champions Cup (WICC) kicks off in Portland. If you haven’t already heard, two amazing international teams & another NWSL championship team will be here for two amazing days of soccer. But this tournament is a little different. Yes, we are the hosts, but we earned our right to be here by winning a little thing called the Challenge Cup. Why does this matter? Because this is not our tournament and we will not be the only supporters in the North End. If you already bought your GA tickets, you will have noticed two different designations: lower Riveters bowl and upper bowl. This means we will have other teams supporters in the North End. Hopefully, most bought tickets for the upper bowl. If not, and you find yourself standing next to someone wearing an opposing kit, don’t be an asshole and instead make a new friend! You are both there for the same reason, watching some kick-ass soccer. 

Another change to our usual North End neighborhood is the lack of drums. Due to health & safety concerns, our Drums and Trumpets team will be absent until the Thorns play on August 25th. This is where your loudness comes in. We need you to make some noise and not just with your voices. Bring a pickle bucket, cymbals, even dust off those kazoos! But NO vuvuzelas, whistles or air horns! Those are never okay. We will still have capos to lead you and one lone drummer, in the front row, to set the beat.

As a health & safety precaution, the first 10 rows of section 107 will be blocked off. Please respect this area and do not enter it. And please keep yourself and those around you safe by masking up all through the stadium. We want you to keep coming back and we do not want this to be a super spreader event.

Let’s get loud. Let’s have fun. Let’s remind them why Portland is Soccer City USA.