I happen to agree with Hope Solo‘s assessment of her coach’s decision in the infamous World Cup semifinal loss to Brazil. Hope won’t win any awards for the display of tact, but she knows how to stop shots at goals. (Plus she possesses one of the best names in sports.)
And she’s on the roster for the three game exhibition series against Mexico. The second stop is Wednesday at PGE Park. U of P’s Stephanie Lopez and Vancouver, Washington’s Tina Ellertson will also be suiting up for the US side.
The Rose City holds up well in America’s Favorite Cities at the Travel & Leisure website. Eric Stepp, at TPMCafe, anticipating an influx of Southlanders to Portland as a consequence, has compiled a list: Top 10 skills required to survive in Portland, Oregon in his post The City of Roses Smells Just as Sweet.
He gets a few things right, in particular beer, coffee, MAX, and politeness. Some of his observations are amusing and some ring true. But there are a few inaccuracies and points that need clarification. I just now “registered” at TPMCafe to post a comment to this effect, but alas, the site imposes a 2 day waiting period before I can purchase a firearm, er post a comment (?!). So I will post my comments here.
1. Learn to wear a hoodie. Yes, it rains quite a bit (although not as much as the Gulf or Southeastern Coasts). No, we do not use umbrellas. Umbrellas are the mark of hasatan and Californians. Plus, in downtown, most people take the bus or the MAX, making it quite difficult to maneuver around people with umbrellas.
This canard about *real* Portlanders not using umbrellas comes up frequently, and I suppose it’s amusing, but it’s just not true. Portlanders who drive cars don’t generally need umbrellas because they never walk more than 1.5 blocks. Though the rain in Portland is frequent, it is seldom hard. Portlanders who bicycle don’t generally need umbrellas because they have their rain gear (and it’s awkward to use an umbrella on a bike). But Portlanders, like myself, who primarily get around on foot or on Tri-Met are well served by an umbrella. A 30 minute walk in the rain is no fun without an umbrella or Gore-tex from head to toe but I prefer the umbrella. Most bus stops are not covered so a 15 minute wait for the next bus is miserable without an umbrella. Umbrellas are much more convenient than changing into rain pants and raincoat every time it might rain. My point, and I think the point of the real-Portlanders-don’t-use-umbrellas thing, is that Portlanders aren’t afraid of the rain; it doesn’t stop us from going about our normal business, but those of us who spend more than 2 minutes at a time in the rain do use umbrellas, and it’s not a mark of California heritage.
3. Learn the different neighborhoods in Portland. If you’re a yuppie, then you probably don’t want to be stuck in Alberta. If you’re a hippy, you probably don’t want to be stuck in The Pearl. There are over 90 different neighborhoods Portland, so there’s plenty from which to choose. Also, learn how Portland-proper is divided into four quadrants.
Actually it’s five “quadrants”: Southwest, Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and North.
10. Ok, I thought of one last thing. Learn to tell the weather by Mount Hood. If you can see the mountain, then it’s a clear day. If you can’t see the mountain, then it’s probably going to rain. Washingtonians have a similar system with Mount Rainier.
I guess it really depends on which part of the city you find yourself in, but since the clouds generally come in from the west, that’s the direction I generally look in to see if rain is on its way. Mt. Hood is east of town.
But credit where credit is due; I think he gets it right here:
9. Look, Portland is a simple city based on good land use, friendly people, strong political affiliation, universities, technology, coffee, and beer. Is there really that much people need to learn to live here?
Timbers news continues to trickle out . . .
Portland Tribune – Portland Timbers
Gavin Wilkinson operated this season on a one-year “gentleman’s agreement” with then-team president John Cunningham. Now Wilkinson, the United Soccer Leagues First Division coach of the year, wants a contract, preferably for three years as both coach and general manager again.
The Oregonian – Seattle, Portland play MLS-franchise game
Portland still has a shot to land a Major League Soccer expansion team within five years even if the league awards a new franchise to Seattle first, league officials said Tuesday.
The best news in this article is that the possibility of moving the Beavers out of PGE Park, instead of the Timbers, has been raised.
Portland Timbers – Timbers host Toronto FC of MLS at PGE Park in October
The Portland Timbers will play host to Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC on Sunday, Oct. 28, at PGE Park, it was announced today. The 2007 MLS expansion franchise will be the Timbers’ first postseason exhibition opponent in modern franchise history. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
See ya’ll at the match on the 28th!
If it turns out to be anything like the August legends match, Saturday’s Game of the Stars between the Mexican Legends and the World All-Stars at PGE Park will be electric. The passion and excitement of the fans alone will draw me to the match, but the intriguing lineups of the two teams should make for some interesting, possibly skillful, soccer:
Among those representing the Mexican Legends are goalkeeper Jorge Campos, and midfielders Missael Espinoza and Marcelino Bernal. Campos earned 130 caps with the Mexican National Team and competed in the 1994 and 1996 World Cups. He was an inaugural member of Major League Soccer and played in 51 matches from 1996-1998 with the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chicago Fire. Campos also served as an assistant coach for Mexico’s 2006 World Cup team. Combined, Espinoza and Bernal have 106 caps with the Mexican National Team and both were members of Mexico’s 1994 World Cup squad.
Highlighting the World All-Stars roster are Argentine goalkeeper Hector Miguel Zelada, forward Daniel “Ruso” Brailovsky of Uruguay and Italian-American player Carmelo D’Anzi. Brailovsky has the distinction of representing three different countries at various international levels during his career. Born in Uruguay, Brailovsky was a member of Uruguay’s Youth National Team before his family moved to Argentina. He would go on to earn three caps with the Argentina National Team in 1982 and then 13 caps with Israel’s National Team from 1986-88. Brailovzky is now a correspondent and reporter for ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Zelada was a member of Argentina’s 1986 FIFA World Cup championship team while D’Anzi, at the age of 16, helped the Tulsa Roughnecks win the North American Soccer League title in 1983.