With their 0-0 draw Saturday with the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Portland Timbers moved into 3rd place in the USL Conference (NSC Minnesota have since drawn even in points, but have played two more matches than the Timbers).
I unfortunately missed this game [camping!]. By all accounts, however, the match was a dour encounter. In the teams’ defense, it was the third match in six days for the Portland Timbers, and third match in seven days for Vancouver.
The Timbers Army tifosi, however, were in fine form – for Cascadia!
Many fellow Cascadians, part of the Vancouver Southsiders, made the trip down to Portland, and enjoyed some good ol’ Timbers Army hospitality. It’s a wonder how much classier Vancouverites are than our other neighbors to the North.
With the draw the Timbers lead 4 points to 1 in the 2010 Cascadia Cup competition [the logo of which sorely needs an update – gah!]. The next two Cascadia Cup matches are in Vancouver, so everything rides on how well the Timbers finish the season.
In league play the Timbers have one more home match, next Saturday, July 10th, against Miami FC, and then hit the road for four matches until a return home to face Minnesota on August 11th. Meanwhile the Timbers host Club Atlas Sunday, and Manchester City on Saturday July 17th (at Merlo Field) in friendlies.
And finally, in player news, Ian Paul Joy may bleed FC St. Pauli brown, but he’s on a mission to help the Portland Timbers become Champions in their final season in the United Soccer Leagues before moving to Major League Soccer next season, which will be a special moment for me to help them become a force in America’s Major Leagues.
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