Winnipeg Fury Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 Caps Insider August 30, 2004 More Caps Insiders It seems striker Jason Jordan is peaking at just the right time. His ‘Man of the Match’ performance against Milwaukee on Friday included three set ups and a fine second half goal. Hopefully number 26 didn’t use up all his magic, as he seems to have particularly good games against Minnesota. Martin Nash also had a standout performance including a fine opening goal, and with the Whitecap bench almost 100% healthy, there’s plenty of reason for optimism heading into the ‘real’ season. While no one with the Whitecaps would want to spark an opponent, I’m guessing everyone with the club is thrilled about the pairing with Minnesota. The Thunder did end the season with an impressive 3-1 win over Seattle, a night after drawing Portland 0-0 but they also ended the year on a gruelling road trip, which took them from Vancouver through Alberta and then back to the Northwest for five games in nine days! They’ll now have to make the three hour flight back to Vancouver for Friday’s opening game, before flying back again for game two Sunday. The Whitecaps haven’t lost to Minnesota at Swangard since 1997, and perhaps more importantly, the Thunder will be without arguably their top player as Johnny Menyongar is suiting up for his native Liberia in World Cup Qualifying, along with team-mate Melvin Tarley. Hopefully none of the longer serving Whitecap players will forget the 2001 playoffs, in which the locals had a 3-0 lead in the series, only to lose to Minnesota 4-3. The West is set up very nicely for Vancouver, because if they get past the Thunder, they’ll have the second game at home for round two (PGE Park in Portland is booked on Sept 12th). With Seattle’s recent form, don’t be surprised if we have another Sounders-Whitecaps classic for a spot in the championship. I had a chance to finally see PGE Park in Portland for the Fox game Friday night, and I must say the fans in the Rose City are very lucky. Even though the Timbers share the facility with PCL Baseball (Beavers) and College Football, it feels very much like a permanent soccer ground when the Timbers play. The seating is slightly steeper than Swangard, but the entire pitch is surrounded will all sorts of nooks and crannies, well below street level. The goals are strung up like in Europe, and even though the surface is the artificial “Nexturf”, the club makes sure only soccer lines appear on match-day. The covered stands wrap around the South goal, while a tall building closes off the North end to create a cozy setting. On the opposite side, there’s an open area that can hold bleachers for larger events, and above it, a great city view that includes trains passing by and an ornate scoreboard. Inside, PGE Park has some neat ironwork and huge concourse areas, and since the big renovation prior to 2001, the outside looks as classic and inviting as I imagine it would have during the 1926 opening. Other cities may claim to be “Soccer Town USA”, but not many of them have a home with the history and quality of PGE Park. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Portland Soccer Experience is the Timbers Army. This group was not only noisy, (even through a pretty dreary match) but there were over 600 of them! The Timbers gave them an entire 450-seat section behind the south goal, which is fast becoming two sections. The wooden overhang seems to help amplify the noise, which reverberates around the stadium with each pounding of the drum. Interest in the supporters club grows with every game, and the Army recently produced and sold over 600 scarves. One long time “Army recruit” told me that they not only welcome new members, but also work with GM Jim Taylor to promote themselves and their trips. (One of which included an East Coast swing) “Newbies” are even given chant sheets to get the songs and taunts figured out. I’m sure they’ll be pulling out the “A” material for Preston Burpo, when the bitter Timber-Sounder rivalry is renewed in the playoffs this week. Last year Alfredo Valente’s long half volleyed equalizer against Portland was voted “Goal of the Year” by fans who watch the “Whitecaps this Week”. In the running for that same title this year, are several great choices including; Carlo Corazzin’s half volley against Calgary, Johnny Sulentic’s end-to-end run against Toronto, Davide Xausa’s 30 yard bomb at Edmonton, along with Steve Kindel’s full-volley opener against Milwaukee. Martin Nash’s opening goal on Friday night just edged out his game winner against Portland, for the top five nominees. Cast your vote before next Monday the 6th, at info@whitecapsfc.com. Peter Schaad provides colour commentary for the Whitecaps this Week. Join Hosts Craig MacEwen, Bob Lenarduzzi and Peter Schaad as they take a look inside Vancouver Whitecaps A- League Soccer Team, through Features,Highlights and Game Previews on Whitecaps this Week. Got a comment or a question for Peter? Email him here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 quote:Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Portland Soccer Experience is the Timbers Army. This group was not only noisy, (even through a pretty dreary match) but there were over 600 of them! Slightly misleading. The have maybe 50 people on a good night that do the hardcore thing, the rest are just hangers on in their section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Man Posted September 4, 2004 Share Posted September 4, 2004 That still seems to more than the 6 who hang out with you at 86er games from the pics who have shown on your website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue and White Army Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 This is why cousins should never be allowed to copulate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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