June 10 - Vancouver vs. Portland [R]

[DJT]

Vancouver Whitecaps (4-2-1) vs. Portland Timbers (4-3-2)

Kicked off at 7:00 PM PDT.

Radio/Audio Webcast: TEAM 1040 AM Vancouver.

After 67 minutes:

Vancouver 2  Portland 0

39' VAN Alfredo Valente (PK)

40' VAN Martin Nash

[snake]

attendance 5337

[snake]

portland 78th minute

2-1 caps

[snake]

miranda 90th

2-2

[snake]

steve klein 91st minute

3-2 caps final

[analyst]

The Caps deserved the victory. Portland had very few chances to score, but did bag two late in the game. Nash and Clark had good games for the Caps. The Caps are very fit and it showed today.

Harmes and Da Silva played centre D. Both are good in the air and competent defensively, but their passing is atrocious.

The second goal by Miranda was the best goal at Swangard in years, a screaming 35 yard shot to the corner of the net.

Even some Southsiders got into the action after going to the eastern end of the field to razz some Timbers fans. Unfortunately fisticuffs broke out. A couple of games ago, a scuffle broke out in the Southside. Canadians can be very emotional about soccer, not just Colombian fans.

[mattbin]

Just caught the highlights on Sportsnet. Looked like a great game!

Nash's goal was really good. Where was that shot when he played for Canada though!?

Also, the commentator (can't remember the name) mentioned the Southsiders -- said "the Southsiders loved that one" after they showed Nash's goal. Nice shout-out to the faithful there.

[Alex]

I saw the highlights too around 1am. The game looked so exciting, the fans looked nuts too. Appearances on sportsnet can only help the league, too bad the Lynx are never ever on the Ontario edition while the Whitecaps get on right after the Lions in B.C. (the first 10 mins).

It really shows the difference in importance for soccer news from west to east.

[Richard]

Check here for some gameday photos. The first two shots are of the families of former 86er/Whitecap stalwarts Domenic Mobilio and Jock McDonald who were honoured by the club before the game.

http://richardfh.fotopic.net/c574509.html

Here's the Whitecaps own match report...

http://www.whitecapsfc.com/matchnight/June10/result.htm

It was indeed an exciting game with a good crowd of around 5,300 announced attendance.

[Johnnie Monster]

..and after talking with Portland's fans, the fight was between guys from the Timbers Army and security. Southsiders were nearby taking the piss but were NOT involved in the fight.

[Johnnie Monster]

... Ok I'll take that back.

So there was *minor* Southsider connection to this mess. One of our guys was punched in the mouth by a drunken TA hooligan simply for cheering his team in his own stadium.

Security intervened before any fight broke out... and then about five TA rejects then brawled with three security guards who were trying to do their jobs for once.

They just showed highlights on TV. Ugly, very ugly.

But as has been mentioned in other posts on other boards, a lot of this could have been prevented if teams were not allowed to choose sides at the start of the match.

For most games at Swangard, the Caps defend the Southside net in the 1st half, then attack it in the second. They choose this order because they know we can be a major distraction for the visiting goalkeepers in the crucial moments of the game.

As it was, Portland won a coin toss and elected to reverse the sides.

This meant Portland's keeper got the Southside experience in the first half, and retreated to the Northside for a much quieter finish.

From a security standpoint, this was a stupid, stupid move.

It encouraged many Vancouver fans to migrate to the north section in the second half to continue cheering the attack... but the fencing structure at Swangard also meant that the Vancouver fans walking through the general admission area on the running track around the pitch were corralled right next to Portland's seated bleacher section.

A definite recipe for trouble.

so, a couple of points:

1. I think a lot of this could be avoided if home teams ALWAYS pick sides, and visitors get first ball.

I can't say I've seen too many USL stadiums, but I know that this would definitely help security in Vancouver, Portland and Seattle, where supporter's groups congregate in sections behind the goals.

This would allow USL ticket sellers to place visiting supporter's groups as far away from each other if possible without having to worry about fans migrating back and forth when the half changes.

2. Not every set of officials does the coin toss. Shouldn't there be some consistency in the league? You can't have some officials do it, and others not. I say "toss the toss", but if we have to have it, EVERY GAME should have it.

Then again, we're talking about the same idiot officials who didn't know if we were playing OT this year.

[Richard]

<One of our guys was punched in the mouth by a drunken TA hooligan simply for cheering his team in his own stadium. >

That's not quite how I saw it and I was sitting on the field on the goal line at the TA or north end of the stadium. Southsiders deliberately left their normal spot at the sound end and stood next to or in front of the TA, waving Whitecaps flags and taunting - spoiling for action in other words. If the southsiders had stayed at their usual spot this whole incident would not have occurred. There was absolutely no need for any southsiders to be anywhere near the TA, they deliberately chose to make it so. I don't accept fobbing off responsibiliy]ty for yob behaviour onto referee cointosses, choice of ends by the team, poor fencing or security. This incident occurred purely and simply because of bad behaviour if not deliberate taunting by a few individualm spectators who were spoiling for a fight.

[masster]

What a fantastic game. From the pre-game celebration to Alfredo scoring the first goal to Carl Valintine singing at half-time to the amazing finish and then some fisticuffs to top it all off. The atmosphere was good and I'm liking this idea to sing White is the Colour every half time.

Its too bad the Caps are off on a long road trip and probably won't be able to capitalize attendance wise on such a great game.

[Johnnie Monster]

quote:Originally posted by Richard

<One of our guys was punched in the mouth by a drunken TA hooligan simply for cheering his team in his own stadium. >

That's not quite how I saw it and I was sitting on the field on the goal line at the TA or north end of the stadium. Southsiders deliberately left their normal spot at the sound end and stood next to or in front of the TA, waving Whitecaps flags and taunting - spoiling for action in other words.

My point is that the Southisde would have moved north REGARDLESS of whether or not there were opposing fans there.

quote:There was absolutely no need for any southsiders to be anywhere near the TA, they deliberately chose to make it so.

Stupid? Yes. But their tickets say they are well within their rights to do so.

quote:This incident occurred purely and simply because of bad behaviour if not deliberate taunting by a few individualm spectators who were spoiling for a fight.

Yes, I'll be sure to tell the Vancouver fans who were drenched by Portland-thrown beer cups or assaulted by Portland-thrown punches that it's all their fault.

Remember Richard - these Portland clowns are the same mob who went to Seattle, assaulted their fans, handed out dirty stickers to little kids and threw flaming emergency flares under vehicles in the parking lot...

...and when the cops came on board their bus to make arrests, they allowed an innocent member of their group to take the fall, get arrested and spend the night in jail.

...the same Portland mob who have marched into the Southside in previous meetings looking to pick fights....

I'm not saying Vancouver fans are angels. Far from it. But just because YOU didn't see a Vancouver fan get punched doesn't mean it didn't happen. Swangard security will concur with this fact.

Either way, as mentioned before, the main altercation in question was NOT between Vancouver fans and Portland fans. It was between SECURITY and the TIMBERS ARMY.

Vancouver fans did not force or coerce Portland's fans into dog-piling a security guard when he was down, throwing punches to the back of his head... and then taking up additional fights against other security members.

Portland has demonstrated time and time again that there are MANY bad apples who travel in their midst. Their reputation as arseholes is well deserved, albeit a shame for the few great fans I've chatted with online.

[Johnnie Monster]

Video of the Timbers Army vs. Swangard Security can be downloaded here:

http://fluidfiredesigns.com/SouthSiders/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core:ShowItem&g2_itemId=1108

Not a Southsider in sight.

[Richard]

quote:Originally posted by Johnnie Monster

My point is that the Southisde would have moved north REGARDLESS of whether or not there were opposing fans there.

Stupid? Yes. But their tickets say they are well within their rights to do so.

Yes, I'll be sure to tell the Vancouver fans who were drenched by Portland-thrown beer cups or assaulted by Portland-thrown punches that it's all their fault.

Remember Richard - these Portland clowns are the same mob who went to Seattle, assaulted their fans, handed out dirty stickers to little kids and threw flaming emergency flares under vehicles in the parking lot...

...and when the cops came on board their bus to make arrests, they allowed an innocent member of their group to take the fall, get arrested and spend the night in jail.

...the same Portland mob who have marched into the Southside in previous meetings looking to pick fights....

I'm not saying Vancouver fans are angels. Far from it. But just because YOU didn't see a Vancouver fan get punched doesn't mean it didn't happen. Swangard security will concur with this fact.

Either way, as mentioned before, the main altercation in question was NOT between Vancouver fans and Portland fans. It was between SECURITY and the TIMBERS ARMY.

Vancouver fans did not force or coerce Portland's fans into dog-piling a security guard when he was down, throwing punches to the back of his head... and then taking up additional fights against other security members.

Portland has demonstrated time and time again that there are MANY bad apples who travel in their midst. Their reputation as arseholes is well deserved, albeit a shame for the few great fans I've chatted with online.

Until the southsiders moved from one end of the stadium to the other, obviously very deliberately to taunt the TA, the TA fans were well behaved and orderly. Noisy and noticeable yes, but otherwise behaving beyond reproach. I did not see any TA fans move to the south end of the stadium to taunt southsiders during the first half. Sorry, no matter what history the TA might have of bad behaviour elsewhere on other occasions, in this instance the blame for what transpired lies fair and square on the shoulders of the southsiders who moved to taunt them. There was no need and it was downright stupid. Even if their tickets gave the southsiders the 'right' to be anywhere on east side of the park, a 'right' goes hand in hand with responsibility. It's just this kind of stupid behaviour that earns some of the southsiders the reputation for being a bunch of unpleasant, rowdy yobs.

[Johnnie Monster]

Aaah shaddup, Richard. You're starting to sound like one of those northside VIP wankers.

Were you even watching this game or was there too much "family entertaiment" going on around the BBQ and plastic patio furniture?

Riddle me this: what happens when Southsiders taunt opposing players?

Do the players come off the field to fight? No!

Do the players throw water bottles into the crowd? No!

Do the players jump the fence to beat up security guards? No!

The issue here is SELF CONTROL. Both the Portland Timbers and the Timbers Army are FULLY AWARE that they are going to be subjected to verbal abuse when they come to Swangard.

The thing is, the players always exercise this self control... but certain elements travelling with the Timbers Army don't understand the concept.

The players easily shrug off the abuse. The Timbers Army throw punches. Weird huh?

In fact, the Southsiders and the Timbers Army even had a gentleman's agreement before the game - we'd all adhere to a cease fire until after the memorial tribute to Domenic Mobilio and Jock MacDonald, but after that ALL WAS FAIR GAME.

Don't give me this crap that Southsiders are somehow responsible for this situation. The Timbers Army had the option of striking back with their own songs and chants.

They turned their back on this option and chose to make it physical. They crossed the line by pushing, shoving and hitting a guy in the mouth.

Security intervened BEFORE VANCOUVER FANS GOT INVOLVED. And then security paid the price because some drunken Portland frat boys thought it would be cool to brawl on TV.

Just to reiterate - the altercation here was between SECURITY and the TIMBERS ARMY. The video link I posted above proves it.

And for the record, we're sorry you find us to be a bunch of unpleasant, rowdy yobs. We're actually a great bunch of guys who are very disturbed when this kind of crap happens.

But then again, there's many of us who couldn't give less of a crap what wankers on this board like you think of us.

Real Vancouver fans can visit us online at www.vancouversouthsiders.com

The rest of you can stuff it.

[Polish_LYNX_Fan]

good to see the players showing self control, the rhinos player did not show any loughing @ us and aguilara giving us the finger, and after we threw stremers theri way security started talking **** to us and saying this is a family environment so I told them the players should set a better example.

[Vancouver Fan]

This Richard dude has no idea what he's talking about folks.Trust me.Johnny's right the main brawl took place between TA and security.The scuffle was triggered after TA members got so excited after they tied the game that a few of them rushed towards the field knocking over a bunch of fans standing in their way.

After the game many Southsiders and TA shook hands and shared beers.

The Southsiders get bad raps because of inaccurate comments made by people like Richard who seems to be a knob.

[Richard]

Your assumptions about me are mildly amusing. I do not sit in the Canterbury Club area for those who care. I still think some of the southsiders are rowdy, uncouth, ignorant yobs who don't have a clue about reasonable, respectable behaviour. Who was that stupid jerk waving the Whitecaps flag in front of the TA bleacher section shortly before the scuffle broke out - if i had been sitting in the TA section I would have been mad as a snake about it too, obstructing my view of the field apart from anything else - idiot?

Johnny Monster's and Vancouver Fan's responses to my posts merely reinforce my view of some southsiders.

[Johnnie Monster]

Well Richie boy, your ignorance lends creedence to the opinions many Southsiders have about about the plethora of daft posters on the Voyageurs board too.

Have fun sitting on your hands next game. We'll be cheering.

[Richard]

Cheer away - nobody objects to that. Just refrain from the stupid yob behaviour.

[analyst]

quote:Originally posted by Johnnie Monster

Well Richie boy, your ignorance lends creedence to the opinions many Southsiders have about about the plethora of daft posters on the Voyageurs board too.

JM, you have insulted me in previous posts and you are doing it to Richard and others again. Is it true you got into a fight at a game last year. How about a couple weeks ago when someone went after innocent you in the Southside area. Are these all coincidences? You are the common denominator in them.

Richard and I often disagree but we don't throw insults around, instead we try to let the facts tell the story.

[Johnnie Monster]

No it is absolutely NOT true that I got into a fight. If you want to spout off "facts," cite your source. Otherwise, shut yer ignorant yap.

And yes, someone did come after me two weeks ago... because I refused to let him take my flag and storm the pitch. I don't agree with nonsense that interferes with game play. He tried to pick a fight, and I refused.

The goof has since been banned from the stadium, and I've received an apology from the club... because I was doing the RIGHT THING.

Either way, if you're attempting to link me to the recent nonsense involving the Timbers Army, I'll have you know I never left my spot in the Southside once. I was there the entire match, and had no dealings with any visiting supporters.

So shut it.

[analyst]

quote:Originally posted by Johnnie Monster

No it is absolutely NOT true that I got into a fight. If you want to spout off "facts," cite your source. Otherwise, shut yer ignorant yap.

The source is a post by Kimpar. It appears he knows you quite well, and he should about this kind of thing as he is working to become a cop. Once again you resort to insults when things aren't going your way.