It’s 7:30 Sunday morning, and I’m shoving tiny bags of pretzels into my backpack and waiting for my traveling companion to arrive. We’re going to Vancouver.
At some point, perhaps someday soon, I’ll realize I’m too old to do a whirlwind trip like this: twelve hours of driving, round-trip, with a playoff soccer match in the middle, poor nutritional choices, and a backpack full of stuff I don’t need, but I’m sure I’ll want along the way.
We stop briefly in Seattle, first to go to the coffee shop I like so much and, when we give up on decent parking in the downpour, we head to the burger place to fuel up for the next leg of the trip. Between the two, we manage to get stuck in the Pike’s Place traffic. Because Seattle.
At a gas station somewhere north of the Emerald City and south of Rain City, we stop to fill up and I trek into the mini-mart portion in search of a barrel of pickles because, clearly, this is the sort of place that has a barrel full of pickles. “Green and gold,” the guy behind the counter says, reading the words off of my hoodie. “Like money and fortune?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then it’s some sports thing. Packers, maybe?”
I shake my head and leave him just as disappointed as I am about the lack of pickle barrels.
We’re back on the road and it seems like only minutes pass before we’re at the border.
“Where are you from?”
“Portland.”
“How long are you staying?”
“Just today. We’ll be back through tonight.”
“Coming up for the game?”
“Yup.”
“You guys part of that army thing?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Have a good time.”
Everything is a blur from that point. Driving in circles, trying to find a way into a parking garage that isn’t yet open. A walk from said garage to the Railway Club to pick up tickets. Remembering the last time I was there, just moments after watching the US win the Womens World Cup in July.
Conversations with Timbers fans, some nervous, some confident. “We hung out with some of the Southsiders last night and they were sure we’re going to win,” a friend tells me. I hear this same thing from two other people before my nervous anxiety forces me into a quiet corner while I desperately try to get the wifi to work with my ancient phone. New York has beaten DC United and Columbus and Montreal are going into extra time when the rally call goes out.
And we’re out in the street. Flags, drums, people are hugging, singing. There’s no march to the match for Portland home games. This is special.
A somewhat circuitous route takes the nearly 700-strong traveling Timbers Army around Rogers Arena to an entrance to BC Place away from the crowd forming out front. It’s here that I leave them.
In front of BC Place, there is, inexplicably, a Beatles coverband on a small stage and two people on stilts kicking a ball back and forth as a circle of Whitecaps fans watches. I don’t really get what the Beatles have to do with a Western Conference Semifinal, but whatever. Every team has a different sort of culture surrounding it and, at the very least, these four guys with bowl cuts aren’t the Sound Wave. I am, however, super judgy about the stilt-walkers. Later, I’ll see one of them sitting on the concourse, elbows on knees, chin in her hands and, honestly, it’s one of the saddest pre-match snapshots I’ve ever seen.
By the time I find my seat, roughly halfway between the Army and the Southsiders, the Seattle-Dallas game has opened up. Seattle scores and the Southsiders chant “We all hate Seattle.” Dallas scores and the whole of BC Place goes nuts. They go to a shoot-out, but hardly anyone sees it as the pregame for Portland-Vancouver replaces the broadcast on the jumbotron.
The match starts a half-hour late, but a quick pace makes it seem as though either team could grab the reins. Dairon Asprilla puts a ball into the box for Rodney Wallace, but it’s just out of reach. A Vancouver shot hits the post, bounces off of the back of Adam Kwarasey’s shoulder and nearly misses being an own-goal.
Vancouver forward Kekuta Manneh is injured, comes back on, is re-injured and is replaced in the 26th minute. He had looked dangerous, and it’s a huge loss for Vancouver.
The Timbers’ first goal comes in the 31st minute, Wallace to Diego Valeri to Fanendo Adi. Where I’ve complained about Adi taking an extra touch or not being able to settle the ball, this is a flawless, instinctive finish. He had no time to hesitate and the Timbers are up 1-0 on aggregate.
The voice in every Timbers supporters mind says, behind gritted teeth,”Just. Hold. On.”
And hold on they do. Yellow cards to Rodney Wallace in the 60th and Diego Valeri in the 62nd mean that neither will be available at home against Dallas.
Vancouver brings Darren Mattocks in the 63rd minute in an attempt to push forward. Timbers defender Jorge Villafana, who has been both a rock and a hard place, comes off injured in the 67th, replaced by Norberto Paparatto. Paparatto takes up CB duties as captain Liam Ridgewell slides out to the touchline.
Lucas Melano subs in for Rodney Wallace and Vancouver counters, sending striker Robert Earnshaw in for defender Steven Beitashour. Almost immediately, Earnshaw comes close to drawing Vancouver even with a wing-and-a-prayer overhead kick.
The energy in the building is palpable. Five minutes are added at the end of regulation.
90’ +4 GOAL Chara and Adi link up on the counter to seal their place in the Western Conference Final with FC Dallas.
The players look tired, play is still bordering on frantic. Four minutes in, the ball finds the foot of Portland midfielder Diego Chara, slipped sideways to him from Adi. Chara steps out of a tackle, holds the ball, takes the shot. Portland up 2-0 with just seconds left to play.
Portland will advance to the Western Conference Final, playing at home on the 22nd and at Dallas on the 29th.
We’re back in the car. It’s only six hours to Portland.
Scoring Summary
POR: Adi (Valeri, Wallace), 31
POR: Chara (Adi), 90+4
Misconduct Summary
VAN: Rivero (Caution), 55
POR: Wallace (Caution), 60
POR: Valeri (Caution), 62
VAN: Beitashour (Caution), 72
Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Kwarasey, D Powell, D Borchers, D Ridgewell ©, D Villafaña (Paparatto, 67), M Chara, M Valeri (Jewsbury, 84), M Nagbe, F Asprilla, F Adi, F Wallace (Melano, 80)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Gleeson, D Peay, M Johnson, F Urruti
TOTAL SHOTS: 14 (Valeri, 7); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Valeri, 3); FOULS: 21 (Wallace, 4); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 2
VAN: GK Ousted, D Beitashour (Earnshaw, 82), D Waston, D Parker, D Harvey, M Laba, M Koffie (Mattocks, 63), M Techera, M Morales ©, F Manneh (Rosales, 26), F Rivero
Substitutes Not Used: GK Tornaghi, D Dean, D Smith, M Teibert
TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Rivero, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Earnshaw, Rivero, 1); FOULS: 18 (Laba, 4); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 3
Referee: Ismail Elfath
Assistant Referees: Corey Rockwell, Peter Manikowski
4th Official: Ricardo Salazar
Attendance: 27,837
Time of Game: n/a
Weather: Cloudy, 45 degrees (Dome)
