RECENT REPORTS:
Kitsap Pumas - Portland Timbers (09-06-2009)

UPCOMING GAMES:
K. Lyra TSV - KV Mechelen (05-07-2009)
Eintracht Trier - 1. FSV Mainz 05 (12-07-2009)
Cincinnati Kings - Cleveland Internationals (19-07-2009)
Portland Timbers - Puerto Rico Islanders (23-07-2009)
Real Salt Lake City - FC Dallas (24-07-2009)
Colorado Rapids - New York Red Bulls (25-07-2009)

INTRODUCTION

The terms "groundhopping" and "groundhopper" can not (yet) be found in any dictionary, yet there are hundreds of groundhoppers around, mostly in Germany. The word combines the terms "ground" and "hopping" and refers to the visiting of different sports grounds -- usually, though not exclusively, football grounds (for a German description, see Wikipedia).

Whereas normal football fans tend to visit only home games of their favorite team, particularly when they live closeby, and more fanatical fans also attend the away games of their team, the groundhopper aims to visit as many different grounds and teams as possible. Moreover, unlike the normal fan, who generally prefers to visit the big teams in football (e.g. Bayern München, Manchester United, Real Madrid), the groundhopper goes for the exotic (e.g. Avenir Beggen, Ozeta Dukla Trencin, Selangor PKNS) and the tiny, such as the third team of the city (e.g. Partick Thistle, Royale Union Sint-Gilloise, Spvgg Unterhaching, Tranmere Rovers).

While groundhopping is largely a non-organized activity, by individuals and small groups, there exist a few organizations of groundhoppers. The most famous is the German Vereinigung der Groundhopper Deutschlands (V.d.G.D.): it's website is one of the major sources of information on clubs, leagues, and stadiums in the world. For other groundhopper websites, see the links on the right.

This website provides an overview of the various groundhops of me, Grondhopper. I'm a Dutch academic and football fan, supporting PSV in the Netherlands and Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany. I regularly travel abroad for both work and pleasure, and try to combine these trips with groundhops. In addition, I make several special groundhops every year alone or with one or more of my friends, some of which are active groundhoppers themselves. My list of visited clubs can be found here.

Comments are always highly appreciated. You can post them either here on the site or you can email me at grondhopper[at]hotmail.com.

Kitsap Pumas – Portland Timbers (09-06-2009)

With only two weeks left in the Northwest, I try to take every opportunity to see a game, particularly if it involves my new team, the Portland Timbers. So, when I found out that they played a game in Bremerton, Washington, on a Tuesday night, I took the day off and drove up to the most northwestern part of the USA. Normally you would drive the roughly 450 km in 5 hours, but because of horrible traffic it took me over an hour longer (excluding stops).

Still, having left Eugene before noon, I arrived at the Bremerton Memorial Stadium, part of Bremerton High School a good twenty minutes before kick-off. I even had time to look at the fan stand of the home team, the Kitsap Pumas. While the stand itself was not very professional, the choice of merchandise was the best I’ve seen for a PDL team.

As the weather was glorious, I paid $7 for a generic ticket that gave me access to the whole stadium except the small covered stand. As I entered, I made my way to the hamburger stand (i.e. a woman, a table, and a home bbq), as I was starving. I walked around the stadium, which looked like a fair.

I don’t think I have ever been at a football game where there were clowns making dogs from balloons and where they sold cotton candy. Welcome to Kitsap Count(r)y! A couple of minutes before kick-off the players came out of the high school building and made their way to the pitch, preceded by the local Washington State champions.

So, this game was between the Kitsap Pumas, a new PDL team, and the Portland Timbers, an established USL team. The occasion was the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, a competition open to all clubs affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation. Since 2008 this competition has attracted the attention of the major US teams, as the winner has the right to play the CONCACAF Champions League.

Although the Kitsap Pumas were founded only a year ago, they have had a great start to their first season, not losing a game so far (of 7 played). The also had a very decent crowd, roughly 500-600, including some boisterous youngsters. The Timbers Army arrived to the stadium around kick-off time, no doubt delayed by the horrible traffic, but it took them a good 10 minutes to enter the stadium (don’t ask me why). I estimated that they were roughly 75 men, women, and kids strong – not too bad for a Tuesday evening game (and a 277 km drive!).

As a European, who has been around some tough crowds, I find it very funny how some people in the US react to the Timbers Army; as if they are the Chelsea Firm. J Around me various people got worked up over the few provocative songs and curses that the Army threw around.

As a groundhopper, and loner, I kept my space among the home fans and waited for the Timbers to make me cheer. And this almost happened in the first minute, when the Pumas goalie bravely saved a good chance for the visitors. Little did I know that this would be the best Timbers chance of the first half.

The hosts reacted swiftly, having their first header (somewhat) on goal the next minute. After that the chances would become fewer, as most of the game was between the two penalty boxes, with the lower-ranked Pumas easily holding their own against the fairly lame Timbers. There was little pressure on the ball and players, which obviously helped the Pumas, while the passing of the Timbers was sub-standard. I guess this game wasn’t very high on their list of priorities, or they simply assumed they could win in without much effort. Hence, a well-deserved 0-0 half time score.

As the Timbers Army used half time to change sides, in the hope to be behind the goal where the goals would be, forcing the home fans to switch too, I got myself a chili dog and found the memorial of the stadium, in a corner, commemorating those Bremertonians fallen since WW I. Nice that this can be respected in a football stadium.

Like the first half had, the second half started with a vengeance. Before the Pumas even knew they were back on the pitch, the Timbers had scored the 0-1. It all looked very easy and made me wonder why they hadn’t done this before. The Timbers directly sat back, but it took the Pumas almost 10 minutes to overcome the shock. In the 54^th minute they had a good attack, but the goal was canceled because of offside. Just two minutes they had an almost identical attack, but this time it was shot wide.

Although the Pumas were the busiest team on the pitch, the Timbers did have the better opportunities to score. Most were screwed up either at the stage of the end pass or of the finish. Some were stopped by the loud, but skilful goalie of the Pumas.

As I was already heading over to the scoreboard to take my picture of the final score, a Pumas defender headed the ball too softly back to his goalie, and the Timbers striker got between them and coolly lobbed the ball over the unfortunate goalie: 0-2 in the 89^th minute. Barely one minute later, in extra time, a frustrated Pumas defender makes a rough tackle in the box, although there was no pressure on the goal, and the referee gave a penalty.

Even though 0-3 looks like a clear victory, I must say that I was rather impressed by the Pumas and disappointed by my Timbers. Sure, they didn’t try hard, and the Pumas are clearly not an average PDL team, but a team like the Timbers, who want to play MLS in 2011, should play much better against this type of opposition. I saw very few good combination or attacks, and overall a lame performance. Fortunately, the players did come over to thank the Timbers Army for coming out to support them.

The Kitsap Pumas are definitely worth a visit if you are in the Northwest. There is something authentic about them, even if the small-town fair atmosphere is a bit odd at a football game. Be prepared to drive for a long time, however, as Bremerton is in the ass end of the US. I was back in Eugene at 2 AM, tired but quite satisfied.

Seattle Sounders – Columbus Crew (30-05-2009)

The Seattle Sounders are the newest addition to the Major League Soccer (MLS), which will most probably have two more Northwestern teams in 2011: Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. All these teams have established traditions in earlier leagues; the Sounders were a USL team in the period 1994-2008 and an NASL team from 1974 till 1983. They play their games at Qwest Field, also home of the Seattle Seahawks (NFL); for NFL games it holds 67,000, but for MLS games it is capped at 32,000 (i.e. the upper ring is closed off). Although 32,000 is a lot for the MLS, the Sounders have so far drawn an average of roughly 28,000 people! Hence, I had ordered my ticket in advance, through the inevitable rip-off Ticketmaster, which charged me a total of $40.45 for a (tight) seat behind the goal.

I drove up from Eugene early, taking my time for the 460 km drive and for a visit to Red Mill Burgers. I parked downtown, checked into my hotel, and then walked to 3^rd Street, where I took a bus for a couple of blocks, until I got out and simply followed the green crowd to the stadium. Within the stadium people were entertained by a (Brazilian?) guy who did all kind of tricks with the ball, as well as the Sounders band (playing anything from Beyonce to the Red Hot Chili Peppers); something you normally only see at college teams.

For full disclosure, I must admit that I am a (recent) Portland Timbers fan and that we hate the Shittle Flounders. Although my allegiance isn’t that strong yet, I didn’t have a hard time finding dislike with the Sounders. There was something artificial about the whole experience (including the English announcer); but more about that… after the national anthem (which a surprising number of fans sang along with).

The game was between the newcomers from Seattle and the current MLS champions, Columbus Crew. The official attendance was 29,126, an impressive number for any league. I even identified some 50 Crew fans, probably all inhabitants of Seattle; as I doubt many had made the 4.000 km (!) trip from Columbus, Ohio. The Sounders ‘ultras’ were behind the other goal, sporting many banners, a large flag, but few songs.

After a good start of the season, the Sounders have drawn most of its games, and people were eager for a home win. Particularly because the Crew have a difficult start this season, and the Sounders have the most famous player in the MLS: Swedish international Freddie Ljungberg (ex-Arsenal and ex-West Ham United) – let’s face it, Beckham is not in the MLS! Most supporters were donning the typical green colors of the Sounders, which, together with the sheer numbers, did give it a real European football look.

The start of the game was for the Crew. After a first shot and a good chance, the visitors scored in the 11^th minute with a strong shot: 0-1 and the stadium went quiet. Slowly but steadily the hosts got back into the game, while the whiny fans increasingly complained about the opponents and referee (who was indeed crap, but didn’t favor anyone). The fact that kids were handed small cow bells to make noise helped the atmosphere, as did the occasional interference of the band (which was right above me). In the 30^th minute, Ljungberg was fouled in the box and got a penalty, which he took himself.

And once again, the old football law was confirmed: thou shan’t take thou’s own penalty! Now the fans around me were even whinier, though not about Ljungberg, who put in a fairly dismal performance and mainly excelled in complaining to the referee and his fellow players. At the same time, it was the Crew who had the better chances, once stopped by a very smart foul (which only cost the defender a yellow card but prevented a possible goal) and once by the famous Sounders goalie, 39-year old Kasey Keller. To my silent joy, 0-1 was the half time score.

The second half started with a lot of pressure from the hosts, but to little avail. The visitors dominated the midfield, where they passed the ball around comfortably. However, in the 57^th minute the Sounders set up a fantastic attack, admittedly through Ljunberg, which was finished with an insane volley in the far corner: 1-1! This gave the Sounders and their fans a bit more belief in a victory, even though most of the game got stuck between the two penalty boxes. The most exciting, and debated, period was when the referee punished a pass back to the Crew goalie, which led to an indirect free kick at roughly 10 meters of the goal.

Despite minutes of discussion and shoving, the free kick ended as 99% of these do, with a lame shot in the wall of people. The closer we came to the end of the game, the more desperate the fans and players became. Now everything the Crew or referee did was booed and whistled. Obviously, this didn’t change the fact that the visitors had little problems keeping the tie. When, in the first minute of extra time a Sounders defender got a red card, it was clear that this game was going to end in yet another draw: 1-1.

So, what to make of this game. On the one hand, this was clearly the most ‘European’ football game I have seen in the US. There was a big crowd, which was sporting the official gear, and the level of the game was acceptable (similar to a lower level game in the Dutch eredivisie). On the other hand, few fans seemed true football fans and the whole experience was very managed and corporate. That said, this does come from a Timbers fan, so maybe you will enjoy it more! In any case, I can’t wait for 2011!

Yakima Reds – Spokane Spiders (23-05-2009)

The state of Washington is not just home to the newest MLS team, the Seattle Sounders (see above), but also to a broad variety of Premier Development League (PDL) teams, including the Yakima Reds. The name sounds more Japanese than American, but refers to a Native American tribe, the Yakima, who have a reservation in central Washington; an area that looks more like the Southwest, with a mix of steppe and desert, than the Northwest, known for its luscious green.

We took our time driving the 477 km up from Eugene, so we could thoroughly enjoy the beautiful Columbia Gorge River, as well as sample some burgers along the way. In the end, we were pressed for time, and even arrived late at the game; or better, at the right game, as we first mistakenly entered a (American) football game of a local high school. Anyway, roughly 12 minutes late we bought two huge tickets for $6 each and entered the one stand of the Marquette Stadium (capacity 1,500). We had missed the first goal: 1-0.

There were some 200 people at the game, mostly Hispanics, many families and kids, enjoying a glorious warm summer evening (though with increasing wind gusts). This was not that surprising, as the town of Yakima has a large Hispanic population and most players of the Reds are Hispanic. Although Yakima is the closest opponent for the Spiders, it is still 327 km away, so it was no surprise that there were no away supporters.

The level of play was not much different from other PDL matches I saw recently, although some Yakima players had good skills. Still, the pace of play was low and overall neither team played very aggressively. Hence, not many big chances and a half time score of 1-0.

The second half started with a good safe of the new goalie of the Reds. Although the game remained relatively scarce on real chances, there were more flares of excitement. For example, in the 53^rd minute a Yakima player tipped the ball beautifully over a defender, but then shot wide, while in the 61^st minute a Spiders player controlled the ball phenomenally, but then shot just wide. As the teams started to tire, there were more bad passes and scrimmages, but still no goals.

As the last time I saw the Yakima Reds, against the Cascade Surge, I enjoyed watch the little midfielder (nr. 13), who is agile and very technical (though not always very efficient). In the 70^th minute a semi-planned attack over three players was finished from 3 meters: 2-0. Game, set and match!

The Yakima Reds are a tiny team from a small town in the middle of the Evergreen State. Undoubtedly, it will not grow beyond a PDL team, but as long as it keeps a largely Hispanic squad, it will have a solid support.

Eugene Metro FC Select – Club America Reserves (02-06-2009)

Finally a game in my own town: Eugene, Oregon. However, Eugene Metro Fútbol Club was founded in 2006 and is mainly involved in youth development and soccer clinics and camps. However, they also have an EMFC Select Team, consisting of college-age players from various universities in Oregon (Portland, Oregon State, and Concordia) as well as UCLA, from California. There are no players from the local University of Oregon, which only has women soccer. The EMFC Select Team plays two “international friendlies” this summer: against the reserves of Club America and of Bayern München.

I went to the game with my colleague D. and his daughter N., an enthusiastic “soccer” player. I had bought tickets in advance, at a local Mexican supermarket ($10 for an adult, one free youth per adult). Because of an extended dinner, we arrived rather late at the stadium of Willamette High School, which has a new turf pitch (used for the school’s (American) football team). It turned out that the locals were 1-0 up!

There were probably around 500 people at the game, which is much more than at various PDL games I have attended so far. At least 300 were local Mexicans, mostly fans of Club America, one of the biggest football teams in Mexico. Among the “white” Americans were many young girls, still the prime basis of “soccer” in the USA. It was good among real football fans again; the Mexicans clearly understand the game, unlike their “native” fellows.

I had expected Club America to tear EUFC a new asshole, as (1) they are the reserves of one of the best teams in Mexico, a real football country; and (2) EMFC is a selection of players from all over, so they won’t have played together much. However, the hosts clearly played together a lot, as they had good combinations. Club America had the better players, many playing with crazy numbers (GK had 60, midfielder 98, striker 111!), but lost most duels against the highly motivated college boys. As EMFC was 1-0 up, they defended their lead with 10 men behind the ball and aggressive play; enough against a little motivated opponent. Hence, 1-0 was also the half time score.

At half time it started to rain... hard! We had fortunately moved to the covered stand, just before half time, and stayed dry. As the players returned for the second half, the intense rain continued and thunder and lightening started – something people in the Northwest are not very familiar with. After two minutes the referee suspended the game for 20 minutes, and everyone was encouraged to take shelter in the gym (even the ones on the covered stand, as it was metal). Although I have attended various games in worse weather, for example FC Avenir Beggen against FC Mamer 32, the referee decided to stop the game, despite the fact that the weather had moderated.

So, somewhat disappointed, we left, having seen just under 30 minutes of play.

Portland Timbers – Rochester Rhinos (14-05-2009)

Given that I will leave beautiful Oregon already next moth, I decided to make use of the later kick-off time, as a consequence of television coverage, and drive up to Portland after class. Moreover, this time I took my fiancé M.G. with me, as she had to experience this rare true football atmosphere in the US too. We arrived well in time for the game, bought a General Admission ticket for $10, and made our ways to the food stands (which are pricy, but have some good stuff; including a killer Italian chicken sausage).

As always, the Timbers Army were ready for the game, waving their scarves, singing their songs, and never relenting (they had even put up leaflets with the words of their key songs, so that newbies could sing along). We sat just behind the 106-107 sections, among the so-called ‘tourists’ – all together, there were 7.556 people in PGE Park this evening.

I won’t go into details regarding the game, as I didn’t make notes, and the Timbers website has a decent report. Overall, the level of play was very decent, particularly for a Second Division game; in fact, both in terms of attendance and quality of play it could easily compete with Second Division games in most European countries (including France or the Netherlands). In the first half of the game the Timbers were clearly the better team, but failed to pressure and, most notably, shoot at goal. Still, just before half time, the hosts finally succeeded in scoring: 1-0, also the half time scored.

After a half time rugby game between the Oregon Ducks and Oregon Sports Union Rugby Club, the second half started with a good chance for the Timbers. After that, however, the hosts slowed the pace of play even further, continuing to play predictably and passing rather than shooting. The Rochester Rhinos had less possession, but seemed increasingly threatening. Halfway the second half, however, the visitors got a red card, which seemed to seal the game. However, shortly after, the Rhinos scored a shocker equalizer: 1-1. Though disappointed, the Timbers fans kept cheering their team, well into extra time, when, to everyone’s surprise, the ref whistled a penalty (Timbers fans later told me it was because of the violent pushing of a player who was not directly involved in the play).

Not long after the Timbers scored the winner, the game was ended. To be fair, the Rhinos were very harshly treated, even if they did play rough at times. Then again, I was overjoyed that we won in the end. M and I stayed for the usual celebrations, where the players come to the side of the Timbers Army and get the pieces of wood Timber Joey has sawed off a huge piece of timber.

Can’t wait to come back to PGE Park! Portland Timbers rule!

Groundhopweekend in the Northwest (May 2009)

In most parts of the USA it takes a lot of driving to see one “soccer” game, let alone two in one weekend. This notwithstanding, I set out for a classic football weekend in the Northwest, which took me from the southwest of Oregon to the northeast of Washington (state), and back, through the northwest of Oregon. So, on Friday morning, just before 10.00, I jumped into my car, got a bagel and coffee at my favorite locals, and started my 781 km drive to Post Falls, Idaho, for my 19.00 game.

Spokane Spiders – Victoria Highlanders (01-05-2009)

Don’t ask me why, but the Spokane Spiders, from Spokane, Washington, play their games in Post Falls, ‘just’ across the border in Idaho (37 km). This despite the fact that: (1) Spokane is roughly ten times bigger than Post Falls (the metro area even 20 times); (2) Spokane is in a different state than Post Falls; (3) the Greyhound Park and Event Center, where they play in Post Falls, isn’t very special.

I parked on the huge and virtually empty parking lot in front of the ‘stadium’ and proceeded inside, where I bought a ticket for USD 8.00 (ca. EUR 6), which gave access to the whole ground, though it includes only one stand. After eating a hot dog that looked a bit like a meat stick (gehaktstaaf), at $2 a good deal, I left the canteen/covered stand to go outside and join the other ca. 250 fans to see the two teams and listen to two national anthems (the Highlanders are from Canada).

Spokane Spiders was founded in 2006 and plays in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), a kind of amateur-plus ‘league’ where teams can try to develop a (semi-)professional team. The owner of the team turned out to be the biggest cheerleader, roaming in front of the stand and firing on the ‘crowd’. As so often at (lower level) football games in the US, the fans were mostly families with a lot of young girls, few of them experts of the game. There was almost a gender balance in the stadium; in fact, the referee was female, while the linesmen were male. Unfortunately, there was also an announcer who commented throughout the game, mixing advertisements for sponsors with basic yet cheerful information: another corner/free/goal kick for your Spokane Spiders!

The level of play was very similar to that of the Seattle Wolves, another PDL team I saw a couple of weeks before. Most players were reasonably fit and fairly decently skilled… for lower level amateurs. None would have a short at the higher division amateur teams in the Netherlands, and some might have even struggled at my level. At the Spiders, the player-coach was clearly above the rest, but he was fairly slow and isolated. The Highlanders were better organized and had more of the game.

The visitors had a couple of half chances, including a shot in the 22^nd minute that was saved by the goalie, followed by a corner kick that was badly missed by that same goalie, but not finished by the strikers. In the 35^th minute the Highlanders got a soft penalty for pushing; a harsh penalty for a minor foul.

The visitors gladly accepted the gift and converted the penalty: 0-1. Shortly afterward they had another big chance, going alone at the goalie, but they failed. Hence, 0-1 was the half time score and no one seemed particularly upset (except for the owner, who nevertheless kept cheering on the fans). At half time the clearly enthusiastic announcer was allowed to introduce a new sponsor: Hooters, a restaurant chain famed for its legs rather than its wings. ;-)

As the sun had gone under and the evening was getting cold, more and more fans moved to the inside stand, where you could watch outdoor football in an indoor football setting. Moreover, you could escape the noise generated by one of the rental floodlights, which were running on their own (noisy) generators.

The second half brought a couple of half chances for the hosts, as the visitors were falling back deeper and deeper, hoping for a lucky counter. After an unsuccessful scrimmage in the 52^nd minute the Highlanders goalie was forced to make a great safe at a close header in the 59^th minute. This woke up the visitors, who created several good chances in the following fifteen minutes, before the Spiders could create some pressure again. While this all sounds stirring, the quality of play and the low pace made everything fairly unexciting. Eventually, even the owner wouldn’t find the spirit to cheer anymore. So, the Spokane Spiders started their 2009 season with a 0-1 defeat, which was deserved, given the slightly better play of the Highlanders.

Not hindered by much traffic I left the huge parking space to drive to Spokane, where I stayed the night. The next day I was up and about early again, as I had to drive most of the route back to see my Saturday game in Portland, Oregon, 566 km to the southwest of Spokane. The game started at 19.00, but I was to meet a fellow Dutchman a couple of hours earlier.

Portland Timbers – Carolina RailHawks (02-05-2009)

I parked just outside of the stadium around 17.00, and joined a tailgating party on a parking lot nearby. Tailgating parties are typically American phenomena, where people meet up in the huge parking lots before the stadiums, hours before the game, to have drinks and food (including your own barbecue). This particular party was organized by the Timbers Army, the loyal supporters of section 107 in the PGE Park, and was attended by some 50 people.

After spending over an hour at the party, where I had a great chat with an American of Dutch descent (such a shame he is an ajax supporter), I.M. and his girlfriend had arrived and I met them in front of the main entrance of PGE Park, the multipurpose stadium that seat 19,566 (mostly covered).

The PGE Park is first and foremost a baseball stadium, home of minor league Portland Beavers; hence the rectangular shape and synthetic turf. However, with the Portland Timbers joining the Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2011, it will become its home; if the city can find a place to build a new stadium for the Beavers. I.M. had bought a ticket for the behind-the-goal area, at USD 11 (ca. EUR 8), and so we joined the famous Timbers Army to get an unexpectedly pleasant and ‘real’ football atmosphere.

The game tonight was between two established teams of the USL First Division, which oddly enough had already played each other that Thursday, also in the PGE Park, with a 0-0 result. We started with the obligatory national anthem, only one this time as both teams were American, which the supporters ended with shouting “Timbers Army” (instead of “brave”). It was the start of 90 minutes of song and chants, many of them original and topical – one of my favorites: “We have swine flu, oink, oink, oink”. Still, it remains an odd thing to hear supporters shout against the opponents, while no away fans are present (it is 4.600 km from Cary, North Carolina, to Portland, Oregon).

The Timbers fans reminded me of the German St. Pauli fans, an odd blend of alternatives with a big passion for football. Although there were still quite a lot of girls and women around, the vast majority of members of the Timbers Army are guys between 15 and 35, the usual suspects in European football stadiums.

To be honest, I devoted most of my time in the stadium enjoying the atmosphere, talking to I.M., plundering the Timbers fan shop, and appreciating a very decent game of football. I didn’t make many notes, so I refer to the official report online for details.

The first half was dominated by the Timbers, who created various chances while suffering only a few real counter attacks. The level of play was very acceptable, not much different from the Dutch equivalent (i.e. eerste divisie). Moreover, the stadium and crowd, officially 6,752, let alone the atmosphere, was better than I have seen at some Dutch eredivisie (First Division) games. The pressure of the Timbers paid off, as the hosts went into half time with a well-deserved 1-0 lead. As always, the home goal was followed by Timber Joey, the life mascot of the Timbers, cutting off a piece of wood with his chainsaw.

In the second half the RailHawks had the better of the game. Increasingly the Timbers started to make small mistakes and they looked increasingly tired. The pace of the game went down, but it was still very decent. Moreover, both sides created clear chances, but were unable to convert them to goals. In the 83^rd minute, however, it was the Timbers who clinched the deal with a second goal of the evening: 2-0. This was also the final score.

After the game the players of Portland Timbers came to the side of the Timbers Army to thank them for their support. This was much deserved as they had truly been singing and chanting for the whole duration of the game. Timber Joey game the players the two pieces of wood he had cut off, which were then celebrated as if they were the FA Cup.

I guess it is clear to the reader by now, I am totally won over by the Portland Timbers and the Timbers Army. This was the 12^th team I have seen in the US, including several in the MLS, but so far there has been no comparison in atmosphere and dedication of the fans. This might change, however, when I will visit the Seattle Sounders, the arch rivals of the Timbers, at the end of the month at Qwest Field.

Seattle Wolves – Seattle University (19-04-2009)

As only two of the four “professional” leagues in the US have started yet, and the distances between teams are phenomenal, it is not easy to find a game every weekend. Fortunately, the Seattle Wolves were playing a friendly against Seattle University in the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, a southern suburb of Seattle.

So, Sunday at 10.30 I headed off to my coffee shop for a big cup of black coffee to keep me awake on my 443 km drive up. Although I made good time, I still managed to arrive at the game late – as I made a short detour to the Red Mill Burgers in Seattle, which has phenomenal burgers and the best onion rings in the US. The Starfire Sports Complex is a multisports sports complex run by a non-profit organization. It took me some time to find the game I was looking for, as (1) there were various games on, (2) the number of supporters at the Wolves game was not much higher than at the other games; and (3) you didn’t need to pay to get in. They did, however, play at the pitch with the big stand.

There were roughly 80 spectators at the game, who seemed to be mostly friends of Wolves players or students at Seattle University. The atmosphere was summerly and not very different from when I used to play evening games with my friends in Belgium. Oddly enough, the Seattle Wolves are actually a “professional” team, as they joined the USL Premier Development League (PDL) this year, the unofficial Fourth Division of the USA. As I was told by one of the Wolves members, to become a member of the PDL you mainly need to apply and have a sizable amount of money (allegedly some $100.000, mostly for traveling expenses).

I arrived at the right pitch roughly 20 minutes late, and took a nice place in the sun, behind the benches of the Wolves. I was directly struck by the laid-back atmosphere around the pitch, where players were walking on and off, joking with each other and the players on the pitch. It was difficult to escape the exhibitionist substitute player, who was determined to show all 80 spectators his heavily tattooed body.

It is difficult to describe the level of play. At times, there was some nifty passing, particularly by some Wolves players. That said, the pace was slow, the spaces large, and the individual choices often poor. It reminded me of games of the first team of my amateur club back in the Netherlands, V.V.O. (from Velp), which played in one of the (four) amateur third divisions, roughly ranking as the fifteenth division nationally.

Overall the game was pleasant to watch, helped by the gorgeous weather, but lacked clear chances. In the 28^th minute the Wolves were close, but the low shot went wide. Seattle University created no clear-cut chance, but did substitute lavishly – I later learned that they had already played another game in the morning. Somewhat surprisingly, the referee whistled for half time after only 40 minutes. Assuming it was 0-0, I soon found out that the Wolves had actually scored in the 18^th minute, before I arrived, and that the real half time score was 1-0.

At half time both team just stayed around the pitch, another indicator of the amateuristic setting of the game (which also had its charm). I spent most of the second half behind the SU goal, enjoying conversations with a knowledgeable member of the Wolves and his friend. While chatting and enjoying the sun, I noticed some more nifty passing on the Wolves midfield, but also an even lower pace and even poorer tactical positioning. Most of the few attacks came from the hosts, but few were truly challenging.

Not totally surprising, Seattle University was able to equalize after ca. 60 minutes. Following a strong drive through the center, the midfielder shot low and hard in the corner. This woke up the Wolves, who started to push for the winner. Some five minutes later the Vinny Jones lookalike striker of the Wolves ‘controlled’ the ball with his face and coolly finished: 2-1. A couple minutes later the Wolves goalie pulled off an important safe, ensuring a final score of 2-1.

Although my companions seemed not to believe me, the game was worth the more than 10 hour drive that day (thank god I have a new car ;-). Admittedly, the fantastic weather helped too, but I also enjoyed the determination of the whole Seattle Wolves initiative and their grassroots approach. Although they are still far away from becoming a ‘real’ professional team, and will face stiff competition in the city from the Seattle Sounders, they do believe that the Northwest is a fertile breeding ground for high quality football in the US, and I tend to agree with them.

Vancouver Whitecaps – Charleston Battery (11-04-2009)

It has been a very long wait, but the football (“soccer”) season is finally starting in the US. The MLS started a couple of weeks ago and now the USL1, the Second Division, has kicked-off too. I decided to drive up to Vancouver, which is roughly 700 km from Eugene, to see a game of the oldest professional team in North America: the Vancouver Whitecaps. Founded in 1986 as the Vancouver 86ers, which dominated the Canadian Soccer League (CSL), it moved through the American Professional Soccer League (APSL), and A-League into the United Soccer League (USL), and changed its name to Whitecaps in 2001. It has been playing in the multifunctional Swangard Stadium, with a capacity of 5,288, in the suburb of Burnaby. As of 2011, the Whitecaps will play in the MLS and move to the BC Place Stadium (although they hope to move to the Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium, which so far only exists as a plan).

As I had driven almost a full day to get to Vancouver, I had taken no risk and bought a ticket online (through the almighty Ticketmaster). Overall, the costs for this cheapest ticket was 25 CAD (ca 17 euro), after all extra charges, quite hefty for this level and, what turned out, a very basic and uncomfortable seat. After parking in the area around the stadium, I walked to the stadium, fighting off unsuccessful scalpers (the game wasn’t sold-out), and picked up my ticket at the “will call” table outside of the stadium.

The pre-match program included a corny cover band, but I used my time sampling the good variety of snacks, including a decent gyros sandwich (7 CAD) and a freshly grilled hamburger (5 CAD). Topping it up with a small popcorn, I circled the pitch to find my seat, which turned out to be in a make-up stand under some kind of tent-structure. Still, it wasn’t much different from the “VIP section”. ;-)

While all sports games in the US are started with the singing of the US national anthem, this ‘international’ game obviously needed two national anthems: “Star Spangled Banner” and “O Canada”. To my surprise, many spectators actually sang along with the Canadian anthem – something not even seen in the US!

After this compulsory display of patriotism it was finally time to kick-off the new USL1 season. The stadium was decently filled – the official tally was a somewhat unconvincing 5.037 – and I was amazed by how multicultural the audience was (I was sitting next to some Arabs, behind some Africans, and in front of some Asians, for example). Behind one of the goals was a small but determined section of “ultras” who created what they thought was a genuine football atmosphere. Not surprisingly, no away fan had made the 5.000 km trip from Charleston, South Carolina. ;-)

To be honest, the level of play was, at least initially, not that bad. Both teams played tactically intelligent and technically decent football, even though the pace of play and passing wasn’t very high. That said, both in quality of play and quantity of attendance the game could easily hold its own with second division games in countries like Belgium or Austria. While no player of the teams is well-known, there was one with a fantastic name: Bellisimo, the right-wing defender of the Whitecaps.

Although the game was of a decent quality, few chances were created on either side. It took fifteen minutes for the first excitement, a shot at the far post for the hosts. The Whitecaps dominated the first half hour, but this remained their only real threatening situation. At the same time, it rained cats and dogs, and I was happy to sit under the make-shift tent structure – still admiring the couple hundred fans who remained uncovered and singing. Much less pleasant was the guy a couple of seats next to me, who said “Come on Whites” every 30 seconds!

In the last ten minutes of the first half the visitors get better, and even start to pressure a little bit. They seem to have better skills, particularly in their counterattacks, but do not really create any clear chances. Hence, 0-0 at half time, which I kill by watching the little kids play a game at the half pitch.

The second half is played at a much lower pace and with similarly few clear chances. In the first 20 minutes the Charleston Battery created the best chances, including a short just wide and a weak header on the goalie.

After that the Whitecaps are able to put some pressure on the visitors, but except for some rebounds very little truly threatens their goalie. Even the chanting of “We are the South Side”, by the “ultras” behind the goal, cannot change the inevitable 0-0 final score.

To be honest, I had expected the start of the football season a little bit more exciting. While I do believe that the Pacific Northwest (PNW) is a natural habitat for football, Vancouver still has a long way to go before it can seriously compete in the MLS. That said, the multicultural appeal of the club will be vital in its future, given the huge immigrant community in the city. Moreover, the prospect of playing derbies against two other (new) MLS teams in the PNW, the Seattle Sounders (in MLS since 2009) and the Portland Timbers (who will join with the Whitecaps in 2011), as well as the move to a serious stadium, will probably help raise the numbers of both spectators and sponsors.

Oregon – Stanford (08-11-2008)


This season I’m working at the University of Oregon in Eugene, known for two sports: track & field and football… American football that is. The Ducks, as all sports teams of the U of O are called, are part of the PAC-10, a kind of premier league of college football teams of the West Coast. While the West is not the heartland of college football, the PAC-10 has some strong teams (notably the USC Trojans), and Oregon has become one of them (not the least because of the millions of support of Phil Knight, one of the two founders of Nike).

I left my house some 45 minutes before kick-off, grabbing a bagel and a rain coat on the way. After a beautiful sunny October, the rain had started a couple of days ago, and seemed to have picked this game to make the point that Oregon is a rainy state. I walked with a growing group of green-yellow fans, over the foot bridge, to the beautiful Autzen Stadium. Just before kick-off I arrived.

Built in 1967, and significantly renovated and expanded since, most lately in 2002, Autzen Stadium currently has an official capacity of 54.000. However, most games attract a couple of thousand more people: today’s attendance was a sell out with 58,013! This in a town of just over 150,000 and a university of some 20,000 students. I had bought my ticket online, more than three months ago, at which time it was already impossible to get two seats next to each other. Although fairly expensive, at 55 USD and a 4 USD “facility fee”, I had a very good spot, relatively close to the pitch and at the 30 yard line.

I arrived just in time for the delayed kick-off, slightly after 12.30, somewhat (pleasantly) surprised to not hear the national anthem. The Ducks started on fire, getting a turnover after one minute, and being 0-10 up within 5 minutes. Stanford got a field goal back, but after the first quarter Oregon seemed to have things under control: 3-17.

But the Ducks are a young and very instable team, so as so often before it completely lost its momentum. Within five minutes of the second quarter, Oregon had squandered its lead: 17-17. The rest of the quarter was a close fight with little result: still, a late field goal ensured a tiny 17-20 lead for the Ducks at half-time.

Despite the fact that it was raining the entire game, and Autzen Stadium is not covered, the vast majority of fans stayed in their seats and continued to cheer and shout. Even without encouragements on the scoreboard, often the only way American fans make noise, the yellow and green rain jacket wearing fans would make the O-sign and shout OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

And, with only 2:18 on the clock, Stanford attacked, fumbled the ball, and got into the end zone. After a long discussion on the pitch, the referee ruled that it was not a touchdown. But after another minutes-long review off-pitch, Stanford were awarded a touch-down after all. 28-27 and only 2 minutes to go: time for general desperation. From now on, everything had to go perfectly… and it did. In 11 plays, after 74 yards, and with only 6 seconds on the clock, the Ducks scored the no-longer-expected touchdown and took the game. Together with the field conversion it brought the final score to 28-35! Autzen erupted! What a finale!

The third quarter was tight, with Stanford equalizing, before Oregon took the lead with another touchdown: 20-27. Soaked by now, the home fans got increasingly annoyed by the bad throwing of the quarterback and the fumbling of some of the receivers. Stanford got two points back, making the difference only 5 points.

Although I was by now soaked and cold, I left the stadium with a deep sense of satisfaction. I clearly have found a love for college football – although I do think the games last too long (four 15-minute quarters lasted over 3.5 hours). And everything I heard about Autzen and the Ducks fans proved right: they rock! GO DUCKS!

Georgia Tech – Florida State (01-11-2008)


As this was going to be one of my last visits of Atlanta, and the last time during Football season, M.G. and I got tickets for a game between two of the main teams of the Atlantic Coast Conference (numbers 31 and 16 nationwide). As these games are sold out well in advance, we went online (at StubHub) and paid 85 USD each.

Already on the walk to the stadium we were surprised by the number of fans of Florida State University, in Tallahassee, a good 270 miles to the southwest. Around the stadium there seemed to be as many white-old gold home fans as garnet-gold visitors. Everyone was in jolly spirits, enjoying the surprisingly sunny weather.

After an endless climb up the stairs we took our place in the scorching sun… surrounded by Florida State fans. The Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field is located at the city campus of Georgia Institute of Technology. It has a capacity of 55,000 – today’s official attendance was 53,528 – and gives an impressive view of downtown Atlanta.

The game started very well for Florida State, which made me root for the Yellow Jackets (i.e. Georgia Tech). After the first quarter the visitors were 10-3 up and we were semi-broiled. Even though it was the first of November, the sun was shining as if it was middle of July in the south of France.

The second quarter the game exploded, with the Jackets scoring three touchdowns in a row, before the Seminoles could get a touchdown back. A 45 yard field goal sealed the quarter with a small lead for the hosts: 20-24.

After a half-time of band music and cheerleading, the third quarter solidified the Georgia Tech lead: 20-31. As the FSU fans around us were looking increasingly desperate, and we were finally starting to hear the home fans, the game changed yet again. The fourth quarter was all about the visitors, which first scored a touchdown and then converted with a field play (i.e. 2 instead of 1 point). However, that was all they had time for, so in a narrow ending the Jackets won 28-31 against the Seminoles. The first victory of Georgia Tech over Florida State since 1975!

To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed by the home fans. The Bobby Dodd Stadium is a great football ground, smack in the middle of a city, but this game the visitors (accounting for almost a quarter of the attendants) seemed to make most of the atmosphere. That said, it was great weather and a good first American Football game!

Oregon – Washington (26-10-2008)

In the absence of professional sports, I decided to go and see a game of the women soccer team of the University of Oregon. At US colleges and universities ‘soccer’ is still mainly a female sports; but among women sports, it is one of the most popular. So, I took my bike and rode to Pape’ Field, in the shadow of the mighty Autzen Stadium, where the UO American Football team plays its home games (more on that in two weeks).

To my surprise, I had to pay 5 USD to get in and, even more surprising, there were some 150 spectators on the one stand. Many were related to the players, I guess – either being friends or family. But there were also quite a lot fans of ‘the Ducks’ (the nickname of the University of Oregon). As my breakfast took longer than expected, I arrived 15 minutes late, and the Ducks were 0-1 down. This seemed fair, as ‘the Huskies’ (the University of Washington or UW) were clearly the better team.

This was the first women soccer game I ever saw in a stadium, I have seen some WC games on tv, and, to be honest, I remain unimpressed. First of all, they simply miss power; in terms of speed (of ball and players). Second, their technique is quite poor. Third, their movement is limited, in terms of space and originality. I was amazed how defensive and disciplined both teams played though. It reminded me of Belgian football.

Fortunately it was great weather, and the atmosphere was friendly yet engaged, so I did enjoy the experience. There were few real chances, as most of the game went on between the two penalty boxes. The Huskies remain a tat better, but the Ducks press for the equalizer. They get it in the 72nd minute, with a great 20m shot. Unfortunately, in the 80th minute the Huskies get a free-kick just outside of the box. With a rather lame shot low in the left corner the visitors score 1-2: the winner!

Although I enjoyed the event, the weather and atmosphere did more for me than the football. I know, I’m a sexist, but as far as I’m concerned, women soccer is still miles behind the real thing.