Sounders-Timbers: We came to drink, We came to sing

PUT WANK-OUVER in the middle and we'll burn, the ___ lot

First off, I'd like to say that I'm not a long time member of the Army so I'm only speaking for me, that being said; I don't have any desire to see any kind of threatening behavior or intimidation between fans.

I'm not at a game to start fights or hurt anyone else. I'm out there to support my boys on the pitch and enjoy the beautiful game. Neither I, or any of my friends, would ever start a fight with anyone and, to be honest, we'd probably try to prevent one.

I do know that I've never seen anyone threatened in or around PGE but I don't want to argue the facts, I just want to say that if those things happened I'm sorry. Thats not the kind of environment that I want and thats not the kind of environment I will add to. So please don't paint me as a violent sociopath, I assure you I'm not and I really don't think that the vast, vast majority of the TA are. Drunk? Yeah. Belligerent? Sure. Obscene and Profane? You betcha. But I think thats okay between supporter's groups and I don't think anyone would disagree (or want it any other way).

Right, enough of the group hug crap.

Build a bonfire,

build a bonfire,

put Seatttttle on the top!

I just have to make a comment about Timber fans not threatening visiting sounder fans. I was at a playoff match a couple years ago where the Sounders beat the Timbers, and the Portland security asked us to stay behind for awhile because there where some Timber fans outside ready to start a fight with the few Sounder fans who came to see the game. Maybe things have changed and I hope they have. But I whenever I go to Portland to see a game, I sometimes consider it a risk to my wellbeing.

Finnegan, please give it a rest...

The "second city syndrome" is really starting to show through.

While we have never been threatened with a piece of paper by one of you lot, I'm pretty sure that one of your boys did assault a timid older sounders fan a couple years back and went to jail for it. Oh, that's right the guy that did the assaulting let another person take the fall for him, classy.

You know, I'm down for the rivalry, but this whole "making fun of the other fans" is pretty jr. high.

Why can't you just back your club?

At times it seems like the main focus of the TA is to see who can be the biggest jerk.

You've called us dorks in the past.

Well, I would much rather be a dork, than a jerk.

Oh, and I won't be seeing you on Friday. I have a good job, and I need to get some overtime.

Why can't we seem to get a Saturday match down there? Do the Beavers have the place all booked up?

How many of you will be in Seattle for that mid-week match on Aug.1st?

Sometimes you need to 'blend in' to get the job done.

I, personally, think that you soccer fans are all crazy. Which is great.

I do wish that a few more brave Sounders fans would have joined us in standing next to the Timbers' section and singing the Sounders' songs. As it was -- there were just two of us -- and two people have a hard time matching the volume of a hundred chanting drunks.

I was very impressed with the Timbers' ultras, though. Too bad their team lost the game.

Why are you going in your gear or to the match? You see unlike in Seattle we actually don't threaten away supporters with guns and we generally leave you alone except for the ocassional song sent your way.

And A - we talk shit about the ECS cause it's called a rivalry and in a rivalry you make fun of your opposing fans. No granted this is more like a older brother patting a small little brother on the head and laughing at them but still that is what you do in a rivalry. And on top of that I have to point out we are responding to a shit article written by a shit Seattle reporter.

We aren't quite 'ready for our close-up,' but TA had better get used to 'sharing' the NW soccer spotlight and counter-culture esteem.

Having said that...NONE of us are going to PDX on Friday, at least in our gear. Perhaps casual, though...

Oh, that's the other thing that amuses me. You're so easily provoked into arguments with Sounders supporters – and it always seems to converge into the statement that TA is bigger than ECS. True. But what does that have to do with anything in the original article?

If I were in TA, I wouldn't feel any need to comment on anything that ECS does. You'd think that a group of your size would find a group of the size of ECS quite insignificant and not worth it to bother commenting on whatever they do or say.

From above comment: "My point is, if TA thinks they are so much better than ECS, why do they feel like they have to post about it all over the internet. Why can't you let what you do in the stands talk for itself?"

The amusing part of this "Oh, Poor Seattle" post (yeah, yeah, we know...you guys do no wrong and we're all a bunch of savages) is that we are commenting on an article put on the internet talking smack on our group. I didn't post it, and I really don't think the TA posted this slop, so....who'se posting what on the 'net, exactly?

Listen, I have no beef with Seattle or its fans; I think its great to have a fierce rivalry to look forward to two (or more!) times a year but to make a comment on an internet story about how the other side "keeps posting things on the internet"...well, thats just stupid.

I honestly don't understand why Portland supporters have to point out at every possible opportunity that TA is much bigger than the ECS. Everybody knows that. ECS certainly knows that, and people are working hard to make ECS grow. My point is, if TA thinks they are so much better than ECS, why do they feel like they have to post about it all over the internet. Why can't you let what you do in the stands talk for itself? You brought 150+ people to Seattle. That's impressive, and nobody can deny that. What you do on the internet is not as impressive. In fact, it makes you look bad. Looking at this as an outsider on the inside in Seattle, it seems as if a lot of you in Portland have some kind of an inferiority complex – and when you do something better than Seattle, you have to make absolutely sure nobody misses it. Well, you don't have to. Anybody who cares about soccer notices that you've got something good going on down there. Your style of presenting yourselves on the internet makes people only think less of you.

I'm also amused by the complaints about security at Qwest. Equal treatment? Come on! You're supposed to be ultras. You cannot expect equal treatment! I'm surprised that they even let you use the same entrance as the general public. That would be just out of the question in Europe, including my native country. You'd have special treatment all the way, including security check as you step out of the bus. That's the way it should be here too. Otherwise they are just sitting idly by and waiting for something to happen. But I guess this country is just not used to the ultras culture, and does not know how to deal with it. Instead the security does stupid things like confiscating small scissors (from an ECS member).

Is this a joke?? People actually go to these "minor-league" soccer games?

Actually Darrel was at the front of the gates and he ordered specifically to search only folks with sombreros or folks that were wearging Portland attire. The five folks in front of me were not searched and I was not and the ECS folks behind me were not searched.

Wait a minute, there's one thing missing from the comment list. We haven't seen a flame yet in this topic about the use of emoticons, "LOL" or stuff like that. Or, maybe I should misspell a word so that we can get spelling flames too. Heck, why not grammar flames too, while we're at it!

Anyway, to answer one "complaint"... Seattle fans were subject to the same security checkpoint stuff as you lot. My backpack was completely emptied by two different security personnel, and everyone I entered the ground with were subject to the same thing... most likely looking for smoke bombs since they didn't take too kindly to us setting those off last season. Inside the stadium, we had security people down all night telling people to tone it down with language, streamers, standing in the aisle or on the railing, etc etc.

Anyway, thanks for the three points, as usual. Can we play you EVERY week?

Man, this guy sure is a "special" correspondent...strange how you didn't mention that your "Ultras", and that is a term to use very loosely (much like correspondent in this case but why quibble?), were outnumbered two to one by supporters from a city 3+ hours away. That says some really great things about the Seattle support. And as far the Army "losing it's voice" when the boys in green fell behind...well, that may be true. It's tough on the voice to try and fill that empty echo chamber you lads call a stadium, the human vocal cords do have thier limits, after all. By the way, were those cardboard cut outs in the stands or real people? I think cardboard would've made a little more noise...you know, with the wind blowing through all those empty seats. So, in closing...crap security, crap fans, and crap article. Con-crap-ulations!

soccer, yawn.

bullshit, the ECS threw just as much shit on the field as the Timbers Army.

Ahhh the art of denial, Seattle style.

Seattle pricks.

less and less of the TA make the trip each time because visiting seattle is such an awful experience and your crowd is like the audience at a Wiggles show.. I had the chance to finally meet some of you podites in the beer line and you promised us you would make the trip down. now lets see if you do. my guess is you will bring 15 people in a short bus again...

you made no mention that Qwest security egged on the Timbers Fans with confrontations and the policy of only searching fans from Portland and not anyone supporting the Sounders. Funny when Portland comes to town its also their biggest crowd. Feel free to come to Portland and experience everything first hand.

Maybe a blog on that type of treatment to traveling fans will be something for the future.

Stay classy? Yeah stay hip Mr. Seattlest!

Go ahead sounders fans, make the easy joke? What is the easy joke if I may ask? I'd really like to know.

seattle and the seattlest are a bunch of mariposas

A fair-and-balanced report, more or less, with a few caveats:

1) It was a *home* match for the Sounders but the Timbers Army outnumbered the home team fan section considerably.

2) Timbers Army road trips involve so much drinking (there were kegs on the buses, a long layover at Tiki Bob's before the match) that the group is rarely in full voice.

3) There's no leader for the Timbers Army, but the folks who travel are the die-hards and they know all the songs. There is a *capo* who begins chants just to keep the noise coming, but it's easy in a group of 125 or less for him/her to get lost in the game/drink and forget to cue up a new song. At home, there are several people who fulfill the role.

3) To a *man* the Timbers Army may have been bedecked in Cinco de Mayo regalia, but there are a lot of *women* in the group -- and hot, too.

For a real comparison, Seth should visit PGE Park on Friday, the only date the Sounders are scheduled to play in Portland. As he will learn, there *is* no comparison.

Wow, there are literally fives of people there.