The Twilight Zone in NYC

Comments: 'SW Phillips looks like the player Henry has needed to be paired with all season'

I went to a couple of Portland Timbers games last month - incredible atmosphere, packed stadium, non-stop singing throughout the game & lots of colour. Put the pathetic Nigels Ultras to shame. Lots of strange things though - didn't seem like the crowd around me followed or understood the nuances of the game so well - hardly any reaction to offside calls, bad refereeing or poor play by their own team. I dont think I heard anyone refer to their own players by name - ie "Ricketts that was crap" when the goalie made a schoolboy error - seemed like in many cases they didn't know their own players. Overall a total lack of cynicism & miserabilism that you get from those around you in our game. Even when Real Salt Lake scored in the 98th minute to level the game 3-3 it was no big deal to a lot around me.

Still the Timbers are a fine team & they have sold out their 20,000 stadium for 48 consecutive games!!! (and it was sold out - I couldn't see a spare seat in the ground). All their fans behind the goal stood for the full 90 minutes & indeed many in the expensive seats down the sides were standing for 90 minutes too. In Darlington Nagbe and Will Johnson they have two fine midfielders that would absolutely shine at our level.

Great to be back at real football, enjoyed several pints of mighty fine Oregon beer at my seat - I went to the bar to get them as I wanted draft, but they had vendors coming along all the time dishing out bottled beer to whoever wanted it.

Thanks Lincs - as I said Darlington Nagbe is some player, he will go places....

http://www.insideworldsoccer.com/2013/06/goal-darlington-nagbe-portland-timbers-fc-dallas.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2naoSiNRQ1w#t=22

Christ, that's some goal.

Wall pass?!

Mike said:

Watched the second half. Bradley was very good, two assists. The attacking play is decent in general for teams when I watch it but the defending has a lot to be desired. Red Bulls are a good example of this!

Loving Bradley and Henry though. Dream pairing.

No chance we could get Brad back...and get him to bring his new mate? ;-)