How did the Timbers Army got to be so successful in term of atmosphere? What crucial steps that happened that made this so? What could other MLS club front office learn from it? For example, if you are running the San Jose front office, with a new stadium opening in 2014, what would you do? Would you set aside the entire endzone as General Admission Supporters Section? (about 5000 seats) like the Portland Timbers front office did? What would you do as the person in charge in San Jose? Supporters Section for San Jose will be the 4 small dark gray section. No words on whether it will be assigned seating or general admission. What about if you are Houston in their new stadium?
Portland is now leading the SS Race, albeit partly due to errors by MLS. Anyway, enjoy the View from the Top, while it lasts!! (Montreal is just 1 point behind with 3 games in hand...)
Montreal Impact have finally clinched the 2013 Summer's Shield in the historic 4-way tie at the halfway point (after 17 Games) of the season, with a game to spare themselves: http://aragon.ws/soccerdb/league/table.php?stageId=1547&matches=0&rounds=1&roundCount=17 However, Portland are still very much in the hunt for the Supporters' Shield, as both Montreal and RSL dropped points on July-3. Should FC Dallas drop points on July-4 too, Portland will be in an even more advantageous position against the other 3 rivals... What a turn-around from last season, keep it up!!
Anyway, if only Intra-Conference games were counted, it seemed that Portland remains the only "unbeaten" team this season (their 2 losses so far have came from teams in the East). This would be among the last on-going "unbeaten runs" in the league as of now, other than the unbeaten home streak of Dallas and Vancouver so far... (Portland lost their 1st game on the road this season to Columbus on 7/7.) http://aragon.ws/soccerdb/league/table.php?stageId=1547&matches=1&rounds=0&roundCount=5 # Team --------------- P W D L GF - GA Pts GD1. FC Dallas ------------------ 10 7 3 0 15 - 6 24 (+9)2. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 9 6 3 0 20 - 11 21 (+9)
Per http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/MLS.html, as at June-30, the odds of winning the Supporters' Shield for the current Top-4 teams are: Portland - 28.0% Montreal - 25.4% RSL - 22.8% FCD - 8.8% Timbers are top probably because they are "hard to beat"? (having lost just once at the Halfway Point of the season [Game #17], likely a new league record, more on that later...) A related article on this: http://portlandtribune.com/pt/12-sports/155984-what-a-difference-a-year-makes The guy in the background does look like an aged version of Robbie Keane though. By the way, why was the feature picture in that article showing Women's Team instead?
Portland has now tied 12 games, just 4 short of the all-time record of 16, with 10 games to go in 2013. Will they break the "most ties" record this season? (currently held by NYRB & Chicago in 2010)