...the first morning since high school when I awoke with wet pants.)
Sorry to start off so nasty, but I can think of no better way to describe my surprise at the lead article in the local sports section, which discussed Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber's visit to Portland, Oregon to study that (and my) city's viability as an MLS market. It's all pretty vague - not least in terms of field turf, timeline, and stadium issues - though it's also clear that something in the calculus of bringing an MLS club to the Pacific Northwest changed sufficiently to bring Portland into the picture. For the past three years, at least, it seemed that Seattle was the only game in town.
Still, MLS to Portland by 2010 remains a pipe-dream feel for now; but pipe dreams are the best kind, aren't they? There's also an element of guilt in this, down mainly to the question of why the city's current team, the United Soccer League Division 1 Portland Timbers aren't good enough. So long as I can afford it, I'll go to the games for either league, though I'd be lying if I didn't confess to being more excited about going to see an MLS club. But there's also a practical side to this: the main reason I stopped covering the Timbers came down to an inability to follow two leagues at once; if a Portland team joins MLS, well, that's problem solved as I see it. Still, I've invested enough in the Timbers for three or so years (last year was my big fall-off), that the guilt is there and it does nag a little.
Anyway, big news to see in my morning edition of The Oregonian. But it's time to get back to the MLS we have, not the one we might want to have...back to the verdammt previews.
(########)
1 comment:
While our humble Timber's ground is definitely not up to snuff.. perhaps the stadium in Hillsboro is halfway there? I'd love to see an MLS team here, but would occasionally travel up to Seattle to see one as well. Best thing we can get around here that isn't shown on a feed from Europe.
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