107 Independent Supporters Trust Riveters Blog

Home Opener Display - Further Reading

Hannah Mueller — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 17:00:00 GMT

This year we are celebrating the 100 year anniversary of our stadium, and the home opener display showcased some of that history.

Unfortunately due to pre-match pyrotechnics on the field, the tifo wasn't very visible. Check out the Riveters Flickr page for some detail photos taken after the lift.

Learn more about Multnomah Stadium and the history that went into the design:

"Commerce, Climate and Community: A History of Portland and its People" by William Toll - Link

"The Farmers of Tanner Creek" by Putsata Reang - Link

"Relational Reconstruction of the Portland Chinese Vegetable Gardens" by Dri Chiu Tattersfield - Link

The stadium dedication / UO vs UW - Link

"Multnomah Field's storied past" by Ben McBee - Link

"Digging up the truth on the creek under Portland's Providence Park" by Nick Firchau - Link

Portland's Goose Hollow by Tracy J. Prince, Ph.D.

The 1953 Rose Festival (and ski jump) - Link to program

Concert in 1957 - Link

The Portland Beavers - Link

"The Battered Bastards of Baseball" - Netflix

Soccer Bowl '77 - Youtube

"PGE Park, Portland selected to host 2003 FIFA Women's Cup" - Link

Feral cats - Link

Commerce, Clima
te, and Community: A History of Portland and its People

Dear Providence Park...

Gabby Rosas — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 02:34:50 GMT

Dear Providence Park,

We will be together soon. You’ll feel the energy. We’ll bring the passion and the noise. We love the Portland Thorns with our whole selves. We’ll always support the players, that's our commitment. We love our community.

However, our community is being brutalized and attacked and destroyed.

What we’ve witnessed over the last few months, what’s happening here in Portland, in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, in Chicago, in DC, in LA has changed us. The world is different, even from just a few months ago.

We are not going to just stick to soccer. We are not going to be the same. We are different.

We want to make sure that you know it’s intentional because anybody who has a platform needs to be speaking out, needs to condemn what has been happening. And we have a platform.

Protest is a spectrum and just a part of a movement for change. Some people are good at writing letters. Some people are good at showing up and marching, some people are good at standing in between conflict and being a peaceful bystander. We’re not gonna ask everyone to do one thing, the same thing, but we are going to ask that if you have a platform you either speak up or you amplify it.

To the club: This is our community. How are we keeping our community safe? How are we providing resources and education and acknowledging the atrocities that are happening, we cannot just stick to sports. This is happening.

To the players: Have the conversations, do the work in the locker rooms, and when you’re ready to say something, to put your words out there… When you’ve found that footing, you have the Riveters behind you. We know that you cannot agree with what is happening to everyday American citizens and refugees and immigrants who came to this country seeking a better life, but we know that you need to process it and sort it. We’re gonna give you examples of what you can say or how you can help. You can’t ignore this. It is happening.

We all have platforms. We need to come together as one community and show the world how we feel.

To our fellow supporters in the North End: Rest up, hydrate, get ready. We’re gonna be loud. We’re gonna bring the passion. We have to speak up and take action. Throughout the season, we will not only share ways to get involved with our organization, but we will also be doing our best to highlight how you can support other organizations in our community that are doing the work.

Because, if we’re going to stand up and say "this type of violence should not be happening - not here in Portland, not anywhere in this country, not anywhere in the world" and if we’re going to have an impact and be about the community, we need to start walking the walk.

If this makes you uncomfortable let’s have a conversation about it. Just know, though, we are not going to have a conversation about staying silent or just sticking to sports. That's a luxury that we can’t afford right now. No one can.

This is about love for our community, our friends, our family, and our neighbors. This is happening and we won’t ignore it.

Today and Always: Trans People Belong

Gabby Rosas — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 21:14:49 GMT

Today is Trans Day of Remembrance. It is a day to mourn the lives lost to transphobia and anti-trans violence, a somber moment to pause and honor their memory. We acknowledge the grief and the ongoing struggle for safety, dignity, and recognition by our Trans siblings.

But remembrance is not just about looking back. It is a call to action, a commitment to the living, and a fierce promise for the future.

We do not confine our advocacy to this single day. The Rose City Riveters will continue to scream, from the North End and everywhere we go, that Trans people belong. They belong in our community, welcomed and valued as their full selves. They belong in the stands, cheering on their teams with joy. They belong on the pitch, competing with passion and skill.

Our community is stronger, richer, and more vibrant because of the Trans people who are a part of it. The fight for inclusion, acceptance, and the simple right to exist without fear is an every-day commitment.

We remember, and we resolve. Their memory fuels our fight for a world where every Trans person can live their life fully, freely, and safely. Today and always, we stand with you.

You can find resources and organizations to utilize and/or support here.

2025 Player Gift

Hannah Mueller — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 20:00:00 GMT

Be kind, please rewind ... 2025's Thorns player gift:

Every season the Riveters share gifts with the Thorns at the home closer. 2025's carried on the tifo's themes and colors with some VHS era movie nostalgia.

Inside the box players found a tape print with a written note thanking them for the 2025 season, sticker sheets of some of their rail banners, and a box of movie candy.

The team received an exclusive t-shirt with the tifo's compass rose + the longitude and latitude of Providence Park. The Riveters also gifted them a houndstooth scarf; the team got it early, but keep an eye out for the upcoming winter sale 12/06!

Check out previous seasons' gifts:
2024 2023 2022

2025 Supporters Player of the Year Winner: Olivia Moultrie

Gabby Rosas — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 20:36:58 GMT

Bangers. Golazos. Braces. We are proud to present our 2025 Supporters Player of the Year award to grizzled veteran Olivia Moultrie.

Olivia Moultrie has quickly risen to become one of the Thorns’ top goal scorers, this year netting 8 goals for the club. She has played in every regular season match of the 2025 campaign, becoming a staple in the midfield. We have been luck enough to watch her grow and develop extraordinary composure on the ball, demonstrate her vision for the game on the pitch, and seamlessly blend her technical excellence with an unshakable competitive spirit.

Moultrie’s career started by suing the NWSL to be able to play at the professional level, how she moved to Portland from southern California to be a part of the Thorns Academy, while also training alongside the senior team. Moultrie’s dedication to the club, her growth and fearless style of play reflect the very best of our Portland soccer culture - a commitment to excellence, teamwork, community and a real love for the beautiful game.

Congratulations!!

Painting Thoughts

Hannah Mueller — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 06:01:00 GMT

Photography by Lori Day-Reynolds
November 1, 2024 Home Closer

To some it’s called choreo. To others it’s inexplicably capitalized like an acronym. To Portland soccer supporters it is one of the most iconic things we do, and we do a lot of it: hundreds of volunteer hours and tens of thousands of square footage a lot of it.

Tifo is a difficult thing to explain, and not just because of its secretive nature THE FIRST RULE OF TIFO IS: YOU DON’T TALK ABOUT TIFO. Even describing it sounds more like a riddle than an actual answer: “it’s a mural that only stays up two minutes, it’s a painting never meant to hang on a wall, it’s like the things in all those other sports except not at all.”

This thing so intrinsic to our identity has more in common with an ice sculpture than anything paint is meant for. It’s built ephemeral; documentation of it is what lasts, especially once the fabric’s been painted over, cut down… and painted over two or three or eight more times.

Tifo is for the team on the pitch, but it’s also a means of expression for supporters: our energy, our humor, our anger, and sometimes it’s an homage to a thing we like painted 60’ tall.

It doesn’t have to make a terrible lot of sense. It’s just what we do.

2024 Player Gift

Gabby Rosas — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 03:24:02 GMT

Like Supporters’ Player, player gifts are a tradition on the last home match of the season. In 2024 – with the rain pouring down – the not-so-waterproof player gifts were delivered to the locker room post match.

Here’s a look at what every Thorn had waiting for them:

Water-resistant notepads (engraved with their number) along with a pen.

A sticker sheet of some classics and 2024 highlights.

Hina Sugita - 2024 Rose City Riveters’ Supporters’ Player of the Year

Chris Spalding — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 04:22:35 GMT

The following post is by Sato on behalf of the Rose City Riveters. Find previous SPOTY winners here.

Before the start of the 2022 season, a signing was made that made me ecstatic. We just signed our first Japanese player. Growing up, I rarely saw other Asians play in professional American sports. And now I get to watch one play for the team I support.

From the start, I wasn’t the only one wanting to cheer her on. She has inspired rail banners, homemade signs, a scarf, and even her own fan club: the Hina Hive. She even inspires her teammates. From epic goal celebrations, amazing passes, and ball-handling skills to the numerous broken ankles of her opponents. Her talent is unmatched.

Your Riveters 2024 Supporter Player of the Year is Hina Sugita.

A Thorns Game Is More Than Just Soccer: The Rose City Riveters

Chris Spalding — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 02:31:28 GMT

This post was written by local student Mia Robertson as part of a high school journalism class. It is posted here with Mia's permission.

Walking towards Providence Park, I see people crowding the sidewalks. Some corners have orderly lines snaking towards the stadium doors, but at the intersection of 18th and Morrison there is more of a humming mass of people, swarming like ants on the concrete steps; in order to find your way into the stadium, you allow yourself to fall into the crowd and find yourself miraculously spit out at the security gate. Colloquially among my friends and family, this particular entrance to the stadium is referred to as the one with “the big metal face,” because of the sculpture on the street corner that we used to climb as kids while we waited for the rest of our group to arrive before we could enter. Today, it is a sweltering 85 degrees in mid-May, and the young kids climbing on the face today are restricted to the half creating its own shade, for risk of burning their hands on the overheated metal.

Eventually, the crowd crawls forward enough to allow us entry into the stadium, and we are pushed forward into the delightful ambiance of pizza grease and an ocean of red jerseys moving in all different directions at once. As we weave through the mass of fans and to our seats, I start to look past the annoyance of getting cut off by someone speed-walking to the Dutch Bros line. Instead, my eyes follow a woman getting dragged by her daughter, both in matching 2019 jerseys, towards the merch line with the newest design in her hands. There’s a whole girl’s youth soccer team in matching uniforms moving as a unit through the hall laughing and talking with each other. A little further down, I see a couple in an absurdly long line for nine-dollar hot dogs, making friends with the man standing in front of them because they both complained about the price.

When we finally reach our seats and the sun has set beyond the lip of the stadium, I truly remember why I love coming to Thorns games. It’s more than the joy of eating a whole bag of cotton candy in one sitting, but rather the anticipation of the starting whistle and hearing the group sitting behind you give their play-by-play commentary on the game–even when it’s entirely incorrect, in that they got both the names of the players and the rules of the game wrong. While the primary allure of a Thorns game is great soccer, I also go for the vibrant passion of the crowd.

On Saturday, May 11, during the match against the Seattle Reign, one of the Thorn’s long-standing rivals, there was a roaring audience of over 20,000 fans. They almost filled the Providence Park stadium, which seats more than 25,000 people. When the Thorns scored their first goal in the 42nd minute of the game, my mom’s Apple Watch notified her that she should find a quieter space soon because the sound levels in the stadium were over 96 decibels. A smoke bomb gets set off and scarves and flags fly; my entire section and I jump out of our seats screaming. The clouds of smoke diffuse through the air, wrapping the corners of the stadium lights in a red hue. Eventually, the sound levels out, but the chants don’t stop.

Figure 1: Photo of the Thorns Match vs the Seattle Reign after a goal was scored. (Robertson)

From my seat in the Key Bank Club section, I can see the North End clearly. Home of the Rose City Riveters, the general admission supporters section is where cheering stems from in the stadium. The aforementioned smoke bombs, themed chants and flags are all the handiwork of the Riveters, who also make massive painted banners called tifos which they display at the start of significant matches. They create an otherworldly display at every home game, but the reality is that many people, like myself, have gone to Thorns matches for years and have never really known who the Riveters are or the extent of what they do.

The Rose City Riveters are half of the 107 Independent Supporters Trust, a nonprofit organization with the mission “to support soccer in and around Portland, Oregon, from the grassroots to the highest professional level” (107ist). The group is named after section 107 in the Providence Park stadium, where the Riveters and the Timbers Army–supporters of the MLS soccer team the Portland Timbers, and the other half of the 107IST–sit, or rather stand, to cheer and wave flags during games.

Approximately seven minutes before halftime, I excused myself from the engaging conversation I was having with my mother about the number of players in the NWSL who have recently retired and the number of new additions to the team whose names we haven’t had the chance to learn yet. If I were to leave even a minute later, I would find myself stuck yet again in the influx of people trying to buy concessions before the game starts up–as it is, there are already a fair number of fans waiting in lines that span the width of the hallway in all of the annoying ways, hoping to beat the halftime rush.

Despite the human roadblocks, I managed to make my way from my seat and around the curve of the stadium halls to the general admission section to see what happens in the North End for myself. Although my family and I have sat on the periphery of section 107 on occasion over the six or seven years we’ve been going to soccer matches at Providence Park, I’ve never really been in the center of it all. Of course, the spectacle the Riveters create can be seen and heard from any corner of the stadium (that’s like, the whole point), but there’s something special about hearing the drums and the horns and seeing the mass of people march back and forth. It’s here that I can first understand why there are so many people dedicated to maintaining this space.

When I first started going to Thorns matches, I was around 8 years old and it was 2015. I remember that the cacophony of the crowd was less exciting than the game in front of me because I was a kid who played striker and goalie on my recreational team and the idea of playing soccer as a job was almost magical. It was much more than a soccer game for my young mind, it was a dream come true. At the time, I was entirely unaware of the great number of people in the crowd who remembered a time when the Portland Thorns didn’t exist and when women in America couldn’t play soccer at all.

The history of women’s soccer in the US began on June 23, 1972, the day when the Title IX law was signed, forbidding discrimination among educational programs on the basis of sex. This became the very foundation of women's sports in America and quickly sparked a dramatic surge in female athletic participation nationwide despite the lengthy amount of time given by the enforcement regulations to the schools to comply. However, soccer was not explicitly allowed by Title IX because of an additional clause detailing an exception to the rule: schools were not required to provide equal opportunities to girls in sports that were classified as contact sports, such as “boxing, wrestling, rugby, ice hockey, football, basketball, and other sports the purpose or major activity of which involved bodily contact.” In many states, girls were banned from playing soccer because it was believed they were weaker than boys and therefore in physical danger when participating in contact sports. Gender segregation in sports was rationalized because the government thought it was in their interest to protect girls’ safety in this way (Fields 309-312).

This idea was countered by Hoover v. Meiklejohn in 1976 when a high school girl from Colorado named Donna Hoover sued the Jefferson County Board of Education and the Colorado High School Activities Association because their rules stated that she was not allowed to participate in soccer as a girl in her state. She sued on the basis that her constitutional right of equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment was violated because she couldn’t play, and she won. Soccer, although not deeply entrenched in American identity at the time, only grew with the aid of female participation allowed by Title IX and the equal protection clause. Around one hundred boys played organized youth soccer in 1964. By 1977, a little over ten years later, an estimated 500,000 children were part of soccer programs. (Fields 312-314) The history of soccer in the US started with little girls like me.

Beyond the youth levels, Title IX has created opportunities for intense growth in women's collegiate athletics, including soccer, opening avenues for greater visibility for female athletes and the potential for the development of professional competition. However, professional women’s soccer in the United States still traveled a rocky path after the success of Title IX. Before the National Women's Soccer League or NWSL, there were two failed professional women’s leagues in America. In 2000 there was the Women’s United Soccer Association, which had a relatively smooth start but was terminated three years after its first season in 2001 due to financial problems. Then there was Women’s Professional Soccer in 2008, operating on a smaller scale than the WUSA; the league got significantly less attention than its predecessor. Although they attempted a strategy of slower growth to maintain financial balance, the lack of viewership created the same lack of profit and the league also ended after three seasons. (Women’s Soccer History in the USA: An Overview) In 2012 the NWSL was born, and with its first season in 2013, the Portland Thorns began as well.

On their first home game on April 21, 2013, there were 16,479 fans in attendance. Even better, there was already a tifo greeting the players at the start of the match, created by the freshly dubbed Rose City Riveters, formed before the inaugural season with the help of the Timbers Army. When I spoke with Rachel Greenough–a member of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee–about the beginnings of the group, she said, “Like a lot of what we do, it was grassroots, it was meeting in someone’s living room and hashing out what the name of the group was going to be.” Greenough said that from the start there were people who were deeply passionate about the Thorns, and that “It did kind of offshoot from the Timbers Army, but even from the beginning it was its own thing.” Since that first day, the Riveters have shown up for soccer in Portland in thousands of ways, and have curated their own unique identity.

Anyone can see that the Riveters are extraordinary from inside the stadium, with creative chants and hundreds of hands in the air clapping along with the drum beats. Outside of the stadium, however, their new building provides insight into the unique nature of the Riveters. The space used to belong to a business that attaches roof racks to cars, but has since been redesigned by hours of work from volunteers and people who are, according to Greenough, “deeply stuck in.” The new space is located on the corner of 18th and Morrison, diagonally across from the stadium doors I entered to watch the Seattle match. It’s open every matchday for a couple of hours but closes twenty minutes before the game begins so the volunteers running the registers have enough time to get to their seats. I received my own private tour of the space around a week before the game and saw firsthand the effort they were putting into it. The group member who said hello to me while fixing a light fixture atop yellow scaffolding as I entered the space on Thursday was noticeably absent in the brightly lit store bustling with customers and volunteers on game day.

Figure 2: An image of the Axe and Rose on gameday. (Robertson)

The Axe and Rose is most obviously a storefront for Riveter and Timbers Army designed merchandise that funds the majority of the 107IST’s activities. However, it also contains a meeting room for the steering committees outfitted with a green turf carpet and a TV at the end of the large table to coordinate online meetings–a necessary post-COVID addition. There’s also the tifo workspace up the stairs which neither Greenough nor I were allowed to enter because the first and second rules of tifo are “do not talk about tifo.” (107ist) Lastly, the majority of the building’s ground floor is taken up by a large garage area that currently serves as a storage space after the recent move. It will eventually turn into a community space for events on match days, something that was previously impossible due to the lack of space in downtown Portland. Greenough also hopes the event space could be used by community partners or for lectures and CPR training, which the organization periodically offers for members.

A big part of the Riveters is what goes on beyond gameday, and their efforts to bolster the Portland community outside of supporting the Thorns. One of the committees of the 107IST is a joint effort of the Timbers Army and the Riveters dedicated to community outreach. In the past, they’ve done match day donation drives, and every year the organization buys a few season tickets to donate to local nonprofits to use as fundraisers. Most of the community work they do is grassroots and built on the person-to-person connections that they have with many local organizations. Greenough seemed to feel a sense of pride in that people in the Portland community seem to know that the Riveters are “a group they can call on when they have a need, whether that’s a need for volunteers or resources or whatever.”

Many of the groups that they partner with are invested in supporting minorities in Portland. Although part of the Riveter’s identity is strongly rooted in their independence, they often collaborate along community lines to create a bigger impact. In July of 2023, they worked with the Timbers and Thorns Stand Together Coordinator Dr. Robin Beavers to create shirts designed by Meghan Klingenberg, a player for the Thorns. All of the sales of the shirts, printed with the words “I’m Here, I’m Queer, & I Cheer for the Thorns” and “I Support Queer Joy,” served as a fundraiser for New Avenues for Youth, a nonprofit founded “in response to the growing numbers of youth experiencing homelessness in downtown Portland” (New Avenues for Youth).

More recently the Riveters released their 2024 Pridraiser Campaign. They’re raising money for Outside In, one of the first free community health clinics in the United States. They provide healthcare for everyone, “regardless of their gender identity, insurance or immigration status, or their ability to pay” (New Avenues for Youth). This partnership isn’t out of character for the group, in fact, pride has always been a special event for the Riveters. A look at past tifos will reveal a consistent history of pride-related designs, often relating to whatever recent turmoil may be facing the national LGBTQ+ community or the group itself. Inside the Axe and Rose there are swaths of pride-related products available year round, and the back rooms are plastered with stickers proudly presenting taglines such as “black lives matter” and “end fascism.” You can find a trans flag hanging on the wall next to the trophy case that holds memories of fundamental moments for the Timbers Army, the Riveters, and their teams. An integral part of the Rose City Riveters is being a community that welcomes everyone. They have always made sure to use their power to stand up for those who need it.

When asked about the inclusive nature of the group, Greenough said, “I think it’s really self-perpetuating … That [being emphatically inclusive] is absolutely our ethos, and the people who stick around are the people who perpetuate that ethos and the people who want to be a part of that keep coming in.” In a sense, the Riveter’s advocacy is another way the importance of their independence as a group shines through. As Greenough puts it, “this is our home, this is the place we belong … There’s a real sense of ownership and passion for protecting that space and making it open to anyone who needs it.”

Sometimes that passion spreads into conflicts with the stadium or team management. In the past couple years, the Riveters have not shied away from defending their own rights as an independent supporters group. They also have been vehement in their fight for the rights of the players, especially regarding the recent NWSL abuse scandal, when former coach Paul Riley’s mistreatment of players was hidden from the public and other teams, allowing him to move to the North Carolina Courage and continue to use his position as coach to sexually harass players. In many ways, the Riveters are a force to be reckoned with, and they recognize that.

Not being tied to the front office is essential to the identity of the group. The Riveters are their own community, and similarly to how there’s no head authority from the Thorns management controlling their actions, there’s no one person who leads the group. It’s not about individuals, but rather collective work to support the team and soccer in the greater Portland area. However, their independence and collective mindset mean that it’s difficult to coordinate as a whole unit, and even more challenging to let outsiders know about who they are and what they do as a group.

There’s a whole stadium of people in Providence Park every week who have been watching Thorns games forever and have never fully known about the Riveters. And yet, record numbers of people still flock downtown and crawl through the crowds to attend Thorns matches. They go for the soccer, but they also go for the energy of the crowd, and the sense of home you feel when you enter the stadium. The Riveters have the beating heart of Portland soccer since the very first game in 2013.

When I sit, watching the Thorns score their fourth goal against the Seattle Reign and hear the crowd roar, I hope that the legacy of the Riveters will spread further throughout the NWSL, and the global football scene. There really is nothing like sitting in a crowd of people who love to watch a game of professional women’s soccer.

A Chance to Get Stuck In!

Sam Prince — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 16:40:35 GMT

To the 107ist Community!

It’s summer, the schedule is packed, and we’re all getting set in our game day routines.

The Rose City Riveters are looking to grow our volunteer team, and we have a few opportunities that we are looking to add some voices to.

Our Away Travel team is looking for folks who are interested in tackling the logistics of away travel. This would be a great opportunity for someone who enjoys helping ensure Riveters get correct, timely information about procuring tickets in opposing team stadiums and delivering the tickets (via various ticket platforms) before the match. We also arrange fun things like bus trips for Seattle Aways! It would be a great opportunity for someone who is a good communicator, doesn’t mind admin-type work and has the bandwidth to engage with folks as needed during weekend and non-business hours. Email awaytravel@107ist.org to help out!

Our Game Day Operations is looking for folks who may be interested in helping us set up in the stadium on game days. Those flags you love waving? Volunteers place them under seats every single match and then help them get back up to the tippy top of the North End after the match. Volunteers also help keep the North End a safe and welcoming place for all, passing out chant sheets and helping newbies feel included. This is a great opportunity for someone who loves loud spaces before they get filled, who loves working with a team to help make sure the North End stays loud and stays safe. Email gdo@rosecityriveters.org for more info.

RivetGear, the merch team for Rose City Riveters, is looking for volunteer help in two areas. First, they are looking for people who may have a passion for designing merchandise, people who have an idea for what folks may want to buy and wear on the terraces and in the streets. RivetGear is also looking for people who are interested in volunteering on game days to sell our wares at the Axe and Rose, our retail space just outside of the stadium. If any of these sound like you, email merch@rosecityriveters.org.

Those massive banners that drape the North End a few times a year? Those are all designed and created by supporters and volunteers. Tifo Team is looking for folks who want to help with the creation and execution of tifo. This would be a fantastic opportunity for folks who have a strong desire to think big with their designs, while also helping the logistics that come with painting massive swathes of canvas. This falls under the realm of our Game Day Opps team so email tifo@rosecityriveters.org and mention tifo in your email!

You may have read this list and think “well, I have time, but I’m not sure if any of these sounds like me, but I still want to help!” Great. We have a spot for you. We promise we do. Whether you’re carving out your own role or we’re helping funnel you to a spot we think you could thrive, we want your help, we want your enthusiasm, and we’d be happy to have you on board. If you read this and are feeling unsure, you want to chat with someone who is involved in a particular area and see if it’s a fit, let us know, we’d be happy to chat! Send us an email at info@rosecityriveters.org and we’ll get you to someone.

There Is No Pride in Freedom Without Freedom From Genocide

Chris Spalding — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 16:29:34 GMT

The following blog post is from an individual who was part of the design and creation of this year's Pride tifo. Their name is withheld.

Here is why I admire and support this tifo: I was raised in a Jewish household. Though my upbringing was much more culturally rather than religiously Jewish, I have grown up owning my identity and the way it has shaped who I am. I have family that escaped antisemitism, and some who were not so lucky. I was raised with the understanding that even though my people have been treated so cruelly in the past, we should never repeat what has been done to us. I understand the pain and the anguish. I understand the anger. I understand the want to have a place, a homeland. But the acquiring and keeping of a “homeland” should never ever come at the expense of another people.

This conflict did not begin on Oct. 7, but now the world is paying attention. And my dream is that they see that no matter how you look at it, destruction and devastation of another peoples’ land should not be the way to find peace, to find grounding. You can want a place to belong while still understanding the terms of genocide. Wanting the end of this war does not mean wanting an end to the Jewish people.

As a Queer, Nonbinary, Jewish person, this tifo speaks to me on so many levels. It shows that we need to open our eyes to the devastation of a land and its people. People who make up so many differences and backgrounds, including being part of the LGBTQ+ community. No matter what, they are still there and being impacted, just like all Palestinians. There is no Pride in Freedom without freedom from genocide. My heart aches for all lives and land lost. There is absolutely nothing antisemitic about wanting people to live.

---

Riveters' Prideraiser 2024 Campaign: Outside In

Chris Spalding — Fri, 17 May 2024 20:00:00 GMT

The following is a guest blog post written by Maresa Kelly from Outside In, the organization we have selected for our 2024 Prideraiser campaign. Please read this post and learn about both their history and the work they do, and then consider joining the campaign.

Outside In was founded in 1968 on the Summer Solstice, making us 56 years old this year. We were one of the first free community health clinics in the United States. We’re a federally qualified health center, meaning we’re a healthcare home for everyone, regardless of their gender identity, insurance or immigration status, or their ability to pay.

Our mission is to help homeless youth and other marginalized people move towards improved health and self-sufficiency. Our spaces are welcoming for everyone, we’re affirming of all identities, and we’re committed to serving our clients without judgment. We offer wrap around, low-barrier services, through a harm reduction lens. From warm meals, to housing services, to education and employment support, to medical and behavioral health services, Outside In is committed to serving the whole person and meeting them where they are.

At Outside In, we believe that everyone deserves great healthcare that understands and supports who they are, especially when it comes to gender identity. We are dedicated to supporting our LGBTQIA+ and gender diverse community with specialized services tailored to their unique needs. Our inclusive and affirming approach ensures that every individual feels seen, heard, and valued. From healthcare and counseling to community outreach and advocacy, we provide comprehensive support to help our clients thrive. We believe in providing holistic support for our LGBTQIA+ clients through:

Primary Medical Care
• Access to gender affirming hormones
• Surgical and other medical referrals to support gender identity
• Letters of support for gender affirming surgery

Community Resources
• Information, referrals to legal aid, and financial assistance for gender expansive clients navigating legal name/gender marker changes
• Information and referrals for food, clothing, housing, and other resources

QueerZone
• Identity-affirming activities to build community among queer youth experiencing houselessness

Housing Resources
• Available for young people, ages 16 through 24, who are eligible for the Multnomah County Homeless Youth Continuum

About 36% of the approximately 10,000 clients and patients served through Outside In’s Clinic and Health Services, Behavioral Health Services, and Youth Services programs self-identify as transgender or gender-diverse. Our commitment to gender-expansiveness is evident among our staff as well, with 23% of staff also self-identifying as transgender or gender-diverse.

No matter where someone is on their unique gender journey, our goal is to support them with respect and dignity. Right now, thanks to our friends at the Ed Cauduro Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, when you show your support for our LGBTQIA+ programs, all donations (up to $25,000) will be doubled! That's twice the impact - and a lot to be proud of!

This Pride month, will you help us send a strong message of hope to queer youth experiencing homelessness? Visit our website to learn more and give a gift today.

Note from the Riveters: Prideraiser is a fun way to join supporters across the country in supporting LGBTQ+ communities. Please visit our Prideraiser page and make a pledge per goal scored in June. At the end of the month, you'll get a reminder to complete your donation to Outside In.

Rose City Riveters Membership Survey - Reflections

Chris Spalding — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 22:18:54 GMT

A while ago, we distributed a survey to folks who identify as a member of the Rose City Riveters. Our primary goal with this survey was to understand the perspective and goals of our membership.

The survey looked three main aspects of membership:

What the Riveters mean to our members
Inclusion and belonging
Future goals and organizational growth

Survey Results Summary

We had 134 individuals respond to provide their voice. There were several themes that emerged after reviewing the data including

Gameday atmosphere, player support, and creating a truly inclusive community were the top three aspects of Riveters culture that members said most important to them
Members have attempted to get more involved with the Riveters, but have felt their efforts were rebuffed or not welcomed
Members identified several ways to be more inclusive and welcoming to new members including:
- Improving outreach efforts to increase awareness of the opportunity and how to get involved
- Improving how folks are engaged once they do attempt to get involved
- Riveters leaders actively welcoming and engaging folks who attempt to get more involved
Members have a wide variety of preferences regarding how they want to be involved with the Riveters spanning activities including: attending games to painting tifo to attending Riveters steering committee meetings to generating new ideas for member events

We plan to use what we learned to inform how we work going forward to create engaging events, welcome new members to get engaged, and encourage more folks to help build and improve our group. We’ve already got some events in the works to try to be more open and engaging. Going forward, we will also likely have more surveys to both gauge progress and explore new areas of concern. It’s a new era for our club, and we’re excited for all the possibilities that entails with regards both to FO changes and supporter engagement.

Survey Question Deep Dive

Here are the highlights of what we heard based on the following questions

Survey Question
What aspects of Riveters culture and activities are important to you?

Survey Question
What are five words you want to be able to use to describe the Rose City Riveters in 3 years?

Survey Question
What do you think needs to be done to build a larger, more involved group of individuals who work to fulfill our mission?

Survey Question
In what ways would you like to be involved/included in this work and how can we make that happen?

The Riveters Steering Committee Meets with the Bhathals

Sam Prince — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 19:26:49 GMT

This is a statement posted on behalf of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee:

On Monday, February 5th, members of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee met with the Bhathal family after their formal introductory press conference. As the Thorns enter a new era, so too does our relationship with a new Front Office.

The Bhathals were attentive to the history of the club, engaged with a wide vision for what the club can be, and incredibly appreciative of the culture of the North End. The discussion was positive and productive. There was a free exchange of ideas and feedback between the Riveters Steering Committee and the Bhathals.

They spoke about their listening tour this year while also building out their staff for the business side to be less dependent on the Timbers staff, which has been brought up in previous interviews. They are also wanting to learn more about the culture we have in the North End and throughout the Park so they can connect more with our community.

We maintain a stance of cautious optimism, and are excited to see what kind of a relationship will be fostered moving forward.

Riveters Steering Committee & Thorns Ownership Meeting

Chris Spalding — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 00:11:09 GMT

Members of the Riveters Steering Committee will be meeting with new Thorns ownership prior to the meet & greet at the Soop on Monday. We have not yet been in direct communication with the new owners, but have sent a welcome letter, which we wanted to share with our members here.

Hello from the North End,

We are members of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee. We are writing to introduce ourselves, to say “Welcome to Portland!” and to begin what we hope will be a productive and positive ongoing conversation during this new era for the Portland Thorns FC.

First, welcome to the Rose City! We are full of anticipation for this new era. We’ve read and listened to what you have said since finalizing the purchase and we agree– this club and this city are special. Under your stewardship, we believe that the players of the Portland Thorns will get the facilities, staff, and marketing they deserve, and we are happy to support that goal in any way we can. We often say how fortunate we are that we get to watch the best players in the world right here in Portland, and we can’t wait for even more people to come join in the celebration.

A little about us. We are the Rose City Riveters, the independent supporters group for the Portland Thorns. The Rose City Riveters have existed since the club’s inception, and are here to support the club. This has meant many things over the years. Most visibly, it means we show up on game day. The North End of Providence Park (the General Admissions seating in sections 101-108, and 202 through 208) is a beloved home to many of us, though Riveters are scattered throughout the stadium and the world. At games, you’ve seen our capos on the stage leading chants and popping smoke to celebrate goals, several sections of standing supporters singing their hearts out, flags, drums, trumpets, and a passion that is deeply rooted in community. Our actions also extend outside the stadium. Riveters are under the umbrella of the 107 Independent Supporters Trust, a registered not-for-profit organization that supports soccer in the Rose City from the grassroots to the highest professional level. The 107IST supports and partners with many local community organizations: both soccer- and service-focused. We are loud, we are passionate, and we are all volunteers who give our time and heart to this club and city. The past few years have admittedly been very difficult for our community, and we look forward with cautious optimism toward what comes next.

In early 2023, we shared a blog post, in which we spoke directly to the players, supporters and future owners of the club. These words continue to feel as true as ever, so we share them with you today:

To the new owners in 2024, you undoubtedly realize that you have inherited an unruly horde of supporters along with your purchase of the club. We hope that you have also come to realize that our passion is only matched by our caring and our dreams. We dream of true equality, emotional and physical safety, and playing environments that match the excellence we see before us each season. While we might make you uncomfortable at times, we share your hopes and dreams for this team. We welcome you, the new owners of the Thorns, and are hopeful for a future where we can play our independent roles in harmony– for the greater good of Portland soccer.

As the club transitions to your stewardship, we know there must be a million and one items on your to-do list. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you, introduce you to this community, and begin getting to know one another.

As the long-time supporters of this club, we want to extend to you our warmest welcome and gratitude for your investment in its future. We can’t wait to see what’s next.

Sincerely,

The Rose City Riveters Steering Committee

Wendy Broussard
Sarah Williams Brown
Tina Ettlin
Rachel Greenough
Hannah Mueller
Sheridan Nichols
Sam Prince
Gabby Rosas
Chris Spalding
Jennifer Sato

Portland Thorns FC SOLD - Riveters’ Statement

Chris Spalding — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 20:00:58 GMT

The following is a statement from the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee.

The Rose City Riveters are relieved that the sale has been completed and thrilled we can start a new chapter with the Portland Thorns, especially before the NWSL Draft. After years of transition and upheaval, we are hopeful that this move to new ownership offers stability for both the players on the field and the supporters in the stands.

We are aware what the Bhathal ownership group have been able to accomplish in the NBA and are cautiously optimistic about what they can do for the Portland Thorns. We are open to and look forward to forging this new relationship, to conveying our passion about supporting the players, the club, and Portland. We look forward to learning more about the Bhathal plan for continuing the path of keeping the Thorns a place players and fans want to be.

Thorns Player Gifts, pt 11: The Bon Bon Box

Chris Spalding — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 20:20:23 GMT

Bon bon bon bon... sing wherever we go...

This year’s player gift is a treat box that includes candies/chocolates, candles that resemble smoke bombs but smell like a favorite cereal, maple leaf wax melts, and a custom embroidered THORNIES NEVER SAY DIE towel.

Morgan Weaver - 2023 Rose City Riveters’ Supporters’ Player of the Year

Chris Spalding — Sat, 07 Oct 2023 23:22:11 GMT

Each season, the Rose City Riveters honor a singularly exceptional Thorns player who exhibits brilliant talent and stellar character – a player who elevates their teammates, our club, and the City of Portland with the consistency and inspiring awe of a constellation.

This year’s recipient has scored goals, tallied assists, garnered fouls, and earned the admiration of vast numbers with her caliber on the pitch.

All this, coupled with her qualities as a rising leader, her fondness for extroverted antics, the confidence she carries, and the empathy she models, made the choice evident.

Morgan Weaver is The Rose City Riveters’ Supporters’ Player of the Year 2023.

From her youth league days, through her successful collegiate career in Pullman, Washington, to her professional journey in Portland, Oregon, Morgan’s abilities shine bright.

Today, Morgan Weaver's brilliance is our focus – deserving and remarkable among a group of stars, such as those among the Thorns and all who shine across football's vast spaces.

It is our honor to present to her this trophy, our recognition, and our gratitude. Thank you, Morgan Weaver!

- By Any Other Name #BAONPDX

Kling x RivetGear x Stand Together Collab!

Chris Spalding — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 18:30:00 GMT

The following is a post from the RivetGear team.

We are excited to announce that we have two t-shirts designed by Meghan Klingenberg in collaboration with RivetGear and PTFC Stand Together available starting today, July 21. The designs are a multi-colored ode to queer joy, celebrating the intersection of identity and fandom. 100% of the sales of these shirts are a fundraiser for New Avenues for Youth.

The shirts are $25 each, and will be sold pre-match exclusively by RivetGear at 1919 Morrison Street. The space opens at 5PM on July 21st, and opens once again in close proximity to the match ending. A small portion of remaining stock will be online the next day and we will announce when it is available via social media. The shirts will be available in size XS through 4XL, with limited quantities available.

The RivetGear team is excited to collaborate with Meghan and Dr. Robin Beavers on this effort and excited to continue to support our amazing community partners like New Avenues for Youth!

Tell us about all the 2023 World Cup Watch Parties!

Chris Spalding — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 21:53:52 GMT

With five Thorns headed to this world cup (along with so many other fantastic athletes) there's bound to be some good watch parties happening around town (and beyond). So, we're starting a list: 2023 World Cup Watch Parties

If you know of any watch parties that you think should be added to the list, please drop us a line! Include date/time, location, and any other pertinent details that might be helpful (all ages/21+, food, drinks, etc.)

Riveters' Prideraiser 2023 Campaign Benefits New Avenues for Youth / SMYRC

Chris Spalding — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 22:54:12 GMT

The following is a guest blog post written by Lauren Eads from New Avenues for Youth. This year's Prideraiser 2023 campaign benefits New Avenues / SMYRC, and when you read the post you will understand what makes this organization so special. Please consider pledging to the campaign and/or donating directly.

New Avenues for Youth is a Portland-based nonprofit dedicated to the prevention and intervention of youth homelessness. Our services for young people (ages 9-25) focus on the individual—their experiences, identities, needs, and goals—and helping them make positive change in their lives. From meals and counseling to job training and housing, their equity-based services address the many barriers to stability and well-being that young people face. Each and every day, we show up in compassionate, creative ways, ensuring that they always have a place to turn.

Through our 25 years of operating in the Portland area, we have seen that LGBTQIA2S+ youth are disproportionately represented in the young people we serve. In fact, 57% of young people accessing New Avenues programs identify as queer or trans, with only 9.5% the general population self-identifying with LGBTQIA2S+. Family conflict is the primary cause of homelessness for LGBTQIA2S+ youth, which is disproportionately due to a lack of acceptance by family members of a youth’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Many youth also identify aging out of the foster care system, poverty, and shortages of shelters and housing programs as the reason for their homelessness. Queer and Trans youth are also more likely to experience assault, trauma, depression, and suicide when compared to non-LGBTQ+ populations while also being homeless.

Because of this, we offer both culturally specific programs for this group, as well as staff integrated into each of our programs to support specific needs along their journey. The Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC) provides culturally specific case management, counseling, education, engagement activities, and more for LGBTQIA2S+ youth in Portland, and The Living Room provides programs and services in Clackamas County. We also offer Bridge 13 community education, which provides workshops for schools, businesses, and organizations on how to better support and affirm LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.

New Avenues and our LGBTQIA2S+ programs depend on community support to provide a safe space, resources, referrals, and fun activities for the youth we serve. We love partnering with folks to host donation drives to collect safety supplies, body affirming undergarments, cosmetics, and hygiene supplies for young people throughout our programming. And of course, your financial support makes all of our work possible. Donate today at newavenues.org.

To learn more about how you can get involved email Lauren Eads, Director of Development & Communications, at leads@newavenues.org or visit the website at www.newavenues.org.

Dear Providence Park...

Wendy Broussard — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 21:11:21 GMT

The following is an open letter from the Riveters Steering Committee:

Dear Providence Park – An optimistic open letter to the players, staff, supporters, and owners of the team in the year 2024!

We’re so glad to see you here in 2024. We have all been through a lot these last few years, and we’re glad to see you that you are still here in the new year, breathing deeply in the fresh air of tomorrow. That’s not to say everything is done and dusted. It’s not to say we’ve achieved a plateau of perfection or that we’ve stopped striving for more, but we are still here. And that means a lot.

Players of the Thorns, we want the world for you. You impress us every day, and are the center of what brings us together. Looking ahead from our perch in early 2023, we see many opportunities and dreams ahead. We see you playing soccer and achieving great things on the pitch, and we see your success in whatever endeavors you choose to focus on as you heal from this hurricane of a time. For years, you have achieved at the highest level– despite the abuse faced by many of you and your teammates, despite the fact that you were not given all that you deserved. We look ahead and see a future where the sky’s the limit. We see training facilities, staff, marketing, and sponsorship that is focused on you and your accomplishments. As importantly, we see an environment that ensures your safety and security, and meets your needs as elite athletes. We are looking ahead now, and we can see that the road is paved with possibility. We can’t wait to see where it goes and what you will achieve.

Supporters of the Thorns, you are the heart and soul of soccer in Portland. What we do here is bigger than spectatorship, bigger than fandom, and bigger than one team. Supporters of the women’s game, inclusive of its non-binary and trans players, know that we support players who succeed in the face of tough odds, who are living their dreams, and for whom those dreams have never held a certain foothold in the reality of the sports landscape.

You have been riding a roller coaster that you never signed up for these past few years. Looking ahead at 2024, we hope to celebrate this team with you once again. In the 2024 we envision, the team’s new owners are still settling in– but already making great strides. We are excited and supportive of these changes, we are glad for the transparency they demonstrate when possible, we watch closely and listen to the players as we welcome this new ownership and new era for our team. We are still here. This place is still home, and we will protect this place.

Rose City Riveters, our word this year is community, and we dream of the community that will thrive as we move into a new era for the team. Community is internal– it is who we are, what we do, and how we stand up for one another. It is in the stadium– the place that means the world to so many of us – and the friends and family we have met there. It is even bigger than that. It is how we engage with the city around us and the people who live here.

To the new owners in 2024, you undoubtedly realize that you have inherited an unruly horde of supporters along with your purchase of the club. We hope that you have also come to realize that our passion is only matched by our caring and our dreams. We dream of true equality, emotional and physical safety, and playing environments that match the excellence we see before us each season. While we might make you uncomfortable at times, we share your hopes and dreams for this team. We welcome you, the new owners of the Thorns, and are hopeful for a future where we can play our independent roles in harmony– for the greater good of Portland soccer.

We, the Steering Committee, have heard all of you, and we have been working on becoming bigger, broader, and better. We are turning on the porch lights wherever we can, and opening the gates. 2024 Steering Committee, we see you with your crowded table, full of folks representing the breadth of passion in this community. Gameday, community, events, and so much more. There are perspectives that are new, ones that have found space to return, and those that have been around for a while. Around this table we challenge one another with care and respect, we welcome other voices to speak up and contribute.

To everyone who makes this team what it is, we have a lot to do in 2023, but we look forward with hope for 2024 and beyond. “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” These words may never have been more true for the Riveters and the Thorns than they are today.

What might we be at this time next year? The possibilities are limitless.

Sincerely,

The Riveters Steering Committee
#BAONPDX

Celebrating Three Stars - Merch Design Contest

Gabby Rosas — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 00:59:14 GMT

Welcome creatives! We are looking for your take on what Riveters should be sporting in 2023 to celebrate the 2022 Championship. This is the third star and we’re looking for your inspiration.

Please use the size guides or templates below to create your submissions.

T-shirt - Max print size of 15” x 20”, please limit designs to 5 colors
Scarf - Design template here, limit of 7 colors
Patch - please provide dimensions, no color limit
Sticker - please provide dimensions, no color limit

Winners will receive one (1) merch item that they designed, in the specific size as needed.

Submission Guidelines and How to Enter:

The contest is open for submissions until noon on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 Pacific Standard Time (PST). Late submissions may not be eligible for this specific contest, though you can submit your design ideas anytime by emailing merch@rosecityriveters.org. We are always open to new ideas, so keep us in mind!

Members of the Riveters Merch Team will review designs to ensure they meet the guidelines and parameters. Feedback will be provided to those who have not followed the guidelines and parameters or if modifications are needed.

Finalists designs for the contest will be posted for community voting the week of February 20, 2023.

Voting will take place for 1 week and a winner will be notified by the end of February.

Entries can be submitted electronically by emailing merch@rosecityriveters.org or dropped off at the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder) during Office Hours on Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 8pm. Submissions must include the full name(s) of the person(s) who designed the entry, along with their email address and/or postal address and phone number.

One or more submissions per person is acceptable. Please submit each design in a separate email.

There is no fee to enter the contest.

Design Guidelines and Parameters:

The purpose of this contest is to design artwork that will be made into merchandise by the RivetGear team and sold in our Shopify store, both online and in person, with proceeds going to Riveters Gameday Operations such as tifo, smoke, facilities rent, and other operating costs for our organization.

The artwork should convey excitement and/or positivity regarding the 2022 NWSL Championship victory.

The artwork can include either the Riveters primary or secondary marks.

The artwork must be appropriate for all ages.

The artwork must be an entrant's own original artwork, have not been copied from others, and must not violate the intellectual property rights of any other person or entity. For this reason, RivetGear cannot accept entries that include the use of the words or images of the Portland Thorns, NWSL, NWSL trophy, player or coach names or likeness or other images that belong to others.

Electronic entries can be submitted as JPEG or AI files. For quality production purposes, the winning entry must later be made available in scalable vector graphic format. Contestants are advised to avoid t-shirt designs that require more than 5 colors to aid in keeping production costs low.

Reflections on Joy and Community

Chris Spalding — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 21:28:35 GMT

The following is a blog post submitted by Rachel Greenough.

It generally takes me a long time to find my people. People who know me well laugh when I say I’m not outgoing, because I do talk a whole lot and I love people, but it takes me a while to get there. At first, I talk because I’m just so nervous.

This is to say that it’s sometimes hard to find my place. But when I do, I’m all in. I got involved with the Riveters because I got to know one or two people enough to bug them until they offered me a role. It has been the greatest honor of my life to find myself among friends and at home in this culture.

When that place and that community are threatened, it is devastating… I am so mad about the things that happened to Mana Shim, Sinead Farrelly, Kaiya McCullough, Erin Simon, and so many others in this league, but I am also mad about what has happened to my own friends, the people I work and cheer alongside every week to build this community, make things happen, and dream of what more we can be. I'm mad about their pain and trauma. I’m mad about the splintering of our community, the challenge to our joy, the hit to our ability to come out in droves and make a difference in and out of soccer.

But here we are, heading to a final. Whether we are in DC, at a watch party in Portland or around the world, at home on our couches, we are here for the players, but we are also here for ourselves, each other, and our community. As Bill Oram so eloquently expressed in his column last weekend, this is so much bigger than who owns the club. As we own our space, find new space, and support one another, we render the team owner irrelevant. As we find pathways to support the players, ensure their safety and good treatment, ensure that their voices are heard and respected if they wish to speak up, honor their wishes if they do not… as we look to one another and smile, laugh, cheer… these are the ways that we will heal and find joy.

I will continue to say it until we all feel it, until the joy comes easier: our joy is our resistance. We have worked to get here, as have the players. We will not give up, we will not back down. In the meantime, we have to take the wins where we find them. We need to feel that catharsis of a DUNN BANGER IN THE 90+3! We need to feel the joy of running into friendly faces at the airport, talking to strangers about the joy of women’s sports.

My mom is a big supporter of the team, and a big supporter of supporter culture. She wasn’t in the stadium last weekend but she told me she was surprised to find herself standing in her room in front of the TV, yelling, crying (and scaring the dog) when Crystal Dunn scored her goal. In the stadium, I yelled. Just tipped my head back and yelled at the top of my lungs. I felt like I should have rainbows and roses shooting out of my seams as I ripped apart. But I also felt like I was being stitched back together, I felt whole again in that stadium, claiming OUR HOME, sending immaculate vibes to our team, woven deeply into a web of 22,000+ supporters who were there and countless more who were startling dogs or taking over bars or screaming from afar.

Catharsis is beautiful, joy is necessary, community is power, love is strength, and we need all the strength to keep this up. I am filled with gratitude for each of you, everywhere. Let’s do this thing.

Views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect those of the 107IST, the Timbers Army, or the Rose City Riveters.

Thorns Player Gifts — Year 10

Chris Spalding — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 00:14:41 GMT

At the end of every season for 10 years, the Rose City Riveters have given the Thorns players and coaches a gift. From two-stick works of art to flip-books to bonfire s'mores kits, every year is unique.

This season, our gift is a cheers to 10 years:

Stainless steel pint glasses x2, referencing the 10 year tin/aluminum traditional gift, engraved with a version of the art found on our anniversary tee.
Tie-dye Pride bandana in red and black
Tifo in a bottle: 1 piece of a 7x2 foot tifo that spells out By Any Other Name, each individually in a cork topped bottle

Here's to 10... and the next 10.

Call for Messages of Support

Chris Spalding — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 02:18:46 GMT

On Monday, we posted an open letter to the Players of the Portland Thorns to express our support. We would like to offer the opportunity for you to write your own messages of support for the players that we will then bundle and deliver to them ahead of the semi-final match. These can be physical letters or postcards, small works of art and drawings, or they can be comments on this blog post or emails sent to rsc@rosecityriveters.org. Please ensure your message arrives by October 20th.

We ask that these be messages of support to the entire team, as we are unable to get them into specific player’s hands. The goal is to spread love and support to the players, and cheer them on with energy for the semifinal game. We strongly urge that you do not reach out to players directly.

Physical messages can be mailed to or dropped in the mailslot at Fanladen (1633 SW Alder St., Portland OR 97205). Please note on the envelope “attn: Letters to Thorns Players.”

(Please note that we will be opening any envelopes to ensure that everything is safe and appropriate.)

An open letter to my fellow supporters of the Portland Thorns

Chris Spalding — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 00:15:47 GMT

The following is a blog post submitted by K Staller.

This past week and the preceding year have been hard. It has been a struggle to comprehend the abuses that transpired at the place that has brought us all so much joy over the years. Even more so it has been hard to comprehend how only some of those in power are only just now being held somewhat accountable for their actions despite all of the reporting and stories coming to light.

I know I am finding it incredibly difficult to process as things evolve almost daily. I have been struggling with the demons of my own trauma for 10 years now. I have learnt a lot about myself in those 10 years and as terrifying and horrible as the trauma itself was, I survived with only the deep emotional scars now remaining all this time later.

In the weeks following my trauma I returned to the place it happened, a place that, like the stadium, had given me so many happy and great memories. I did it with a heavy heart full of fear and trepidation, but I also did it to support my friend and fellow survivor and to help support myself and to show ourselves that despite what happened to us, we were stronger than we knew and because nobody should have to return to the place of their trauma without support.

Not everyone can return to the place of their trauma and not everyone has the choice. For the players of our team, this is the unfortunate reality of their situation, they will return to the stadium and they will play despite everything that has happened to their and will people in power still are yet to face the consequences of theirs actions.

My hope is that we who are able, show our team that we will always love and support them, even in the most trying of times by being inside that stadium with them and letting the whole world know are with them through all the good and especially the bad.

Because This Club Belongs To Us.

Views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect those of the 107IST, the Timbers Army, or the Rose City Riveters.

Dear Players of the Portland Thorns

Chris Spalding — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 19:04:18 GMT

The following is an open letter from the Rose City Riveters steering committee.

Dear Players of the Portland Thorns,

A year and a half ago, as we prepared for a partial return to in-person games, we sent an open letter to Providence Park, wishing for the day when we would be back in full voice, filling the stadium to the rafters with cheers and chants, waving flags and popping smoke. We all awaited the day when we would once again raise our voices in collective joy as we cheered you on to victory.

Your game brings us together – it creates community from the pitch to the stands to the city that surrounds us. When the ball hits the back of the net, when a defender pulls off a perfect tackle, when the passing connects and we watch you play this beautiful game – through all of that, we lose ourselves in watching you, singing for you, sending you every ounce of energy and joy we can muster from the stands. Then we take that collective power and we spread it to the community, working to connect the dots of Team, Town, and Riveters. This spark comes from you and spreads into a bonfire that burns so bright.

At times, over the last year, our experience in the stands has been more solemn.

When we watched you come together with your opponents during the 6th minute, on October 6, 2021, we were overcome by the power and strength you showed. We have watched you step up as leaders on and off the pitch– from first-year rookies to the most experienced veteran players, you have truly blown us away. As we have navigated, personally and collectively, the tricky questions of how best to show our support for you– current players, past players, future players– we eventually found ways to reclaim some of that joy. Our joy is, truly, an act of resistance and community.

We are amazed by what you have accomplished this year. In the midst of such turmoil, you pulled together and poured your hearts into this game and each other, ultimately earning a semifinal at home. We wish that we could fill the stands with a sea of red, rise to our feet throughout the stadium, and sing with one collective voice to cheer you on.

Once again, we stand at a decision point. Our members and dedicated volunteers must make some tough personal decisions. Some folks simply are not comfortable in the stadium right now. Some do not feel that they can give their money to the owner. And some will purchase tickets and be there, ready to cheer with all their hearts. These are all decisions that we understand and support.

But we want you to know. Whether we are in the stadium or outside of it, in the street or at home, we support the players of the Portland Thorns. We support you. You have been through enough, and we will be here no matter what happens next.

Always,

The Rose City Riveters

Sophia Smith - 2022 Rose City Riveters’ Player of the Year

Chris Spalding — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 22:10:55 GMT

Every season, each Riveter is faced with the difficult task of choosing a favorite amongst a slew of deserving players. This year’s squad made the decision as tough as ever, but after the voting smoke cleared, there was a clear winner and there was no surprise who it was.

Sophia Smith is your Rose City Riveters’ Player of the Year.

Her stats speak for themselves:

At Stanford, she netted 24 goals in 33 appearances, and helped her team win the national title.

With the USWNT U20 squad, she scored 21 goals in her 25 appearances.

In 2020, she was the Thorns #1 draft pick. Since then, she’s made 38 regular season appearances for the club, scoring 19 times so far.

At the senior national team level, she’s currently at 10 goals and 23 appearances with more surely to come.

Everybody who watches her play can see that she’s more than just those stats though. What she brings to each team is also the intangible, but noticeable, blend of joy and fierce competitiveness. Her final touch is smooth and right on target; she’s a nightmare for any defense we’re facing.

It’s a privilege to have her wear our club’s badge, and it’s an honor to present her this award.

- By Any Other Name #BAONPDX

2022 Riveters Supporters' Player of the Year Voting Open!

Chris Spalding — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 20:50:35 GMT

It's hard to believe it's already that time again, but it is! We need you to help vote for the 2022 Riveters Supporters' Player of the Year! See past winners and read about SPOTY here.

This year we are changing it up. Between now & September 18 cast your votes for your favorite players. Because we know it's too hard to choose just one, we've implemented ranked voting!

The SPOTY award will be presented after the last regular season home match September 25.

Please rank your top five choices for SPOTY here.

What's Next?

Wendy Broussard — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 19:02:33 GMT

(The following is a blog by Rachel Greenough, a member of the Riveters Steering Committee. Individual opinions may not be reflective of the whole group.)

I joined the Rose City Riveters to support the players of the Portland Thorns, and I also joined because I love what the Riveters stand for and what we do in our broader community. I imagine I speak for more than myself when I say that Monday’s statement from the players raised a lot of mixed emotions for me. First, I am genuinely glad if the current Thorns players feel that they are being treated with respect and supported by the club. I respect their individual agency, and that they are professionals who may make an informed judgment of their professional environment and their treatment there. I believe that we, as supporters, also have a distinct perspective. I want to support a front office that is transparently sharing information. I have to look at what I know in the context of what has come before and may come after the present time. The actions of the front office are still opaque, and they have not shared any communication with supporters or the 107IST that allows me to regain trust and rebuild my support for the club.

I would always prefer to be cheering in the stands. Many of us would prefer that to just about any other activity in our daily lives. It has been heartbreaking to spend our time and energy protesting abuse and lack of transparency. We know the players want the Portland Thorns to be the best club in the world. So do we. But that is not the reality at this time.

I would like to hear directly from the front office regarding what has taken place since the Paul Riley allegations came to light on September 30. I would like our front office to directly address how a player could leave a meeting believing she had been told to hide parts of her identity in public, and how they will ensure that never happens again. My trust is broken. I respect and support the players – past, present, and future – but the supporter perspective is different, and my wishes are different. I want direct action and transparency from the front office of the Portland Thorns. It is telling that in the midst of such serious allegations the only statement we have heard from our front office (since Merritt’s letter of October 4th) is one condemning the actions of the supporters who are fighting for better conditions.

To the front office: We shouldn’t have to hear from the players about what is or is not being done. That does not satisfy our desire for transparency from you. I am not satisfied by what I have heard, and I call on you, the leadership of PTFC, to communicate transparently about the scope of the inquiry that has taken place and why Gavin Wilkinson has been reinstated in a leadership role with the Thorns. We, the supporters, have been here telling you what will bring us back, joyfully, into your stadium, and you have not provided any of it – or at least have not shared it publicly. I do understand that there are limits to what can be shared at any given time, but you have cut off high-level communications and have not responded to the concerns we have raised. You have not engaged in any discussion or public actions that would convince us that you acknowledge the need for accountability and change within the club. You have not told us why we should trust you again. I look forward to learning the results of the NWSL/NWSLPA investigation – which I hope will be a truly independent and thorough investigation into abuse in this league, including within PTFC – but I continue to call on you to be proactive and do better. Again, I am glad players’ demands are being met to their satisfaction. I am glad if these players feel safe and happy. However, this does not erase the harm of the past, nor ensure that it will not happen again in the future. One concrete action that will ensure player safety on a league level is the passage of a CBA that supports all players in the league. I hope that our club leadership on the NWSL Board of Governors has been meaningfully and supportively involved in that process, but I cannot, with the information publicly available, assume this to be true.

To my fellow supporters: I absolutely respect the individual decisions that supporters are making at this time, and understand that people will be making different decisions regarding tickets, support, and collective action. It’s really hard, and I’m going through it too. I recognize that these decisions are deeply personal and rooted in your own experiences. The Riveters are here to support you, too, and to represent your collective point of view the best we can. I encourage you to continue engaging with us, as you are able. I want you to know that our fight is not over to build a better club and a safer club for everyone who comes here in the future: players and supporters alike.

What's In A Name?

Wendy Broussard — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 23:01:16 GMT

(The following is is a guest blog by Luke Fritz)

What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet (Romeo and Juliet, 2.2)

On January 18th, 2013, what would eventually become known as Rose City Riveters formally met for the first time. Today marks nine years since that day and the 2022 season marks ten years of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The two previous highest tier women’s professional leagues in the United States, the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), and Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), each suspended operations after three seasons. When the NWSL was announced in 2012, Portland was among the franchises awarded, after not being a part of either WUSA or WPS.

In the years that have followed, the 107IST and Rose City Riveters have strived to set the standard for the support of women's professional soccer in the United States and beyond. Books have been written. Articles have been produced with regularity. And many supporters and players have moved to Portland because of this support.

But it did not have to be this way. It does not have to be this way now or in the future, either.

To continue with the Shakespearean motif that #BAONPDX references, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” (Hamlet, 1.4).

The current state of affairs between Portland’s front office and supporters of the teams here is a reminder that it takes years and years of work to build something that can be undone in a matter of minutes, or, days of silence that turn into weeks, months, and years. So, for a moment, let us reflect on where we came from.

In December of 2012, Mo Atkinson, who was 14 years old at the time, doodled a scarf design on the back of their high school math quiz, daydreaming about the newly announced NWSL franchise, Portland Thorns FC.

Mo’s final design looked like this:

As Mo wrote at the time: “I wanted this to resemble the iconic No Pity scarf, but I chose red and black because it's kind of fierce. Also those colors are part of the Thorns crest, and easy to distinguish from the Army scarf. I wanted to draw a TA parallel similar to the PTFC parallel, and after some brainstorming the Thorns Alliance name was my favorite.

By Any Other Name symbolizes that the TA will support the PTFC whether it's the Timbers Army supporting the Portland Timbers Football Club or the Thorns Alliance supporting the Portland Thorns FC. Of course it originally comes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, referring to a rose like the one pictured (with prominent thorns) on the scarf.”

After the original scarf run of 300 sold out in the days after Mo’s design went public, it seemed clear that more organizing would need to be done around supporting the new team (which at the time had 7 allocated players, including current team captain Christine Sinclair and current general manager Karina LeBlanc). Thus, on January 18th, 2013, around 40 people met at the Atkinson house in NE Portland, and attempted to flesh out what would become Rose City Riveters.

At the time, most in attendance did not think much of this, but the event was livestreamed (with 100+ people watching) and recorded by Jeremiah M. Braebeck (who granted permission along with Mo’s dad, Paul Atkinson, for the video to be shared again today). Here it is, in all of its two hour plus glory: the first ever planning meeting for what would become Rose City Riveters:

https://youtu.be/OR7UsgMVCec

As Paul Atkinson (Mo’s dad) says around minute 8, the group began by talking about why it was important for us to support women’s soccer in Portland. Groups were formed to take on various aspects of running a SG. One of the groups was tasked with creating a name. The names at the time that came out of the meeting were:

* Rose City Rebellion
* Rose Corps
* Rose Guardians
* SubRosa
* Red Tide

This is all to say: nobody knew what they were doing. It took a lot of time, effort, conversations, and behind the scenes dedication to even begin Rose City Riveters (again: “what’s in a name?”), and no one person knows the full extent of it.

Today, on the 9th birthday of the supporters group meeting for the first time, it is important to reflect on that investment. Watch minutes 8-32 in the video, if possible. That is the reason we are here. Why we will continue to be here. And in the recent words of John Nyen, why what we have built can never be broken. It is our community. Remembering where we came from means remembering why we invest so much time and effort into supporting the players on the Thorns.

Happy Birthday, Rose City Riveters. Here is to many more.

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

(Hamlet, 1.3)

Mo Atkinson holding up a two stick on April 21, 2013, at the franchise home opener for Portland Thorns FC.

Statement on the Hiring of Karina LeBlanc as Thorns GM

Wendy Broussard — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 22:26:23 GMT

A message from the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee:

The Rose City Riveters Steering Committee welcomes and celebrates Karina LeBlanc as the new General Manager of Portland Thorns FC. We expect that LeBlanc will be given the autonomy to be able to draft, hire, and manage the club as she sees fit. Her experience with the Club in 2013, her long career as a player, and her recent work as the Head of Women’s Football for CONCACAF give her a unique perspective and we are excited to have a dedicated GM for the Thorns.

We are pleased with the positive progress indicated by LeBlanc’s appointment as the Thorns GM, especially that she will be involved in "helping to create, cultivate and manage the culture of Thorns FC." However, the supporters’ demands of the club remain. We shared 8 demands a month ago and to date have received no direct communication from the club. We hope that LeBlanc’s appointment as GM represents an inclusive and far-reaching change, but without a view of what is happening at that table, we cannot say with confidence what progress this represents. We have asked for transparency, and our trust cannot be rebuilt without it.

LeBlanc’s appointment does not change our position that Wilkinson should be removed from his position within the PTFC organization for his treatment of Mana Shim in 2014, as reported in the Athletic on 9/30. The fact that a leader in the club would seek to silence an out player and encourage them to not be their true self is a fireable offense in itself, regardless of what the ongoing investigations find.

We welcome and look forward to meeting with LeBlanc to discuss the club’s past and planning for the future.

#baonpdx

Angela Salem - 2021 Rose City Riveters Player of the Year

Gabby Rosas — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 17:21:35 GMT

A message from the Rose City Riveters.

Every year the Rose City Riveters honor one Thorns FC player who possesses and displays traits that transcend all other acknowledgements of fame, or character, or talent.

Looking back at the past eight awards, this year’s choice continues our distinguishing of greatness. Rooted in a tradition to respect what the supporters and the recipient’s teammates clearly identify in her: Unyielding dedication, unlimited selflessness, and a stalwart heart, to play every match of the beautiful game without restraint and for the Portland Thorns Football Club.

That is why Angela Salem has been chosen to be recognized in 2021.

She has played in this league since its inception, and desire to succeed is timeless.

She is a leader who displays fervor and empathy with aplomb to her opponents and teammates alike.

When Angela gets knocked down, she doesn’t just get back up again, she becomes stronger from it and brings everyone up with her.

It is our honor to present to her this trophy, our recognition, and our gratitude.

Thank you, Angela Salem: The Rose City Riveters’ Supporters Player of the Year.

- By Any Other Name #BAONPDX

The Protest Continues...

Wendy Broussard — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 20:45:23 GMT

(From your Rose City Riveters Steering Committee:)

Since the Athletic article came out, the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee have been working on responses to and staging protests against the abuses and failures of the Portland Thorns to protect their players. We have been asking for feedback from our community. We are actively collaborating with the Timbers Army Steering Committee members as well as they are a group of supporters that have volunteered to voice their ideas and help organize. Through all the discussion, player support is always at the front of what we do and we regularly reach out to the players to ensure our actions are in line with their wishes and goals.

Tonight, the Thorns are playing their rescheduled match against OL Reign. Our protest will not look much different from what we did last Wednesday. Here is what we ask and have planned:

Buy nothing from the PTFC organization. This includes concessions and merchandise.
If you need a ticket, stop by the Fanladen to buy face value tickets that have been donated by other supporters. You can also buy supporter-made merchandise there from 5pm to 7pm today.
Bring in two-sticks or signs showing your support of the players or displeasure with the current situation. We are aware that some signs with specific names have been confiscated. However, we have been told that as long as signs do not violate the PTFC code of conduct and do not have profanity or threats, they will be allowed in. Here’s a guide on how to make a two-stick.
Pick up a flyer or two from the 107ist membership table located on the concourse in the North End that gives more detail about what and why we are doing this. We continue to update this flyer as things change, which seems to be daily.
Continue to spread the word via social media using the hashtags #NoMoreSilence and #ProtectThePlayers. The ongoing protests in the NWSL are having ripple effects throughout the country and creating impact down to the high school level. Things need to change and we will help lead that change.
Smoke at the 24th minute will continue. The 24th minute was chosen because Sinead Farrelly’s original number with the Thorns was 24 and 6 (2+4=6 ) was Mana Shim’s number.

We are currently discussing protest escalation. We are also listening to the players and ensuring we always follow their requests. As of now, their request is for folks to continue to show up and vocally support. Continue to come out to the matches, make noise for them, and show them that we believe in them. After Wednesday, we still have one regular season match remaining. Things may change by then and so could our level of protest. We hear and see your ideas and will incorporate them into any escalation. This is an ever changing protest that must be able to be sustained until we meet our goals.

#baonpdx #NoMoreSilence #ProtectThePlayers

Statement from the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee

Wendy Broussard — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 20:11:47 GMT

We are disgusted and angry about the actions and inaction reported on today in The Athletic. This is appalling and infuriating. We have supported the players of the Portland Thorns & the players in the NWSL since 2013 and will continue to but we, as supporters, are demanding more from the Portland Thorns Front Office and the NWSL.

We believe Sinead Farrelly, Mana Shim, Kaiya McCullough, and every other player who has been abused by NWSL owners, office staff, and coaches.

The Portland Thorns are complicit in the NWSL’s failures, actively sweeping incidents and complaints under the rug and passing issues off to others. We are furious that the harassment complaints were not investigated fully and that the club did not publicize the investigation or Riley’s violation of club policies, which resulted in his contract not being renewed. We are furious that Mana Shim was instructed to keep quiet about off-field concerns and that the Thorns’ comment in the article was not just a denial but also a categorization of Mana’s identity as "political or personal views."

We expect a professional, top tier club to have the resources to:

Check in on the health and safety of its players
Thoroughly investigate player complaints or allegations
Provide resources and tools for employees to know their rights and the club policies

We want to support the best club in the world. Today’s reporting brings to light that there is a long way to go before we can make that claim.

The Rose City Riveters stand by the NWSL Players Associations’ 3 demands:

That the NWSL start a new, independent investigation into the allegations against Riley.
That any league or club staff who are accused of conduct that violates the league's anti-harassment policy be suspended pending investigation, regardless of when the conduct in question occurred. This must occur immediately, and no later than Friday October 1, 2021.
That the NWSL disclose how Paul Riley was re-hired within the league after the Thorns' initial investigation in 2015.

The players know their rights and are fighting for their rights. We support them in taking their power back, and are with them in this fight.

I don’t think we are alone in the North End anymore

Wendy Broussard — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 15:59:55 GMT

(the following is a guest post by sato)

Today, the Women’s International Champions Cup (WICC) kicks off in Portland. If you haven’t already heard, two amazing international teams & another NWSL championship team will be here for two amazing days of soccer. But this tournament is a little different. Yes, we are the hosts, but we earned our right to be here by winning a little thing called the Challenge Cup. Why does this matter? Because this is not our tournament and we will not be the only supporters in the North End. If you already bought your GA tickets, you will have noticed two different designations: lower Riveters bowl and upper bowl. This means we will have other teams supporters in the North End. Hopefully, most bought tickets for the upper bowl. If not, and you find yourself standing next to someone wearing an opposing kit, don’t be an asshole and instead make a new friend! You are both there for the same reason, watching some kick-ass soccer.

Another change to our usual North End neighborhood is the lack of drums. Due to health & safety concerns, our Drums and Trumpets team will be absent until the Thorns play on August 25th. This is where your loudness comes in. We need you to make some noise and not just with your voices. Bring a pickle bucket, cymbals, even dust off those kazoos! But NO vuvuzelas, whistles or air horns! Those are never okay. We will still have capos to lead you and one lone drummer, in the front row, to set the beat.

As a health & safety precaution, the first 10 rows of section 107 will be blocked off. Please respect this area and do not enter it. And please keep yourself and those around you safe by masking up all through the stadium. We want you to keep coming back and we do not want this to be a super spreader event.

Let’s get loud. Let’s have fun. Let’s remind them why Portland is Soccer City USA.

Orlando Away Travel - Protect Trans Kids, Let Them Play!

Wendy Broussard — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 01:55:03 GMT

As we continue to plan all the Rose City Riveters Away Travel now that stadiums are back to 100% capacity, we are faced with other concerns that can affect our supporters & people who just want to play. Similar to the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that was passed in Tennessee, we are now seeing anti-trans sports ban legislation that has been passed in Florida & is being taken up on ballots in other states across the country.

On June 1, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law Florida Senate Bill 1028 — an education bill that was amended to ban transgender girls and women from participating in sports at the secondary and post-secondary level consistent with their gender identity. After signing the anti-trans sports bill into action, the governor also slashed funding to LGBTQ+ organizations, which included funding and support for homeless youth through the Zebra Coalition organization.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, challenging this law: “Kids just want to play sports, and are confused about why their state’s leaders, who are elected to represent them, are so determined to hurt them. There is no way to be more clear: transgender children are children; transgender girls are girls; transgender boys are boys; and our community deserves respect, dignity and equal protection under the law.”

The Rose City Riveters feel sports should be inclusive, a safe space where everyone can play & be seen as equal individuals, without fear. Given the rampant anti-trans activism in many states, this is definitely going to be a continuing issue as we navigate the official position of Riveters away travel. It may be that for some supporters in Florida this might be the only opportunity to see the team play.

Therefore we have the ticketing information here for you to use for the upcoming match on August 14th, but we will not be officially organizing Orlando Away this year & we encourage all traveling supporters to stay home.

The Rose City Riveters recognize our trans community and allies in Florida and stand with them in their ability to access sport as a participant and/or as a supporter. As such, the Riveters organization has donated $107 to the Zebra Coalition. We encourage all Riveters & Thorns supporters to make your voice heard via donation and support to these organizations by whatever means you may have. Protect Trans Kids & LET THEM PLAY!

Capos Return With Inclusive Chants

Darren Lloyd — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 16:24:41 GMT

A guest post from Sato

After a season and half, capos will be returning to the North End this Sunday. Once again, they will lead supporters in chanting and singing our Thorns in black on to victory. Due to social distancing and the threat of the plague, your capos did not gather to create and bring you any new chants. For 90+ minutes we will sing all your old favourites. A 30 minute rendition of Onward is on standby.

Even though we could not meet, we all agreed on one thing; the gendered verbiage of our chants must go. The old gendered language was not inclusive to our players, supporters, or our opponents. Beginning this Sunday, the following chants have been updated to be gender neutral and inclusive:

Bon, bon, bon: The Thorns in red will lead us…
Girls/Thorns in red: Root for the Thorns in red…
Red bandana: They wore a red bandana…
They wore it in the summer…
Oh why they wore that color…
They said it’s for the Thorns…

Updated chant sheets are available on our website and some will be available on the concourse before the match. If you hear people using the gendered language, gently inform them about these changes. And if there are other areas that we have missed, please let us know. The Rose City Riveters stand for inclusivity.

Thanks,

Your gender fluid, gender queer, kilt wearing, capo in 106

Reforming the Riveters, Remembering our Roots, and Recognizing our Obligations

107ist Admin — Fri, 14 May 2021 19:06:55 GMT

Guest blog from Sato, Rose City Riveters Steering Committee & Capo

The message below was read at the Rose City Riveters Townhall meeting in April.

During this time of covid, I have been thinking about how we make this supporters group better and more inclusive. Where do we start? How about the beginning and a little history of how Women’s soccer came to be so big in Portland.

10 years ago, Portland announced the forming of the NWSL and that they were one of the cities joining the league. The original plan was to play matches at the University of Portland’s Merlo Field. This plan was quickly changed because within two days the season ticket waitlist exceeded the capacity at Merlo Field. Portland was ready for Women’s Professional soccer.

What made Portland so special that on opening day 13,000+ would watch women play soccer live? The answer lies within Merlo Field itself. Way back in the spring of 1990, I had the privilege and honor of interviewing with Clive Charles. I wanted to play soccer at UP. After asking about my credentials and qualifications, it was clear that I was not the caliber player that he was looking for. But the conversation did not end there. He told me of his dream and vision for women’s soccer, in Portland. Even though I was not qualified to play for him, he still took the time, nearly an hour, to share with me his passion. That fall I started at UP and got to witness his vision slowly come true. This was also the inaugural season of Merlo Field. That year, UP barely missed making the College Cup.

The following year would be different. As a preseason opener, UP would host the North Carolina Tar Heels. Seating sold out within 15 minutes. Over the next few weeks we tried to find ways to add additional seating. Demand was huge. It was North Carolina after all. I don’t remember the outcome. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is the legacy that Clive Charles had on women’s soccer in Portland.

Why did I want to fill you in on this back story? Portland tends to forget its roots and ignore the silver spoon that makes up Portland and what brought about Thorns soccer. This is the history of Portland in general. Investigate the history of Oregon’s Black exclusion laws, which began in the early pioneer territorial era, and rather than corrected, were actually reinforced in Oregon’s subsequent statehood and constitution. Why are the Portland police so racist? They were literally formed by the KKK. What does this have to do with Portland soccer? Once again, Portland has ignored its roots and taken credit for all the hard work others have done to make women’s soccer what it is in Portland. For those who do not know, Clive Charles was a Black man.

Portland supporters/fans also gloss over the built in volunteer workforce that helps create the rambunctious game day atmosphere. Chants, drums, flags, tifo and all the other things we see on game day didn’t just happen because we are the best fans in the world. Portland had the infrastructure to make all this happen. Most SGs started from ground zero.

Why does this matter? The Riveters have consistently held the arrogant attitude that we are the best fans in the world just by the sheer volume of fans in the stadium. While averaging 20k+ fans for home matches is nothing to ignore, we belittle other markets that struggle. Did those same markets have the same 30+ year infrastructure ready to go? No, they did not. They suffer the same reality all other women’s teams suffer, lack of funding, media and support.

The past year has been a rude awakening for many people. Reconciling with systemic out right racism within themselves and their community. People are finally recognizing those outside of their bubble and norms.

While the world has a long way to go, we can start at home and within ourselves. What does a reformed Riveters SG look like? What do we want to be remembered for? I don’t expect us to be at full capacity until next season, but we can start now to think of what a more inclusive community looks like. Yes, we can still be soccer hooligans for 90 minutes, but what do we look like the rest of the time? Remember, one man had a vision for women’s soccer. Let us not tarnish that vision.

Guest Blog from Rachel Greenough

107ist Admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 22:35:52 GMT

Like many of you, I had a hard time getting as excited as I wanted to be about a Thorns game yesterday. Thorns vs. Chicago is always a good game, and it was probably my most anticipated Challenge Cup game. Last Friday night, when I saw the entire team- the entire bench and coaching staff- kneel on the field for the anthem, I felt emotional and hopeful for what this league can stand for. I was proud, last year, of the Thorns players who spoke up about the work being done within the club, the visibility of warm-up shirts with clear messaging that Black Lives Matter, the unified anthem protests. Then came the post-game post on Friday night, and the weekend that followed, and all the days leading up to Tuesday when the Thorns front office finally decided to remove Friday’s tweet. I am so excited to watch this Thorns team – so excited to support them this year. But I am embarrassed and angry that our front office is taking steps backward in the commitment to social justice.

I’ve learned a lot in the past year and I have a long way to go. One thing that I’ve learned, or reinforced, is to listen when someone- particularly someone who belongs to a group that has been marginalized- does the work of letting us know that our actions have harmed them. I used to believe that intention mattered as much as impact. It turns out I was wrong. When it comes to public statements and actions, impact matters more. Black players and their supporters, from around the league, have put themselves out there to let our front office know that their language was racially loaded and perpetuates a harmful narrative, and – until Tuesday – our front office and its employees just doubled down.

Black people should not have to do this work, but they are. They have taken a remarkably heavy weight on their shoulders by standing up and saying what is wrong. As a white person, I need to back them up and take this on as well. I will never be one to spew personal abuse at anyone. I can’t know anyone’s personal journey or beliefs from behind a screen. But I can look at actions through an anti-racist lens and I can say: The Portland Thorns and their social media team got this wrong and the harm they caused far outweighs any intention or any action they now take regarding this incident.

There is no erasing the harm of the last week. Apologies are important, especially when they demonstrate that real understanding has dawned and growth is happening, but they will not fix this. The trust that has been lost with Black fans, and many other fans as well, doesn’t just come back. This isn’t the first time this has happened with our front office, and it won’t be the last.

So how do we move forward? This incident may already be receding for some, but our response doesn’t need to. The only way the front office can make this better is to make significant changes. Chicago didn’t play the anthem at their game this week. We could do that. OL Reign put Black Futures Coop Fund on the front of their jerseys and supports player-led initiatives that are making the world better and less racist and transphobic. That is innovative and awesome. Where is Portland in all of this? Oh yeah, we’re over here barely back-pedaling on a really terrible tweet (and supporting the Portland Business Alliance while they’re at it). I’m upset and I’m embarrassed that this is my club. I call on our front office to do better. I’m mad that I can’t be shouting joyfully from the rooftops that we won our first two games even with a barely full roster, and I love this team. And I’m even more angry that this club is causing such hurt and exhaustion to Black people through their racist action and, even more, inaction. What would make it better? Get ahead of this and do things better next time, and the time after that, and every other time, way into the future.

Nothing changes without action by the supporters. The Riveters are nothing without the hundreds or thousands who make up this supporters group. The volunteers, the fans, everyone who stands in the North End or elsewhere and wants this club to be better. Please contact your ticket rep and tell them that the tweet got it wrong, and you don’t want the anthem, and you want to know what they will do to rebuild the trust that has been lost. Don’t let them write us off as a vocal few— show them that we are many and we want change. If you, like me, are not quite sure who your rep is at the moment, you can use members@thornsfc.com. Take those fingers and write an email to the club. And when you do, please cc the 107IST board at board@107ist.org. The Riveters also want to do better, and that is also driven by you. You are the Riveters. Come to a meeting, write a blog post, or get in touch if you have ideas and want to work to make them happen. One place to start for that is info@rosecityriveters.org.

Black Lives Matter.

Dear Christine!

107ist Admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 19:23:04 GMT

Dear Christine,

We are fortunate to watch the greatest goal scorer of all time, play in our town and on our pitches. You have helped create thousands of soccer fans from your time leading the Portland Pilots to 2 NCAA Championships to your upcoming 9th season with the Portland Thorns. When I ask my friends who their favorite Thorn is, by far, the top answers are Sinc, Sincy, and the GOAT. Many fans have struggled over the past year with the challenges that the pandemic has created. The personal impacts have been substantial for many of us. You and the Thorns have been a bright spot and an escape in these trying times.

While we have not been able to cheer for you in person, we have had the opportunity to meet virtually to watch the Challenge Cup, Fall Series, and even just to play bingo. It has been incredible to meet new friends, who are not just here in the PNW, but all over the US. We even have had supporters join the watch parties from Chile, Thailand, and Australia. None of this would have happened without you and the Thorns. As we look forward to the future the hope is beginning to emerge again.

We are looking forward to safely returning to Providence Park.
We are looking forward to cheering for you.
We are looking forward to seeing the red smoke rise in the North End when you score a goal.
We are looking forward to celebrating the team, win, lose, or draw.
Most importantly…
We are looking forward to being together as supporters, as friends, and as family in our favorite home away from home.

Thank you for all that you do for this town and embracing Portland as your home.

One Goal Beyond!

A Rose City Riveter

Dear Becky!

107ist Admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 20:22:40 GMT

Dear Becky,

Hello. Thanks for the introduction, though you do not need one. We have been waiting for you with open arms.

For the past 7 years, we have been in awe of you and you’ve broken our hearts more than once. We still remember the 2014 playoffs, after all.

When news broke last year that you were coming to Portland, we were elated. This was right before the pandemic changed everything. Since then, we’ve been watching from afar and have been subtle in our displays of affection, but since you wrote us we thought it only appropriate that we respond.

We look forward to the day where we get to root for you in person. We look forward to backing you up when there are challenging calls made, when emotions overflow, and when you inevitably net your first in the north end. In a normal year, we would have had a dance party after your first match. We missed that opportunity last year so we are working on our moves for when we’re back together.

We have been watching you on your national team duty, too. We are proud of the leadership you provide every day and we are proud to have 2 national team captains wearing our colors.

We know the stadium is quiet now. And we suspect it will remain quiet for a while longer. And as we slowly start returning to the stadium, know that we will not be in full voice until it is safe for everyone. We have many in our community who cannot take the risk or do not want to be a risk for others, so we are being very cautious. This does not mean that we do not care, but rather that we care so much about the community we’ve built. We all return to Providence Park, to create the party we’re familiar with, but we also know we cannot do that alone. We’ll be back when we can all be together.

Until then, know we’re supporting you and the rest of the squad from our living rooms and backyards. And as much as we love roses, we are also big fans of hardware. We’ll need something on the line for our inevitable dance off.

Your supporters,

The Rose City Riveters

Pleasurable labors: activist fandom, sport communities, and the performance of place

107ist Admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 20:22:20 GMT

In 2019, many of us spent time with Chris Henderson. Chris was working on his thesis for his PhD in Philosophy in American Studies (Sports Studies) at the University of Iowa, and met with many of you, both in the North End and at Fanladen. Chris’s thesis has now been made public- “Pleasurable labors: activist fandom, sport communities, and the performance of place”- and you can read it here.

Thank you to those of you who took time to meet with Chris, and warm thanks to Chris for representing Rose City Riveters and all that we collectively strive for so well.

Christmas Day Mobility With Capo Sato!

107ist Admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 20:21:58 GMT

Quarantining for another holiday sucks! Start the day with your fellow Riveters and join Sato in a mobility workout to get those tired and sore joints & muscles moving!

This will be an informal group exercise together. It will be a low impact, movement workout meant to get your joints limber & to move with greater range of motion.

Join us! Either in your PJ’s or workout clothes and with your favorite beverage…it doesn’t matter! No equipment necessary.

(Use the REGISTER button at this link – the meeting link will be emailed to you on 12/24)

Card Campaign- from a fellow Riveter

107ist Admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 20:21:35 GMT

Our relationship with the players is unique. It’s something that I cherish about being part of the Riveters community.

COVID-19 has changed that this year. The North End was silent. No home games. No interactions with the players or staff.

Let’s send a card or short note to our Thorns to let them know that we are thinking of them.

An anonymous donor has offered to cover the cost of cards and/or postage for those in need. Contact Rose City Riveters for assistance; info@rosecityriveters.org.

Cards are to be mailed to Fanladen where they will be sent to the players with the Front Office assistance.

Have cards mailed by Jan 8, 2021.

Please address the cards in this format:

Player’s name
℅ Riveters
1633 SW Alder St.
Portland, OR 97205

No Public Events Until 2021

107ist Admin — Sun, 22 Nov 2020 20:21:12 GMT

Dear Friends,

We are suspending all in-person activities, including donation drives, until 2021.

Please consider cash/check donations if you can help our donation drive recipients.

See You Soon,

Rose City Riveters

Riveters Town Hall

107ist Admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 19:20:43 GMT

Get it on your calendar! this year’s Town Hall will be online.

It’s not the same as in person, but let’s get together and talk everything Riveters.

If you have questions that will be better answered by a particular committee, we’ll be sure to have representatives that can provide answers.

You can submit questions in advance here. To sign up to get the link, click here. The event will be held on the Google Meet platform. Hope to see you there!

Donation Drive- JOIN

107ist Admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 19:20:06 GMT

Mission statement: “JOIN exists to support the efforts of individuals and families experiencing homelessness to transition into permanent housing. Our efforts are directed at individuals sleeping outside or in their car in the Portland Metro area. Our service provision is not dependent on age, gender, race, ethnicity, faith, culture, language, sexual identity, specific diagnosis, or identifiable issue.”

In addition to their other work, JOIN has recently been involved in the creation of Portland’s C3PO camps, which started operating in April to mitigate effects of covid, and prioritize BIPOC, trans, gender non-conforming, and queer individuals who often have a more difficult time in the shelter system.
Many items can be gently used or open, please check the list (below or found at their website) for details:

Cold Weather Items – New or gently used
• Socks
• Blankets
• Sleeping Bags
• Tarps
• Jackets
• Hats
• Gloves

Hygiene Items –New or partially used/open
• Shampoo – large or small size
• Conditioner – large or small size
• African American hair care products
• Feminine Products
• Razors & Shaving Cream Soap (bar and liquid)
• Lotion
• Deodorant

First Aid Supplies- New or partially used/open
• Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Aspirin
• Band-Aids
• Anti Bacterial Wash
• Neosporin
• Ace bandages

Basic Service Center Food items
• Coffee
• Sugar
• Creamer
• Peanut Butter

Clothing- Gently used or New:
• Men’s and women’s functional clothing
• Men’s and women’s underwear & bras
• Men’s and women’s boots and shoes

Miscellaneous:
• Headlamps
• Pet Food & Supplies
• Trimet Bus Tickets
• Fred Meyer/Safeway/Albertsons Gift Cards
• Stamps
• Bike Locks
• Bath Towels
• Books & Periodicals
• Backpacks
• Paper & plastic bags

We do NOT accept: Furniture, Dress clothing and shoes, Toys

Donations can be dropped off at Fanladen during the following hours:

• Wednesdays – 6pm to 8pm
• Fridays – 3pm to 6pm
• Saturdays – 12pm to 3pm
• Sundays – 12pm to 3pm

Fanladen is located at 1633 SW Alder. All donations are accepted at the door to maintain social distancing. This drive will run through September.
JOIN also needs financial donations to purchase additional items. If you wish to make a donation, please visit this link. We know some folks are not currently leaving their homes, or are supporting from afar. A direct financial donation is currently the best way to support this effort.
Thank you for your support and donations!

If you have any questions about this drive, please contact Evan Taylor. If you wish to help out with this or future drives, please contact Rachel Greenough.

BYCAP 2020

107ist Admin — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 19:19:29 GMT

Posted on behalf of Capo Sunday and the Timbers Army and Riveters CDnT:

While it has been a tumultuous year, you, the membership of the 107ist, with your network of family, friends, and fellow supporters, have stepped up time and time again to donate goods, help out, and send money. Bravo! You are amazing! There is always more to do and more to learn, and you keep doing and keep going. THANK YOU!

We (Capos DnT as a unit) are nothing without you. The lack of seeing all of your faces in PP this season, sharing in the experience as we deal with tension, loss, joy, irritation at the refs, of standing with you in passion and love, well, it has made it an odd and long offseason.

The CDnT are still dedicated to providing support to the youth in our community through our annual tradition of BYCAP*. Our longstanding goal with BYCAP is to provide help to the burgeoning young voices in our neighborhoods, to aid them in learning how to be strong and confident, to provide them with the ability to communicate their needs, dreams, ideas, and opinions. To be able to leverage the power of their voices the way we, the CDnT, do on match days (oh, how we all miss them…le sigh…) and to that end, we are continuing to have our annual BYCAP fundraising event.

We acknowledge that this is an unusual season. We refuse to ignore or minimize the effects of the two pandemics happening all around us – Covid-19 and the long and systemic history of human rights abuses of our BIPOC communities locally, nationally, and globally. This season we are turning tradition on its ear so we can have a stronger, greater positive impact on our local BIPOC youth. We are joining forces of the TA and the Riveters for a single BYCAP event, with a single entity recipient, instead of the traditional tandem team specific BYCAP fundraisers.

100% of funds raised in this online BYCAP will be donated to Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI)**.

SEI is a comprehensive, one-stop resource for youth and families, primarily African Americans and others living in poverty or seeking culturally responsive services. SEI believes that every child has a gift and that is our shared responsibility to help every child find his or her gift.

Please help us surpass prior years fundraising by donating and signal boosting this event.

The 2020 joint BYCAP goal to meet, or surpass, is $6240 -which is the combined amount of TA and RCR 2019 BYCAP events.

A donation link will be available on the open access part of the 107ist.org website from August 8th through August 22nd. Make sure you click the BYCAP button.

*Buy Your Capo A Pint [or representational thank you goodie]

**Self Enhancement, Inc. https://www.selfenhancement.org/mission

For those of you who are unfamiliar with BYCAP, it usually happens on or near the last match of the regular season for Timbers and Thorns. As the season would normally be coming to a tense point (or wrapping up) often folks are feeling kind and nostalgic for the events of the season, and many want to “buy us a pint” to say thanks. Thanks for helping to hype the crowd, to keep it on time, to provide eyes and assistance when there is an interloper or and altercation, and generally for us needing to buy tickets to turn our backs to the pitch for a whole season, so the North End can resonate beyond the PP rooftop to roll across the pitch and through the neighborhood. To aid in providing focused passion for our teams. It has been noted that our livers cannot take so much thanks… so instead we have collection buckets out at our stage, nests and drums, and we ask you to donate that ‘pint’ (or soda, water, coffee) money to our fundraiser so we can help others find a voice the way we have one. We get the “thank you” and our community youth get much needed help and support.

Guest Blog- Manu Arriaza

107ist Admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 19:18:50 GMT

CHALLENGE CUP – JORNADA 1.

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE 2-1 PORTLAND THORNS

En el inicio de la Challenge Cup en el ZionsBank Stadium se enfrentaron los dos bicampeones de la NWSL, un partido que viene marcando a las dos instituciones más ganadoras del fútbol femenino de Estados Unidos.

El triunfo fue agónico, Lynn Williams logró superar a la novata Bella Bixby en el minuto 94 tras un gran centro de Sam Mewis. Las dirigidas por Paul Riley fueron superiores en la mayoría del trámite del partido. Mientras que por Thorns, el ataque hacia el arco de Labbéfue liderado por Lindsey Horan, que fue la jugadora de Portland con más chances creadas durante los 96 minutos de partido.

Mark Parsons sorprendió a la mayoría alineando a Bixby quien debutaba con Thorns y ante el rival que viene siendo la pesadilla de Portland, sin embargo la arquera oriunda de Oregon estuvo a la altura y sus cuatro intervenciones ante Williams y Debinha dieron muestras del por qué Mark se decantó por ella para defender el arco de Thorns.

Paul Riley por su parte acertó en un rol que le asignó a Hailie Mace, ya que la debutante con Courage se desempeña en un rol defensivo con la selección de Estados Unidos, fue vital para el primer gol del partido, una gran asistencia le permitió a Debinha rematar en el área de chica sin problemas.

Thorns enfrentarán a Chicago y Courage a Spirit, en lo que será la segunda participación en la Challenge Cup para los cuatro equipos este miércoles 01 de Julio.

CHICAGO RED STARS 1-2 WASHINGTON SPIRIT.

En un encuentro que tenía como favorito a las Red Stars, el equipo de Burkie pudo llevarse los tres puntos con una actuación magistral de Rose Lavelle en el primer tiempo del encuentro.

Desde los ocho minutos del cotejo, Spirit a través de Rose se puso al frente del marcador cuando un rechazo de Naeher fue recogido por Lavelle que definió sin piedad de pierna derecha. Naeher ante Ashley Hatch y Rose Lavelle ganó dos mano a mano en el primer tiempo, sin embargo apenas a los 20 segundos del complemento un grave error dejo a merced su marco para que Hatch no perdonara y el marcado fuera de 0-2 a favor de Washington.

Con un poco de reacción, Morgan Gautrat, quién estreno su apellido de casada en su jersey, marcó el 1-2 tras recoger un rebote de la saga del Spirit, Bledsoe llegó a rozar el balón sin embargo no fue suficiente para evitar el gol de Chicago, casi inmediatamente a este gol, Watt tuvo en su poder el potencial empate. Ashley Sánchez fue otra delantera que pudo cambiar el score pero no pudo concretar las dos incursiones en el área de Red Stars.

En los minutos finales, Bianca St Georges tuvo la mayor chance para empatar a dos, pero, una fantástica reacción de Bledsoe impidió que el equipo de Rory Dames sumara algún punto en el debut. Naeher sobre el final le impidió a Collins que marcara el 1-3.

Estos equipos vuelven a jugar este 01 de Julio, Chicago ante Portland y Washington ante Courage.

Protestas antes de los partidos.

Durante la inauguración de la Challenge Cup, las 22 jugadoras se alinearon con una camiseta con el lema “Black Lives Matter”, a su vez tenían una banda que colocarían en sus brazos durante el partido con el mismo lema. Una vez que se empezó a entonar la versión del himno nacional de Estados Unidos, TODAS pusieron una rodilla en el piso, símbolo de la protesta que actualmente sacude a muchas ciudades en el país norteamericano.

Mientras que para el cierre de la jornada, en el partido entre Red Stars y Spirit, hubo algunas jugadoras que decidieron mantenerse en pie y no poner rodilla en el piso para simbolizar la protesta, pese a portar la camiseta negra del lema antes mencionado, el momento más emotivo fue el de Casey Short llorando al momento de escucharse las notas del himno y a Julie Ertz consolando a su compañera.

Alineaciones Titulares.

North Carolina Courage: Labbé / Merrick – Dahlkemper – Erceg – Daniels / Debinha – O’Sullivan – Mewis – Dunn / Hamilton – Williams.

Portland Thorns: Bixby / Klingenberg – Sauerbrunn– Menges – Hubly / Horan – Salem – Rodríguez / Everett – Sinclair – Lussi.

Chicago Red Stars: Naeher / Short – Gorden – Morse – St. Georges / Ertz – Gautrat – Watt – DiBernardo – Hill / Nagasato.

Highlights:

Red Stars vs Spirit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvJsF3IEu6A&feature=emb_title

Courage vs Thorns; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gccjoQx39hY

Guest Blog: A Portland Thorns Primer

107ist Admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 19:18:07 GMT

Guest Writer Nikki Flores, The NWSL Show

“Roses Fall, But the Thorns Remain: The Dawn of a New Era in Portland”

Team: Portland Thorns

Head Coach: English-born Mark Parsons took over the team in 2016, and promptly made his presence known with some big moves, acquiring USWNT goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, French superstar Amadine Henry, and Danish striker Nadia Nadim. 2016 is also the year the Thorns selected Emily Sonnett as the first pick in the Collegiate Draft, and acquired midfielder Lindsey Horan on her return from French side PSG as part of a trade that dealt Alex Morgan to the Orlando Pride. This will be Parsons’ 5th season leading the Thorns. Previously, he coached the Washington Spirit.

2019 Record: 11W – 7D – 6L

The Thorns finished the season in third place, and then lost in the semi-final to the Chicago Red Stars. After winning the 2017 NWSL Championship, and finishing as the runners-up in 2018, last year was a disappointment for a Thorns team that has been consistently at or near the top of the NWSL. In fact, in the team’s seven years in the league, they have only failed to make the postseason once.

National Teamers:

Arguably one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the game, Lindsey Horan is hungry to find her 2018 form. Her story is oft repeated because it is remarkable. Horan passed up a scholarship at legendary UNC to become the first American woman to skip college and go straight to the pros. Passing up an opportunity to sign with powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais before she even graduated from high school, Horan went to world-renowned French side PSG after her senior year. She returned to the States to fulfill her dreams of playing for the USWNT in the Olympics and the World Cup. She was part of the team’s disappointing finish in Rio in 2016, but at age 25, could already call herself a World Cup Champion. The tough choices she made along the way have paid off, but Horan is far from done. She wants to win more hardware for her teams, and she has no plans of stopping until she becomes the best player in the world. Horan makes magic happen with the ball at her feet. Her nuanced services into the box for teammates are only bested by her quality in the air. As the Riveters have so aptly explained, the only sure thing in life are death, taxes, and Horan headers. Her defensive work-rate is unmatched. There may not be a more complete player that she lines up next to on either her club team or for her country. Horan was integral in a stacked USWNT midfield in France a year ago; with so many changes on the Thorns roster, she will be even more vital for her club this summer.

The G.O.A.T. herself, though she will never admit it, Christine Sinclair is back for another year. The Thorns captain is the undisputed #1 in international goals scored. Yes, that means she’s has more international goals than any man who has ever played football, ever – 186 and counting with the Canadian National Team. She made that team at the young age of 16, by the way. Like new teammate Sauerbrunn, Sinclair is a quiet force to be reckoned with on the field, always leading by example. The 37-year-old just doesn’t stop. Her focus is intense, her speed deceptive, her composure impressive, her physicality punishing. Her runs behind defenses are hard to mark. And if she is marked, it will open up space for the likes of Horan and Rodriguez. Sinclair may go down as the best in history to never win a World Cup, but she will leave everything she has on the field to add another star to the Thorns jersey. Simply put, Sinclair is incomparable. Her competitive fire still burns bright and she is ready to lead her team back on the pitch after a long break.

Nary a bad word has ever been spoken about the woman fans refuse to stop calling Captain Broon. During the off-season, the Thorns acquired defensive legend, center back Becky Sauerbrunn, from the Utah Royals in exchange for Elizabeth Ball and allocation money. Sauerbrunn had been itching for an opportunity to play for the city in which she resides, and the trade of Emily Sonnett to the Orlando Pride left an opening for her. Sauerbrunn is tough – we all have that image of her bowed, bloody head during the World Cup final fresh in our minds going on a year later. She’s a cerebral defender, almost always positionally sound. She is a quiet leader amongst leaders, organizing her backline and serving as the President of the USWNT Players’ Association. And Becky Sauerbrunn is almost always underrated by everyone outside of her own teammates, who know exactly how valuable the 35-year-old is. The veteran will provide a calming presence and a sense of stability to a Portland backline missing two of its starting defenders and goalkeeper from last season’s roster. For the Thorns to succeed in this tournament, Sauerbrunn will have to be an absolute anchor. When she retires, which hopefully won’t be for a few more years, Sauerbrunn will go down in USWNT history as one of the best center backs to ever play the game. Welcome home, Captain Broon.

Costa Rican International Rocky Rodriguez will step into the Thorns midfield alongside Horan. Her football pedigree is strong. She played on a high school team while still in elementary school, and was a four-year starter at Penn State, where she won award after award, and the 2015 College Cup. She totaled 23 goals during her time with the Nittany Lions, including the game winning goal against Duke in the championship match. In 2010, she made her way onto the Costa Rican senior national team. Her hard work paid off when she represented Las Ticas in the 2015 World Cup, and she scored the first goal by a Costa Rican woman in a World Cup. Rodriguez went #2 in the 2016 Collegiate Draft, picked up by Sky Blue FC. She was Rookie of the Year that year. This past January, Rodriguez was traded to the Thorns in exchange for Midge Purce and a 2021 draft pick. Arriving at Providence Park seems fitting for Rodriguez. In 2016, the Thorns traded that #2 pick to Sky Blue FC for Danish International Nadia Nadim, passing up Rodriguez. She is excited to finally don that Thorns jersey for the Challenge Cup.

Midfielder Tobin Heath has opted to sit out because of concerns over COVID-19. Goalkeeper Adrianna Franch had to withdraw from the tournament due to a knee injury.

Players You Should Know: Forward Morgan Weaver of Washington State was the #2 pick in the 2020 Collegiate Draft. She was the top scorer for her college team four years in a row, and helped her team make it all the way to the College Cup semi-finals in her last year with the Cougars. In their final six games of the 2019 season, the Thorns were only able to score one goal. Weaver will be essential if their struggling offense is to find its footing during the tournament. The Thorns seem to have faith in Weaver’s long-term impact, signing her to a multi-year deal.

Changes in the Off-Season: Take a Thorns starting XI from any game last season. Draw a line through everyone who is no longer wearing the red and black. Who are you left with? The Thorns had one of the most dramatic turnovers in the NWSL this off-season.

Gone are fan-favorites Emily Sonnett (traded to Orlando Pride) and Hayley Raso (signed with Everton of the FAWSL). Fellow Aussies – goal scorer Caitlin Foord wingback Ellie Carpenter, thought to be the jewel of the Portland defense – have signed with European clubs, Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais respectively. Carpenter’s announcement, after signing a multi-year deal with the Thorns, must have come as a huge shock for a team already facing the loss of Sonnett.

In the trade for Sonnett and the rights to Foord, the Thorns gained the #1 pick in the 2020 Collegiate Draft. They used that selection on Sophia Smith, the highly rated sophomore striker out of Stanford. That move may be attributed to the Thorns scoring drought as the 2019 season wore down; the team only found the back of the net once in their final six games.

The Thorns were also involved in several other deals during the offseason. One saw the Thorns acquire the second overall pick in the draft from the Chicago Red Stars, which they promptly used on Washington State star Morgan Weaver. Another sent Thorn Midge Purce to Sky Blue in exchange for Rocky Rodriguez.

Strengths: The team should be solid down the core. The pairing in midfield of Lindsey Horan and Rocky Rodriguez should be formidable, and behind them, Becky Sauerbrunn and Emily Menges will shore up a defense hurt by the loss of Sonnett and Carpenter.

Beyond that, the Portland Thorns embody heart, and what it means to play for the badge. Portland is Soccer City USA, the team drawing an average of just over 20,000 fans to each home game at Providence Park last season. The next highest draw (Utah Royals) was a little over half of that total. While some may view game without fans as a setback for Portland, this team feels a unique responsibility to its fans. In last years 6-0 routing by the NC Courage in Providence Park, the Rose City Riveters not only stayed the entire game, but stood cheering for their team as goal after goal slid past Franch and the Thorns defense. These fans never give up on the team; do not expect the team to give up just because the fans aren’t in attendance, because they will be watching in droves at home. The Thorns know how to win; now it’s about finding the chemistry.

Biggest Question Marks: With all the changes, and a short run-up to the tournament, have the Thorns had enough time to gel? This is virtually a new team, and while some of the additions should help in the scoring department, Smith will likely see limited minutes due to a nagging injury. Down the road, the trade of Sonnett for the #1 pick might pan out, but it likely won’t help a bit in this tournament. Combine the loss of Sonnett and Carpenter in the back with the loss of brick wall AD Franch, and the Thorns are hurting defensively, even with Becky Sauerbrunn. Additionally, the Thorns look weak on the wings, without Carpenter’s penchant for pressing up into the offensive third, without Raso’s speed flying down the wing, and especially without Tobin Heath working her magic on the outside.

Preliminary Round:

Saturday, June 27 vs. North Carolina Courage

This matchup, which will be shown on CBS, pits two of the best teams in the NWSL against each other. The last time the teams met, the Courage handed the Thorns their worst loss to date in a 6-0 drubbing that no one outside of the Courage camp could have predicted. The Courage team remains largely intact, but the Thorns will look to redeem themselves against the two-time NWSL champs in front of a national audience in the opening match of the tournament.

Wednesday, July 1 vs. Chicago Red Stars

Revenge, revenge, revenge. The Red Stars knocked the Thorns out of the playoffs in the semi-finals last year, ending their quest for another star on their jersey. In the 1-0 loss, the Thorns did not play poorly, but couldn’t get any offense going against a stingy Red Stars defense that featured FIFA Best XI Julie Ertz, Sarah Gorden, Casey Short, and USWT #1 Alyssa Naeher.

Sunday, July 5 v. Washington Spirit

The Spirit look surprisingly strong and young this year. USWNT superstar and Bronze Ball winner Rose Lavelle will pair with USWNT teammate Andi Sullivan in the midfield. The Thorns backline will have to take on Spirit draft pick Ashley Sanchez of UCLA, selected 4th in the 2020 Collegiate Draft.

Monday, July 13 vs. OL Reign

The Reign will be without Megan Rapinoe, who has chosen to sit out, but don’t count them out. Horan, Sinclair, and Weaver will be hard-pressed to score on the Reign, regardless of whether Casey Murphy or Michelle Betos (returning from injury) starts in goal. The team sees the return of Jess Fishlock, also back from injury, and Bethany Balcer, last year’s Rookie of the Year, as well as the additions of Shirley Cruz of Costa Rica and Alana Cook of PSG. OL Reign looks solid from back to front, and should provide a surprising challenge for the Thorns.

Fun Fact: In 2015, current OL Reign goalkeeper, formerly of the Portland Thorns, became the only goalkeeper to score in the run of play in NWSL history, diving to head in a ball off a corner in stoppage time as the Thorns tied the game against FC Kansas City. Her goal was featured on ESPN, and was the #2 play of the night.

Overall Outlook: The 2020 Thorns are looking to reestablish themselves as soccer royalty in the NWSL. This year may not be their year, however. Too many roster changes, a shaky defense, and lackluster wings will hinder them. Their preliminary draw is tough, facing off against three out of four of last year’s playoff teams. Depending on seeding in the knockouts, it’s not impossible to think that we might witness the Thorns going out in the quarterfinals, and they almost certainly won’t make it past the semi-finals. A Thorns team falling in the bottom half of the NWSL rankings is almost unheard of – blasphemy, if you will. But the offseason losses seem too big of an obstacle to surmount in a short time thanks to limited training and a compressed tournament. For the Thorns to make a deep run, they will have to count on their mentality – their grit, their determination, their pride for the badge. In reality though, it seems the Thorns will be building towards a 2021 comeback and looking to reflect on their team culture going forward.

ACTS: Activating Communities Through Support — An NWSL Supporters Initiative

107ist Admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 19:17:34 GMT

NWSL supporters groups are using the unique opportunity of the Challenge Cup to collectively fundraise through ACTS: Activating Communities Through Support — An NWSL Supporters Initiative.

We acknowledge that the spaces where our teams will be training and playing over the course of the next month in Utah are on traditional Indigenous lands. As such, we are using this platform to support the American Indians/Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) living in and around Salt Lake City.

Our first ACTS fundraiser will benefit the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake (UICSL). UICSL’s mission is to “serve The People by honoring Native cultures, strengthening health and wellness programs and cultivating community.” Make a pledge to support UICSL with every goal scored by our club during the NWSL Challenge Cup. At the end of the tournament, we will contact you to make a donation directly to this worthy organization.

Jump in and make your pledge now by clicking here! Hurry, before tomorrow morning’s kick.

Thank You for Volunteering!

107ist Admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 19:16:49 GMT

The following is a guest blog from Rachael Travis

We’ve all seen it … someone has an idea on Twitter. No, really! A good idea. An “Oh, dammmmmnnn. Why didn’t I think of that?!” kind of idea.

There’s a kind of cycle that happens: An idea is thrown out there, people get really excited, we all brainstorm in an abstract way, someone @’s a board member, and then … “That’s a great idea! Thank you for volunteering.” I used to think those seven words were a metaphorical door slammed in the face of ideas. Boy howdy, was I wrong.

Earlier this year, Dawn had the amazing idea that there should be some kind of Riveters’ version of the front office’s Axe photos. She articulated that she didn’t have the capacity to be the task manager behind the project, so I jumped in and, before I knew it, Rose Poses happened. I’m being a little hyperbolic, but this project that I thought would take months to plan took mere weeks with a lot of support.

Roses Poses wasn’t the first 107IST-supported event I helped organize. In 2018, I came to the board to pitch the idea of bystander intervention training — and I came prepared. I had multiple options for what a training could look like, I had researched different groups from around Portland that could lead them, and I also a fundraising plan. I was ready to come in and have to do all of the heavy lifting. I wish I had footage of my face when the board told me that they would be fully funding the trainings and that they already had a space in mind. Having an idea, especially one so deeply personal and rooted in pain, be supported and encouraged is a rare gift.

Having had the bystander intervention training experience in my pocket, you’d think I would’ve remembered that 107IST members almost never have to reinvent the wheel. But repetition is the key to learning, and apparently, I needed another event-planning experience to truly learn about all the resources this organization makes available to us.

Back to Rose Poses …

When I agreed to take on the project, I truly thought I’d be on my own: I’d be setting up a black sheet in my garage and taking everyone’s picture by myself, while hoping people wouldn’t mind hanging out in my yard for hours. Instead, I put out an ask on Twitter for some volunteers to help plan and run the event. All of a sudden, I had a team to help.

Then, while we were trying to figure out where to hold the photoshoot, Gabby reached out and let us know we could use the Fanladen. That’s when I learned that members can ask and reserve that space — because it is our space. Y’all might already know that, but my mind was blown. Through the 107IST network, we found a few great photographers who volunteered their time and talents, even a couple backup photographers when Covid changed our original plan. It felt like magic when snacks, a professional lighting setup, and a background showed up. Of course it isn’t magic — it’s the support and resources of this community.

107IST is a member-driven community, not a board-driven one. Without us, this doesn’t exist. I want to acknowledge that I am speaking from a place of white privilege, so when I say “Oh, just pitch an idea, and it’ll come together!” I know that my experience is not universal, and that not all ideas are embraced and supported as enthusiastically as mine have been. Three months ago, when I was originally planning this post, I wanted to share the privilege of my experience planning events, something that feels even more important now than it did then. I imagined a laundry list of all the resources hidden in the Fanladen (did you know we have a button-maker?!), instead I want to uplift the truly endless resource that is a community with endless expertise and passions.

The board probably can’t write a blank check for a passion project, but when you hear “that’s a great idea! Thanks for volunteering.” I hope you hear what it really means “That’s a great idea! Thank you for volunteering. Please let us know how we can support you!”

If you have an idea you want to pitch to the board, email contactus@107ist.org. If you aren’t sure where to start, my DMs are open (@rachael_with2as)

I didn’t know how to do any of this until I tried. I want to support you while you try.

Donation Drive for Urban League of Portland

107ist Admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 19:16:12 GMT

New Donation Drive!

This time, we are seeking your donations for Haven Project, an effort of the Urban League of Portland. Haven Project helps those experiencing a lack of permanent housing find a long-term residence, supported with intensive case management and peer supports. What they need are items for housewarming/homestarting baskets. Feel free to either pick up loose items for donation, or create a whole basket (or supply a whole household)! Donations will be accepted at Donations will be accepted at Fanladen this Friday 8:00 – 6:00, Saturday 12:00 – 3:00, and Sunday 12:00 – 3:00.

Bedding-

Full/Queen Sheet Set, with pillowcases

2 Standard Pillows

1 Set Towels(2 each of bath, hand & wash cloth)

Blanket or Quilt

Shower Curtain and curtain rings

Plastic Laundry Basket to put it all in

Kitchen-

Two of each:

Dinner plates, mugs, bowls, glasses, place mats (dishes should be microwaveable)

Silverware set for two

Kitchen towels & potholders

One of each:

Sauce pan and fry pan with lids

Paring knife & can opener

Measuring spoons/cups

Serving spoons

Sturdy reusable grocery bag to put it all in

Cleaning- (new items)

scrubbing sponge

dish soap

counter cleaner

window cleaner

bathroom cleaning product

hand soap

floor cleaner

roll paper towels

toilet brush

broom or dust sweeper

laundry soap (single packets work best)

bucket to put it all in

Now is the Time

107ist Admin — Sun, 31 May 2020 19:15:08 GMT

The Rose City Riveters are anti-racist.

We strongly oppose the systems of racism and injustice that have caused so many black deaths in our country and our communities. We continue to mourn the loss of black lives at the hands of police and others.

During this time of remarkable loss and fear, we recognize the hardship faced by people of color at all times. We encourage everyone to take action and speak up about what is happening in our communities. Listen to the voices of those who have lived this reality for their whole lives, and amplify them. Now is not the time for silence, and we are never silent.

The NWSL Supporters Code of Conduct states that “We will not tolerate hateful or discriminatory words of actions based on race, gender identity, sexuality, citizenship status or nationality, age, appearance, disability, religious or cultural identity.” This is a statement of values, both within our stadium and in our community.

Now is the time to take action on those values in support of black lives. In the coming days, we will be providing information and directing Riveters to ways they can help, both in Portland and nationally.

Please stay safe, be well, and speak up.

#BlackLivesMatter

Face Masks for the Community and Opportunities

107ist Admin — Fri, 29 May 2020 19:14:32 GMT

It started simply enough in mid-April: Organizations locally and around the country were begging for masks for their essential workers. Many folks were spending their time and money to sew as many as they could, but the demand was far greater than the thousands of crafters could meet. How can we as an organization help locally?, we asked. So we launched Project Face Masks. We were a bit reluctant at first: Could we really sell 1,000 masks? The response, however, blew our expectations completely out of the water.

We sold that initial 1,000 masks in two hours — and 3,000 in 12 hours. The response was so incredible and the demand so great that we opened up another order … and then another.

As of this writing, we have:

Donated 8,520 masks among 34 community organizations
(Read a wonderful post by one of our recipients here.)
Sold a total of 13,840 masks

Those orders came from 43 states and D.C., totaling 1,277 participants (76 percent of whom are 107IST members).

We still have organizations who are hoping for masks, though. So, we’re making things even more enticing! From now through 9 p.m. (Pacific) on Sunday, May 31:

Donate a set of masks, and the 107IST will match the donation (up to 250). That’s right: For every set of 5 or 8 that you donate, we’ll double it. Order here.
Join or renew your membership, and we will donate five masks (unlimited).
AND here’s the kicker: Each person who donates masks, either through purchase or membership, will be entered into a raffle to win:
- One pair of signed cleat from Rachel Buehler Van Hollebeke
- One of three, signed Valeri bobbleheads
- One of two, signed photobomb cutouts of Valeri
- One of three, signed pictures of Chara, Clark, or Valeri
- One of three, Timbers team-signed soccer balls

Yes, multiple purchases and guest registrations get you multiple entries.

This project has been an immense success, and we thank all of you for your support!

From the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee

107ist Admin — Wed, 27 May 2020 19:13:30 GMT

The Rose City Riveters will support the Portland Thorns from afar. This is not unprecedented. We are used to supporting the Portland Thorns on the road. What we are not used to is a season without in-person support.

We will work to find new ways to support our club during the pandemic.

Our primary concern is safety for all those involved with the NWSL tournament in Utah. We appreciate that the NWSL Players Association has been engaged with the League regarding the safety and player logistics around the tournament.

Regardless of the format or location, the Riveters remain committed to supporting the Thorns in a genuine way that connects supporters to the players. What does Riveters’ support look like when we can’t be there in person? We exist to support the Thorns, not to look good on streams or TV broadcasts, not to create a gameday environment for other spectators. Over the last 7 seasons we have worked tirelessly to make Providence Park a fortress. We do not think this can or should be bottled and applied to another location without us.

The Riveters oppose any artificial “gameday” experience with music or chants played over the stadium PA system or added to the broadcast for home viewers or anything that is not in person. We are the organic supporter response to what is happening in the match. Until supporters can safely attend matches we will not be providing any tifo or large displays for matches we cannot safely attend and execute ourselves.

We look forward to being back in Providence Park, complete with drums, horns, flags and banners and most of all, our voices. We look forward to raising our voices together in support of our team. Until then, we will remain safely at a distance.

Community Outreach in the Time of Pandemic

107ist Admin — Wed, 20 May 2020 19:12:59 GMT

The following is a post from Rachel Greenough, Community Outreach committee member.

This past Saturday, May 16th, would have been a home game for the Thorns against the newly rebranded OL Reign. I can just imagine the tifo that might have gone up that day. How many choruses of build a bonfire we would sing. Fanladen would have been open, and we were planning to collect match day donations for Grow Portland, a great organization that plants school gardens and does a ton of work with food resources and gardening in our communities. I can almost feel what it’s like to be in the stands for a game such as this.

As Sheba and Gab have recently written, in much more eloquent words than my own, we miss that stadium and all of you — but the attention of the Rose City Riveters and Timbers Army are currently focused elsewhere. The “town” of “team, town, and TA/Riveters” is currently where our focus lies.

A few weeks ago, I started reaching out to organizations to help gather information for mask distribution and grant applications. Every organization I reached was in need. Every individual spoke of the increasing needs in our community: how many more meals they’re serving, how hard it is to find shelter beds for women who need them, and how some populations are being left out of the resources offered by our city, state, and country. They all spoke of the importance of donations and support from the community.

When we talk about community outreach from the 107IST, a frequent question is, “What can we offer?” Thanks to the generosity of our members, and the success of our merch teams, we can often support organizations with money or material donations. The biggest asset we possess, however, is our membership — a whole lot of people who care about the well-being of others in our community and are willing to help out when they can.

You. You are the most valuable part of the 107IST.

We are all in different spots right now. If you need help, we hope you will reach out to us via email or social media. We might be able to find help. If you are in a position to help others, we are here to facilitate that. When I reach out to organizations about masks or grants, I am also asking them what else they need. Do they need volunteers? How will those volunteers be kept safe? Do they need items? Do they have an online wishlist of vital needs? Do they need money to continue doing what they do in the community? The answer is yes.

We have added pages to the 107IST and Riveters websites to list these needs and spread the word. As needs come in, we will post them on these pages. The idea is that this is a place you can go if you have time, money, or other donations to offer. All of these organizations are doing great work. They all need help. May would have been a big month for both teams: two home games for Timbers, four for the Thorns, rivalry games for both teams … Maybe some of those beer, cider, parking, transportation, or pizza dollars can go to one of these organizations.

Thank you for joining us and doing what you can.

107IST Grants Available

107ist Admin — Thu, 14 May 2020 19:12:30 GMT

Check out a great opportunity here.

At this moment of navigating uncharted waters together, the 107 Independent Supporters Trust has turned our focus to the “town” part of the “team, town, Timbers Army & Rose City Riveters” part of our mission. We may not be able to show our support in the stands, but we are working to support our communities.

Places to Help

107ist Admin — Tue, 05 May 2020 19:11:38 GMT

This page contains information and requests from organizations in the greater Portland community. All of these orgs are doing remarkable work to keep people safe and healthy, and they have some specific needs in order to keep doing this work. The 107IST has received requests for volunteers, financial donations, and material donations. We know many people are not currently in a position to help, but wanted to pass this on for those who can. Please check back frequently, as we will keep this page updated with the most recent requests.

Black Resilience Fund

The Black Resilience Fund is an emergency fund dedicated to fostering healing and resilience by providing immediate resources to Black Portlanders. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted the physical and financial health of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. And because of ongoing systemic racism, these communities have been denied the resources they need to close these inequitable disparities. Due to the recent murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, there has been increased attention to racial injustice and the reality that we can close equity gaps if we do take action. The Black Resilience Fund (BRF) was created in response to endless headlines of Black pain, to leverage this difficult moment by inspiring Portlanders to show the best of themselves and build community. The BRF is an emergency fund that fosters healing and resilience for Black Portlanders facing the compounding impacts of a global pandemic, state violence, and systemic racism.

The fund is seeking direct donations via their GoFundMe in order to provide support to Black individuals. The organization is currently run by all-volunteer labor, so all donations will go to individuals in need of assistance. Visit the GoFundMe to donate financially.

The Black Resilience Fund is a volunteer-driven movement to support Black Portlanders. There are volunteer opportunities in every aspect of operations, from intake to deliveries to fundraising and social media promotion. They are especially in need of volunteers who identify as Black or BIPOC to assist with intake and deliveries, i.e. direct interactions with Black Portlanders in need. Most of their more than 100 active volunteers participated from the safety of their own homes via online channels and via phone. Volunteers who make deliveries assume responsibility for their own safety, delivery vehicle and complying with COVID-19 precautions (i.e. wearing a face covering and gloves).To volunteer, fill out this application.

Blanchet House

Blanchet House provides meals and transitional shelter services for houseless and food insecure community members. Need has increased greatly due to the current crisis, and they are serving over 1,900 meals daily. They need volunteers for meal service and clothing distribution. They also need material donations to help the people they serve.

Volunteers wear masks and gloves while working, and all efforts are made to ensure social distancing. Help is needed Monday through Saturday. Contact volunteer@blanchethouse.org for more information.

Visit their COVID page for more information and procedures for donating food or material goods. There is also an Amazon wishlist of items that are in high demand for the population they serve. Find it here.

Camp ELSO

Camp ELSO is a community-based education nonprofit organization that uses the natural world to connect children and youth from underrepresented communities to Science- Technology- Engineering- Arts- Mathematics (STEAM).

Our mission is to teach and frame STEAM and nature based education through a lens that centers and elevates the stories, ways of knowing, individual needs, and lived experience of Black and Brown communities. We provide culturally specific science camps, professional development activities, and community projects that invite children and youth of color to Experience Life Science Outdoors.

Camp ELSO accepts financial donations and has a wishlist of items that will directly support their camps, including a special camp this summer that will take place free of charge. Needed items include:8 pairs of binoculars (for use in urban forests, natural areas and parks), 50 Reusable grocery bags (for Distance Learning Kits to be sent home with campers), 8 Digital Cameras with memory cards (For Photojournalism Session July, 2020), 2 Laptop computers (for ensure reliable, effective communication between staff), Bicycles (for older youth, as alternative transportation to public transit). Contactinfo@campelso.org if you are able to help with any of these items.

Equitable Giving Circle

Equitable Giving Circle was launched during this crisis to support BIPOC Farmers and families. They purchase CSA food from farmers, and gift it to community members in need of fresh, healthy food. This group is 100% volunteer run and operated.

They are in need of in kind donations of food, garden supplies, and backpack/school supplies. Contact equitablegivingcircle@gmail.com for donation logistics. They are also in need of direct donations, and encourage us to share their fundraiser with others who might be able to give.

If anyone has a lead on a farm truck– one of the farms they work with needs a donation of a truck. Please contact the organization if you can help.

Friendly House

Friendly house provides services and programming for youth, families, and seniors, including the SAGE Metro Portland, a program dedicated to serving LGBT older adults. They have had to close their day center and end many programs that provided revenue, but are still serving their community by providing food and other essentials.

Friendly House is in need of food and household supplies for their clients: peanut butter, canned soups and vegetables, protein bars, cleaning supplies, paper products, dry cereal, pasta, rice. Contact donate@friendlyhouseinc.org.

They are also in need of financial support.

Gather:Make:Shelter

Gather:Make:Shelter is a citywide collaborative art project with and for people experiencing houselessness and poverty. They are in need of financial donations to continue supporting their artists and others. Check out their website, which will continue to be updated with events and ways to be involved.

Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest

Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest inspires all girls and gender non-conforming youth to be strong, smart and bold. Through direct service, Girls Inc. builds safe spaces and fosters long-term mentoring relationships for youth living in low-income and historically under-resourced communities to develop their strengths, learn lasting skills, and take charge of their futures.

COVID-19 has heavily impacted the fundraising efforts of this group. They greatly appreciate direct donations, via their website.

Grow Portland

Grow Portland connects the community to the natural world and healthy food by creating and supporting school-based garden sites and engaging the community in gardening. They have responded to this crisis by pivoting to focus on food production in their learning gardens. Food produced is being delivered to school meal pantries and directly to families who need it. They continue to actively garden at 10 school sites, and harvested over 150 pounds of spring food last month.

They are waiting for permission to engage more volunteers at their sites, but interested volunteers can initially email growportland@gmail.com.

In addition, they are in need of Amazon wishlist items (purchases do not need to be made via Amazon but it is an easy way to supply a general list of needs). They are always in need of gift cards to garden supplies stores, Home Depot, etc. to maintain garden sites. Donation drop offs can be coordinated individually by emailing growportland@gmail.com as their office is currently closed.

Hillsboro Farmers’ Markets

Hillsboro Farmers’ Markets continue to operate during this time, providing a venue for over 200 local farmers to sell their product within the community. They are in need of volunteers on Saturdays and Sundays.Volunteers would help keep foot traffic at the agreed upon 100 people in market at a time; they would help assure everyone was observing social distancing and make sure everyone had masks. They can volunteer at support@hillsboromarkets.org

Howard’s Heart

Howard’s Heart supports teens and youth in foster care, ages 13-21. They work to go beyond the basics, and empower youth with a chance to speak for themselves. Howard’s Heart was founded with a mission to focus entirely on what the teens identify as their wants and needs.

COVID-19 has caused an increase in requests for basics like food, educational supplies, hygiene supplies, and clothes. The requests have nearly tripled, and funding has declined. The organization is worried about their ability to continue meeting the needs of the youth they work with.You can help out with this cause by purchasing items from the group’s Amazon wish list.

Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)

Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization serves a variety of needs for individuals and families in our community. They are still providing a lot of direct and virtual services throughout the area, including basic needs and other needs like education, language services, and legal services. They need gloves, sanitizing wipes, and some larger items such as a large cooler for food delivery, and google chromebooks or tablets for education. Please contact fundraise@irco.org if you wish to purchase and donate items. They are not accepting in-person donations at this time.

Join PDX

Join PDX helps families and individuals who are experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity to transition into permanent housing, and supports them to maintain stability. They continue to support their clients during this time through modified use of their dayspace and increased mobile and outreach services.

Join PDX are especially in need of financial donations to help continue this work, as the pandemic has put additional stressors on them. Visit this page to make a financial donation. They also have a detailed list of material needs and an amazon wishlist here. They have noted a particular need for bottled water for their day space.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Neighbors Helping Neighbors provides trash bags and trash pick-up services for houseless communities in Portland. They also provide clothing, food, and other supplies needed by these communities. If you wish to contribute to their work, they have a list of most-needed items by season, and a link to a wishlist here.

The Northwest Catholic Counseling Center

The Northwest Catholic Counseling Center provides counseling services on a sliding scale to anyone who needs them regardless of financial situation, faith, background, personal situation, or employment. They are one of the few places around that provide truly affordable and accessible counseling and support, regardless of insurance. They continue to operate both virtually and in-person during this time.

NCC is struggling to secure enough disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and furniture-safe disinfecting spray to keep the office safe for clients, staff, and visitors. Please contact donate@nwcounseling.org if you would like to donate or can assist securing these items.

Oregon Food Bank

The needs met by the Oregon Food Bank continue to ramp up as more people find themselves needing food resources. They are working every day to adapt their food procurement and distribution models in response to the pandemic.

They are taking volunteers, and always need financial support (visit their website for more). In addition, they have asked to hear directly from anybody with a lead on companies that could provide transportation or storage opportunities.

Oregon Workers’ Relief Fund (organized by Causa Oregon)

Causa works to improve the lives of Latino immigrants and their families in Oregon. With COVID-19, Causa and other community partners were able to advocate at the state and local level for the Oregon Worker Relief Fund coalition. This coalition is working to provide temporary support to Oregon workers and their families who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and would otherwise fall through the cracks of current community support and assistance. This fund directly supports individuals who do not have other access to such unemployment and other forms of support. The fund needs direct donations to help individuals. Please visit the workers’ relief fund page and give generously.

p:ear

P:ear is an organization that provides education, art, recreation, and job training to homeless youth. They are deeply committed to community building and empowerment of some of our community’s most vulnerable individuals- homeless young people. During this time, they are working to provide food and other supplies to anyone who needs them. They are serving over 250 meals per day. They are also hoping to reopen their community center as a safe space for youth as soon as they are able to do so safely.

P:ear is in need of volunteers and donations, including volunteers who can help from home by baking food or sewing masks.They also need donations of tents, sleeping bags, burrito making supplies, masks, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies. Check out their COVID-specific webpage for specific needs and information.

Portland Community Football Club

Portland Community Football Club provides affordable, high quality soccer for low-income, immigrant and refugee youth ages 5-18. Although all soccer related activities have stopped, they have shifted all their focus towards the needs of their families, many of whom are undocumented and work in the restaurant and food service industries. They are providing food and other staples for families, and even providing financial assistance when it is needed.

Direct donations will help PCFC ensure that they can continue this work, and that they will be able to pick up where they left off when play resumes. All donations can be made at their website.

They can also always use more volunteer coaches. Though, we aren’t sure when play will resume, they are meeting monthly via Zoom with coaches to do some coaching education. They also could use volunteers to help with our virtual fundraiser in September. Volunteer roles for that could include: Picking up procured auction items around Portland, writing auction item/package descriptions, or joining the PCFC Ambassador program. Contact kaig@pcfc.co if interested in any of the volunteer opportunities

Q Center

The Q Center in North Portland provides a meeting space and community center for LGBTQ+ individuals in Portland. The center currently has a drive under way for art supplies for the lounge. If you are interested in helping out, contact their Operations Coordinator, Jasmine Brown, at jasmine@pdxqcenter.org. Financial contributions will also help support the important work of this community center.

In hopes of opening soon, please contact them if you are interested in volunteering!The center uses volunteers to staff our front desk and lobby area during our open hours (Noon – 8 p.m. weekdays, Noon – 6 p.m. weekends).These volunteers also provide information and referral. After being closed a long time we are concerned about our volunteers returning upon reopening. Anyone interested can contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Dani Trammell at dani@pdxqcenter.org.

Rose Haven

Rose Haven shelter and community center continues to adapt their services to provide support to women, children, and gender diverse individuals in our community who are at risk of houselessness or abuse. They need a few volunteers to work in the building adjacent to Rose Haven cleaning restrooms, sorting donations, and working on other organizational projects.Right now they also have a number of projects that can be taken off-site for volunteers to complete and return. This would include making hygiene kits in to go bags, sorting shoes, distributing hand sanitizer from a large gallon into small containers, etc. Email jalmroth@rosehaven.org for more info!

Rose Haven is also in need of material donations to directly provide what their clients need. They currently have an amazon wishlist, as well as a partnership with Next Adventure to purchase outdoor supplies and other needed items. Next Adventure, which is a local, small business, is offering a 50% discount to Rose Haven supporters who are purchasing supplies to donate. Use this link to purchase from Next Adventure. You can also check out the amazon wishlist here.

Rosehip Medic Collective

Rosehip Medic Collective are street medics (providing medical care at protests, action camps, occupations, etc- specifically for antifascist and leftist organizing) and community medics (providing baseline medical care to underserved communities such as houseless folks and the queer community). In response to COVID-19, they are also producing hand sanitizer, and have produced and distributed over 15,000 individual bottles to houseless folks and others in need, primarily through direct service organizations.

They are in need of financial support to their gofundme page to continue procuring the materials needed for this operation. They said financial support has slowed down a lot, and their production depends on this source to continue. Visit their GoFundMe page to contribute.

Rosewood Initiative

Rosewood Initiative provides a connection to basic needs resources for vulnerable individuals and families in outer East Portland. Their community center usually provides an array of services. Though the center is now closed, they continue to connect with families via other means, and help families with basic needs like food, rent, and utilities, as well as resource navigation. They have a particular need right now for donations of books for school aged children. Contact meldridge@friendlyhouseinc.org to arrange a donation. They also have set up two funds for financial donations. Visit their website, for more information.

Street Roots

Street Roots continues to do vital work supporting the houseless population of Portland and advocating for the needs of this community. The need during this time is enormous. Support their vendor assistance fund to provide direct assistance to Street Roots vendors, and financial support for the many initiatives and programs they run. To make a financial donation, please visit here. If you want to read more about the specific ways this money supports individuals in our community, check out Kaia Sand, Street Roots’ executive director, on Twitter.

Urban League of Portland

The Urban League of Portland is the foremost civil rights and services agency dedicated to Black Oregonians. They work for stable housing, workforce development, community health, education and well-being for youth, adults and seniors. Their culturally specific programs and services, combined with our powerful advocacy and civic engagement, empowers Black communities to thrive across Oregon and SW Washington.

Urban League of Portland is specifically working to address the digital divide in their communities. They have a huge need formodern, safe internet enabled devices like chromebooks, laptops, larger size tablets, etc. If you have a device that might work, you can contact ulpdx@ulpdx.org to arrange pickup or dropoff. The need is in the thousands for these devices. Also- watch this space for an updated Amazon wish list coming soon from the organization.

Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project

Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project runs a community space that is built by and for day laborers. This is where immigrant, refugee, Latino, and Black day laborers connect for work, and where they host programs, classes, and trainings. Their center continues to be a resource for workers to make connections, get food, and learn about assistance and resources. These are vital services for this population. In addition, Voz is doing regular outreach to day laborers on street corners on how to care for themselves during COVID-19. About 30% of their membership is houseless and an overwhelming majority is monolingual Spanish-speaking. For many, Voz functions as their only or major source of information and access to resources.

Voz is in need of volunteers to help with their food pantry, such as sorting and organizing donations, seeking donations, coordinating logistics to receive donations, and doing door-step deliveries to workers’ homes. They provide face masks and gloves and follow distancing guidelines. For direct contact and more information, contact Mo Taylor at activities@portlandvoz.org.

They also need items for their worker center, including: a small/mini refrigerator, on-site portable toilet rooms, outside hand-washing station, soap and hand sanitizer, disinfecting cleaning wipes, 300 gardening gloves. Contact the worker center director to arrange donations or ask questions: adrian@portlandvoz.org, 503-234-2043.

William Temple House

William Temple House operates a food pantry and low- to no-cost mental health counseling services in Portland. They are one of the only organizations around that offers mental health care that is truly accessible to all. They continue to provide these services while constantly adapting their service model for safety. They are usually funded in large part through their thrift store, which has also closed. They are in need of volunteers and donations to continue their impactful work in our community.

William Temple House has an ongoing need for volunteers, especially assisting in the food pantry. Volunteers prepare boxes of food from shopping lists created by staff and clients. Boxes are brought upstairs where clients wait outside under canopies. Social distancing is maintained and all staff and volunteers wear masks and gloves. Before- and after-hours, the pantry is stocked and hygiene items organized. The William Temple House Director of Volunteers and Outreach, Cliff Johnson, can be reached at (503) 715-0248 or cjohnson@williamtemple.org.

The food pantry also provides basic hygiene products to clients. Monetary donations help them purchase items in bulk at a lower cost, but actual products — full or travel-sizes — are also appreciated. Phoebe O’Meara, Social Services Program Coordinator, can be reached at (503) 715-0318 or pomeara@williamtemple.org. Items their clients request and need include toilet paper; shampoo; conditioner; lotion; soap (bars or liquid); razors; shaving cream; toothpaste; toothbrushes; menstrual products; baby diapers. When the thrift store re-opens in June, they will again be looking for gently used clothing, household goods, and furniture to be donated for resale to benefit their social service programs. Please call 503-222-3328 for information about donating, or find information on the website.

Woodlawn Farmers’ Market

The Woodlawn Farmers Market, a project of the Woodlawn Neighborhood Association, is located in the heart of our neighborhood in Northeast Portland, Oregon. They contribute to the revitalization of Woodlawn through our place-based, food-focused initiatives, including a SNAP matching program. They have been significantly impacted by the financial fall-out of Covid-19, and are looking for support to continue their good work. You can contribute financially at their website. They are also (awkwardly, as they say), on the lookout for a porta-potty to use for vendors during the market– due to limited access of surrounding businesses, this would help them greatly.

Finally, volunteers are always needed to help out at the market, every Saturday through October. Email Woodlawnfarmersmarket@gmail.com for more information!

YOUTH (Youth Organized and United To Help)

YOUTH provides a variety of culturally responsive workshops and services. They serve populations who often fall through the cracks of other services, and are hardest hit by the pandemic. They are currently running a book drive to collect books for underserved youth in Portland. Their book drive is a way to share hope with families in need throughout the Portland metro area.

YOUTH needs volunteers to help sort and deliver books. They also need donations of books that are for a diverse age range and culturally diverse in subject matter. You can visit their website to get in contact or learn more.

Our Friends Need Your Help

107ist Admin — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 19:10:46 GMT

Rose Haven is an important organization in our community, serving women, children, and gender non-conforming folks experiencing the trauma of abuse, loss of home, and other disruptive life challenges. They have continually adapted their service model during this time, and have continued to provide vital direct support to individuals in the Portland area. Below are their most urgent needs, including an opportunity to support local business Next Adventure by purchasing and donating supplies to Rose Haven. We know that many women find themselves in dangerous situations during this time. If you are able, consider supporting Rose Haven in their ongoing work.

Purchase outdoor supplies from Next Adventure for donation to Rose Haven. Support a local business, and get 50% off the retail price of items to be donated. They will be shipped directly to Rose Haven. Needed items are available for as little as $0.80 up to $110. Anything helps! Click here to shop.

Sponsor a meal for someone at Rose Haven via Feed it Forward PDX ($5 and up) by clicking here

There is also an amazon wish list for items needed by Rose Haven, available by clicking here

Dollar donations are also badly needed to continue providing direct services to women in the Portland area who are experiencing houselessness, hunger, or abuse. Please consider a financial donation if possible.

Taking Care of Each Other – Masks

107ist Admin — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 19:09:52 GMT

As we end the third week of the stay-at-home orders from Oregon’s Governor, many grassroots activities have started up to help our community during these challenging times. Be it an attempt to get additional resources for the Oregon Food Bank or Meals on Wheels, or schools and businesses raiding their own N95 face mask and glove supplies for frontline healthcare workers, Oregonians have come together to help each other prepare and respond to this pandemic as best we can.

There has also been an increasing need for face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Professional-grade equipment is required for healthcare workers and first responders, such as paramedics, firefighters, and police officers. This equipment is professionally made to a certain medical standard. This is the equipment — such as N95 masks, face shields, and other equipment — you see hospital workers using.

We should also be wearing our own face masks when in public. The CDC has recommended cotton face coverings and social distancing whenever someone is out and about — be it exercising or getting essentials at the market. There are many ways to make your own face mask, and the CDC has compiled a list of ways to make different masks.

There are also groups that are organizing mask-makers to help meet the growing demand from various organizations for these face masks. One group, Make Masks, was featured in our latest member newsletter. To date, they have coordinated the creation of more 16,000 masks. If you can get involved with them (can sew or can make a donation), please see their website.

In an effort to help the supply chain for personal cotton masks, and to support the efforts to get more cotton personal face masks to our community, the 107ist board has purchased one thousand, 100 percent cotton face masks, which we plan to donate to local organizations that need these items. One of our scarf producers, Euroscarves, has recently adjusted their operation to make cotton face masks, and we are proud to purchase from them.

The 107ist is asking our membership to fund this donation through a buy one, give one model. In addition to the one thousand masks for the community, we have also ordered an additional thousand for our members to be able to purchase for personal use. While buying face masks for yourself and household, you will be paying forward the donation to our local organizations.

We are offering this through a few different options: You can buy 5 facemasks and donate 5, buy 2 and donate 8, or just donate 5. If you have the means to support this effort, please see the event on our website below for more information and to register.

Important notes:

100 percent cotton face masks will not protect you from the COVID-19 virus. These masks are intended to help you protect others by covering your nose and mouth at all times while in public. The CDC, as well as Oregon’s Health Authority, continue to advocate for social distancing when in public, in addition to wearing personal face masks.
Please do not consider these face masks a solution for social distancing. These are not medical-grade masks.
While these are not single-use masks, it is recommended that you wash the mask after each use. Please wash with soap and water and let air dry before you use the mask again.

A Statement on U.S. Soccer

107ist Admin — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 19:09:21 GMT

As supporters of teams in the National Women’s Soccer League, all of which have players who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, we strongly condemn the misogynistic mindset of the US Soccer Federation as reflected in the rhetoric of their recent court filing on March 9, 2020. It is clear to us that the USSF has chosen a path of explicit discrimination on the basis of sex.

As dedicated supporters of women’s soccer in America, we caution U.S. Soccer that we expect the federation to adequately and equitably support the women whose athletic achievements and larger cultural impact have drawn us to this sport. U.S. Soccer now finds itself on the wrong side of history. We urge sponsors and potential sponsors of U.S. Soccer to join us in condemning the federation for their argument that women do not perform equal work because they are less skilled and have less responsibilities than their male counterparts.

U.S. Soccer has taken a paternalistic approach to women’s soccer, asking the players and supporters to be grateful for what they have given us — including the National Women’s Soccer League. Instead, we urge U.S. Soccer to change course to avoid further alienation of their fans and to protect their ability to have a productive and positive impact on our culture as a sport and as a nation.

Signed 3/12/2020

Bayou City Republic (@BayouCityRep, Houston Dash)

Black Swans Drinking Club (@BlackSwansDC, Orlando Pride)

Chicago Local 134 (@Chicagolocal134, Chicago Red Stars, ISC member)

Cloud 9 (Sky Blue FC, ISC member)

The Court (CourtofRoyals, Utah Royals)

Order of the Reign (@OrderOfTheReign, OL Reign)

Pride’s Crown (@PridesCrown, Orlando Pride, ISC member)

Rose City Riveters (@PDXRivetersSG, Portland Thorns, ISC member)

Royal Guard (@RoyalGuard_SG, OL Reign)

Spirit Squadron (@SpiritSquadron, Washington Spirit, ISC member)

The Uproar (@UproarNC, North Carolina Courage, ISC member)

Everything You Wanted to Know about Riveters Capo/DnT Tryouts but Were Afraid to Ask

107ist Admin — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 20:08:46 GMT

Guest post by Megan Drake (@drummerlib) and Tina Ettlin (@tinalope_)

I’ve always felt that there’s a sense of mystery surrounding how people get to be a Riveters capo or members of the DnT crew, which isn’t the best. In an ideal world, everyone knows how to join us so that no one feels intimidated or unsure about volunteering to join us. So, now I’m writing my first ever blog post so that everyone DOES know how it all works.

I can’t count the number of times that people have come up to me at a Thorns match and said something along the lines of, “I’m a drummer/trumpeter/horn player! I’d love to join you guys!” My response is usually something along the lines of, “That’s great! Sign up for the e-mail list and keep an eye out for the call for volunteers that we send in the off season!” I do that for a reason. There’s so much going on during a match that I know I won’t remember any one person that expressed interest to me and I’d never want anyone to feel left out or excluded. Having everyone come through a single place makes it so much easier for us to manage and greatly reduces the likelihood of anyone being accidentally excluded.

That said – having the volunteer form only come out during the off-season creates a barrier to volunteering. So, we’ve decided to make a change. Now, the volunteer form will be available year-round. The link will be printed on the chant sheets and linked from the Riveters website. Anyone can express interest in joining the Riveters Capos or DnT at any time.

Yes, the link is here too: https://forms.gle/GpgEB5SjgqTjAN587

That’s the first step to joining our crew – expressing interest. Now comes the fun part.

TRYOUTS!

We currently hold at least one try-out session per season, during the preseason tournament. We are toying around with the idea of holding a second set of tryouts mid-season, but a lot of that depends on our needs as the season goes along.

Here’s how tryouts work for DnT:

Anyone that is trying out on a horn is given the sheet music in advance. Yes, the Riveters have sheet music for all of the chants that include horns. Yes, you can still improvise within reason. We’ve just found that people tend to find it easier to join when they have music to use for practicing before tryouts. There’s no sheet music for the drums, though. The beats aren’t hard and you’ve been hearing the chants for a while. We’ve never had anyone struggle too hard with picking it up.

When tryout day comes, anyone interested in drumming is put on a drum. We’ve got spare mallets so there’s no need to bring a pair, but you probably want gloves so your hands aren’t destroyed. There’s at least one (if not more) experienced DnT drummers also on drums so there’s someone doing the beats that you can follow. The match starts and the capo calling chants gets us rolling. Your job as a person trying out is to do your best to keep up with the drumming / horn playing. We know you won’t be perfect. All of us still make mistakes at matches on the regular. All we want is for you to hit the drum hard and keep within tempo. (DON’T RUSH K THX) If we see someone having a bit of a hard time picking up a particular beat (some of the chants have a lot of syncopation), one of us will be very overt with how the beats go so that it’s easier to follow. This is also why some chants go longer than expected on tryout day. We want to give the people trying out a good shot at learning the complicated beat.

This means – If you’re in the crowd, please don’t yell at me if Onward goes for 10 minutes on tryout day. It’s happening for a reason and it’s preseason. Chill TF out.

Once the match is over, all DnT members at the match get together and decide as a group what the results are. Some people are full members right away. Some people are subs for a while before they become full members. Some people stay as subs. It all depends on what we need within DnT, how you fit in the crew, and how you did during your tryout. We let you know that day if you’re still around in the stadium. Otherwise, you’ll get an email from me. It’s pretty rare for someone to not be at least a sub, so try not to stress too much.

For capos, the tryout looks like this:

We will find a spot for you during the match – either in a bucket, on the mainstage or at the top of 107. Depending on the amount of people we have trying out, we may switch people out or change your spot during the half. I highly recommend bringing cough drops or lozenges to help protect your throat.

The biggest (and maybe the most obvious) thing we will look for? Know. Our. Chants. It’s the biggest part of what we do. We know you may not get the hand signals right off the bat but we have a key to give you to help you learn.

Another part of our job as capos is getting our sections back on track after something happens on the pitch because yelling at the refs is evergreen and our people are incredible at it. Stay engaged with your sections and keep the energy up. The people around you feed off the energy you give to keep the North End the powerful presence everyone loves.

Just like with DnT, we will get together after all the tryouts finish and discuss the results. We do like to keep a solid list of subs because sometimes one of our full time capos needs a match off. We’re all human! Our hope is to one day get the lower bowl fully involved so more permanent capos are needed.

That’s pretty much it! We know that we all have lives and we are all volunteers, but we do ask that you sign a code of conduct when you join. The gist of it is basically:

If you’re a full member, you need to be a season ticket holder
Be professional during matches.
Be reliable – if you commit to being at a match, be there.
Be sober during matches. A little bit o’ the sauce is fine but you’ve got a job to do.
Pay attention. Again, you’ve got a job to do. No being distracted by your phone or even the match.

Oh, and if you decide to fill out that handy-dandy volunteer form and come try out? WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

See you in March!

We do it for LOVE

107ist Admin — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 20:07:34 GMT

By our capo, Sunday White
———————————

So, I was standing there, in the cold and wet, waiting in line to have my Axe photos taken the other day, and an odd thing occurred.

A number of people that I have not met before, and who I do not usually see on match day, said to me some variation of “Capos have to wait in line, too?” or “Why are you waiting in line?”. I bet they would say the same thing to the Game Day Ops folks, any of the past or present board members, or the flag/rigging/tifo crews IF they knew them by face. In fact, I’ve since confirmed that this phenomenon has happened to my buddies in the DnT (Drums & Trumpets) who are, of course, visible, and usually pop up on video of a match when the mainstream media is showing “stadium atmosphere.”

It was odd. And really, I guess it was odd when it happened before, at random moments, across years of being involved with the 107IST as a capo with the TA and RCR, both at the stadium on match day and when I’m around town at work or running errands. This time it made me realize that what we do and how we do it is probably not understood by the newer fans or those that usually watch the match from outside of the GA section.

This may be due to some 107IST members’ modesty or a close-working network. On a larger, more common scale, though, I think it may be the non-supporter-group observers’ assumptions.

I really want to bash those assumptions out of the proverbial park.

All the people you see doing things on match day that are not wearing a stadium uniform, or official team or park company attire of some sort, are volunteers.

We are fans.

We buy our own tickets.

We buy our own 107IST memberships.

We are not staff.

We are not given perks.

We are not given payment.

We are not provided with benefits by the Front Office.

We (the capos, in particular) turn our backs on the pitch out of love for our clubs.

This is the same with the DnT. The tifo crew. The merchandise design team and the sales crew. The people passing out chant sheets at the concourse table. The people that arrive early to run all the stairs to put out flags and wall banners — and after jumping and singing for victory for 90+ minutes, they do it again after the match to clean up those flags. The folks that never get in early because they are collecting and reselling tickets at the Fanladen. The rigging crew that is there nights before, running roping so the tifo crew (there just after rigging does their magic so they can test the pulls) can get that amazing (and, again, volunteer-created) display up in the air. Then those same rigging badasses lose sight of the first 20 min (or more) of the match taking all those ropes back down. The 107IST board who all lose large portions of time and sleep trying to work together to make this amazing thing even better for the supporters. There are people dedicated to providing accurate website data, managing all our histories, managing social media accounts, being photographers and videographers, planning away day travel, communicating what the supporters groups are doing, providing ways to improve our communities, representing us at the ISC (Independent Supporters Council) annually, planning our charitable efforts, tree-planting, Oregon Food Bank, CPR classes, book clubs, and so much more.

ALL these things are done by volunteers. They do it by sacrificing free time, energy, sleep, money, bodies, and the ability to get pissed with friends while watching the match.

We do not do it for fame or fortune. We do not do it for TV ratings. We do not do this to make the FO happy.

We do this out of love for our clubs.

Take the time to see all the facets of this amazing organization that is being driven by the love of soccer and the love of our communities. Acknowledge all that these dedicated supporters do to make our united experience and our united show of love to the players on match day — for both of our Portland clubs — possible.

Thanks

Sunday

(I’m the crazy capo with the ’hawk)

PS: Now that you know a little bit more about us, you can see how varied our organization is and how much work we have to do. Give a thought about what you may be able to do to help. We are always looking for more volunteers.

AWAY TRAVEL CODE OF CONDUCT

107ist Admin — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 20:07:08 GMT

Anyone engaging in behavior that breaches this code of conduct may receive a warning or have a travel ban imposed upon them by the 107IST. Warnings and bans may be given for Timbers, Thorns, or both away trips.

The Portland Timbers/Thorns Front Office may also issue punishment that could involve home match bans. The 107IST may deem it necessary to include a warning and/or travel ban in accordance with ANY punishments handed down by the Portland Timbers/Thorns Front Office that result in home stadium removal and/or bans. Depending on the severity of the punishable actions, this could result in a longer ban than what is handed down from the Portland Timbers/Thorns Front Office.

1. The 107IST reserves the right to refuse the sale of a travel ticket for any reason, especially in any case that violates our code of conduct or that could jeopardize the image of the organization at large according to our ethos.

2. Abuse of any 107IST Committee members will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Please remember we are unpaid volunteers; we may not get things right all the time, but we do our best on your behalf.

3. Violence is not tolerated under any circumstances during home or away matches.

4. You are expected to respect the rights of your fellow members and supporters by avoiding all forms of intimidation, sexual/physical/verbal harassment, or anything intended to cause a nuisance to others.

5. Any incidences of abusive behavior towards another member or supporter may result in you being requested to leave our home stadium or current away stadium.

6. It is your personal responsibility to arrive at the correct meeting time/place specified by the 107IST. Travel leaders/bus captains reserve the right to determine the fitness of any individual to enter the stadium using a ticket sold to them by the 107IST.

7. You are expected to respect our home and any away stadium at which you are in attendance. Please don’t leave litter or cause any manner of damage to any stadium you are visiting.

8. Please report any accidents, injuries, illness, or significant incidents to the travel leaders/bus captains immediately. Reports should also be sent directly to awaytravel@107ist.org.

9. You are expected to comply with any reasonable directives given by the travel leaders/bus captains.

10. At any away venue, obey all the rules of the specific venue. Failure to do so may result in removal from the venue and/or future travel sanctions from the 107IST.

11. You are individually responsible for complying with the spirit, not just the letter, of all laws, regulations, and group standards. This also includes holding any guests registered under your name to our codes of conduct.

Bus Trip-Specific:

In addition to the above…

1. Violence is not tolerated under any circumstances. You will not be allowed on the bus carrying a weapon or an item that may be used as a weapon.

2. Any bus captain reserves the right to determine the fitness of any individual to travel on a vehicle hired by the 107IST for the purpose of transporting members/supporters.

3. The travel leaders/bus captains reserve the right to determine the fitness of any individual to disembark the bus and enter the away stadium using a ticket sold to them by the 107IST.

4. Failure to adhere to our code of conduct may result in your removal from the bus at any point of the travel duration at your own expense.

5. You are requested to arrive back at the buses within a reasonable time of the conclusion of the match for prompt departure. Understand that it is your responsibility (NOT OURS) to arrive at the buses with ample time to board upon leaving Portland or any away city.

6. You are expected to respect the bus you travel on by not leaving litter or causing any damage to the bus.

7. There is to be no swapping or trading of bus spots unless prior arrangements have been made.

How the 107IST Warning and Ban System Works

Yellow Card = Travel Warning

Yellow Cards given during regular season play will stay in effect for the duration stated in the table below. If a second Yellow Card is given during the first Yellow Card’s duration, it will be upgraded to a Red Card travel ban.
All Yellow Card durations include the current and following season’s Cascadia matches, even if they are scheduled to occur after the card’s effective duration.

Rose City Riveters Yellow Card Effective Duration

Matches 1-8	Matches 9-16	Matches 17-24	Playoff Run
Rest of current season and playoff run	Rest of current season, playoff run, and first 12 matches of the following season	Rest of current season, playoff run, and the entire following season	Rest of current playoff run, and the entire following season and playoff run

Red Card = Travel Ban

Red Cards given at any time will be in effect for the duration of the current season, current season’s playoff run, and the entire next season and playoff run.

Now Accepting Candidate Submissions!

107ist Admin — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 20:06:39 GMT

Courtesy Jennifer Ingraham

This year, we will have candidates vying for one of four open positions on the board for a three-year term (2020 through 2022). Here’s how the process works:

Applications for candidates will be open from November 6 until 11:59 p.m. on November 15.
We will post the list of candidates and their statements on the website on November 16.
All current 107IST members will then be able to post questions to candidates on the member forums of the website.
On November 24, from noon to 2, we will host a town hall session for all candidates. This session is moderated, and the questions are sent in from members.
Ballots will be sent out on Monday, December 2 to all 107IST members who renewed their 2019 membership on or before October 31.
Voting will take place from December 2 through 8, and we will announce the results immediately thereafter.
You must have been a member of the 107IST as of October 31, 2019, to be eligible to run for the board and/or to vote.

What are our needs?
As always, we are looking for professional, committed people to join our board. Non-profit experience is a definite plus, but our greatest needs are people who a history of committed and reliable work with the 107IST and who can put in the time needed for the board. [The time commitment can vary depending on what members take on, but the average is somewhere between 6 to 10 hours a week.]

We are always looking for technology and communications skills, as well as proven project management, leadership, and strategic thinking.

As the board continues to evolve and grow, and we embark on a capital campaign for a permanent home, it would be great to have people with financial or real estate experience.

If you are considering running, we highly encourage you to attend our board meeting on Wednesday, November 12, to get a sense of who we are and how we work.

About the board
Our board members help shape the organization and work to make the Timbers and Thorns supporter experience bigger and better, as well as contribute to initiatives in the Portland soccer community. You can find out more about the current board, the positions and committees they serve in, and the initiatives they manage here.

Riveters 2019 Player of the Year

107ist Admin — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 19:05:43 GMT

It’s that time of the season!

Although we are all excitedly anticipating this weekend’s match vs Reign FC, we still take a moment to reflect upon the season thus so far, and how each player has contributed to Portland Thorns FC’s overall success.

To that end, it’s time to poll all of you. Who is your “Player of the Year”?

Click here to vote.

The poll will close soon, so don’t delay.

The player with the most votes will be honored at our last regular season home match. See you there!

We’re not MLS. We’re an Opportunity to be Better Than That

107ist Admin — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 19:04:40 GMT

Guest blog by Sergio

NWSL isn’t MLS.

As we hear time and again from every white-bread armchair first-time Soccernomics reader, on every medium from 0-follower Twitter accounts to mainstream publications, our 7-year-old league doesn’t draw what 23-year-old MLS draws (until it does). Its TV viewership isn’t MLS’s (except when it is), its teams haven’t been around as long (except for the teams who’ve spanned league after league after league). NWSL teams aren’t profitable (except for the ones that are), unlike MLS teams (except for the ones that aren’t).*

And as US Soccer— contracted by the NWSL to help manage the league— is happy to establish, NWSL isn’t MLS when it comes to deserving the same quality of referees. USSF officially dumped the NWSL into a lower tier meant to use the NWSL as a development ground for future MLS officials in a new policy quietly released during the Women’s World Cup. USSF and MLS co-founded the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) that trains and manages officials in the US, and USSF funds it.

NWSL isn’t MLS, and MLS-owned Soccer United Marketing this, so they only show up once a cycle to take credit for the NWSL landing one sponsor (like Budweiser), one which they’ve already managed for years with the USWNT, and USMNT, and MLS—while also leaving the NWSL out of the $720 million TV package deal that SUM negotiated for USSF and MLS, which includes the USWNT, every member of which plays in the NWSL.

Did I mention that every member of the BACK-TO-BACK WORLD CUP CHAMPIONSHIP-WINNING US WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM plays in the 9-team NWSL? That’s because the NWSL isn’t MLS, a league where no player from the reigning Men’s World Cup championship squad plays in its 24 teams. MLS is a league where good players go to get paid; the NWSL is a league where great players take a pay cut to get better. A player added a clause to bail out of her contract whenever she got an offer from our NWSL club. The winners of 10 of the last 13 FIFA world’s player of the year awards, and 3 of the last 4 World Cup Golden Ball winners, either currently play or coach in the NWSL.

The NWSL is a league where players force their way onto World Cup rosters by grabbing it and ripping it apart in unprecedented ways, then go on to be invaluable pieces of an unprecedented World Cup performance. MLS, which isn’t the NWSL, is a league where it’s arguably better for the World Cup non-qualifying USMNT if its players don’t play in it.

NWSL isn’t MLS, said international sponsors like Ikea and Mini Cooper, who didn’t want to sponsor the Timbers because that audience isn’t as valuable to them as the Thorns audience. Nevermind that you’ll see sponsorship activations across Portland for the Timbers even when you don’t look for them, whether it’s full-store takeovers at Safeway or massive billboards for Comcast. Nevermind that the front office took six and a half years to put more than zero “Portland Thorns FC” wraps alongside the many Timbers wraps on the TV-facing walls around the pitch and called that macaroni equality. Nevermind that the sides of multiple buildings promote a Timbers team that sells out every match with a season-ticket waitlist thousands deep.

The NWSL isn’t MLS. On a night in December 2012 where the USWNT drew 10,092 to a midweek friendly, Merritt Paulson never expected the Thorns to draw 20,400, much less 25,413. He thought Christine Sinclair would love to play at 5,000-capacity Merlo Field because she’s a Pilot alumna. Now she plays in front of a crowd that averages almost four times that number—a crowd that shows up despite less marketing support from the front office than the MLS team gets.

The Thorns would go on to draw more than that USWNT match in all but two regular-season and playoff matches over the next seven years—all while never seeing the USWNT in our stadium again. The last time the Thorns drew fewer than 13,000 to an NWSL match, the USWNT’s crest still had two stars on it.

Our FO loves to take credit. It flies people around the world telling everyone how they built the support that turns out every match. And they do a lot of hard work, which we hear about endlessly from anyone who interviews Merritt Paulson about how he—the MLS owner—invented successful women’s soccer.

But it’s not a photo of Merritt Paulson or Gavin Wilkinson or Mike Golub that hangs in the NWSL league office. They don’t show up in a Budweiser commercial to demonstrate what NWSL success looks like. Their faces aren’t in stories from here to France about the atmosphere, culture, and success of the Thorns. It’s photos of the Rose City Riveters, the NWSL supporters group that has less than 33% crossover with the MLS supporters group under the same 107ist umbrella. It’s a group that came about from fans, by fans, bootstrapped with the help of 107ist and TA but now the largest and most active supporters group for a women’s pro soccer club on Earth.

But hey, the NWSL isn’t MLS, right? You can be Merritt Paulson and get away with budgeting an expectation that only 2,000 to 5,000 people would show up per match in 2013 (The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer, Caitlin Murray, 2019) and then take credit when more than that number sign up for season tickets and 13,320 ends up the season average—all without needing the city-wide campaign of billboards and advertisements that the Timbers got when they entered MLS.

The NWSL isn’t MLS, because in the NWSL you can be US Soccer, sit on a nine-figure cash surplus, and get away with investing $10 million total in the NWSL operations across six seasons (Murray), and almost as much per year into MLS’s three-year run-up—in MLS’s case not to build a sustainable league, but to save the 1994 Men’s World Cup bid.

Sure, maybe the NWSL is declining toward the standards of MLS. Four of its nine teams today have MLS owners as majority owners. Another just received minority investment this season from an MLS owner in Seattle— which is just an MLS city now, not an NWSL city, after that same MLS team wouldn’t let the Reign play in its venue. A sixth is owned by someone for whom MLS— not the NWSL— has been the ultimate goal of his years-long campaign. With expansion coming in the next two years (thanks for the tip, Merritt) that balance will likely shift to MLS owners’ favor sooner than later.

In some markets the investment has paid off. In others, we’re still waiting for them to get their shit together.

And it’s telling that independent Sky Blue—the lowest-attended team in the NWSL— drew as many or more people to a match this year in an MLS venue than any MLS-run Dash or Pride match. Or that the independent Chicago Red Stars drew more in the MLS Fire’s home venue than any Fire match this season. Or that the independent Spirit just drew more than any MLS-owned NWSL team outside of Portland to Audi Field— and outdrew us this weekend in a smaller venue.

But the NWSL isn’t MLS. It’s a chance—an opportunity—to be better than MLS, to learn from the many mistakes MLS made and build something that isn’t just good enough but truly great. Just like any 7-year-old league it hasn’t been easy or smooth; FURT is in our vocabulary for many, many reasons. But other teams are taking that chance, they’re going out of their way to sign sponsors and local TV deals, to fill bigger and better stadiums, to sell advertising and take action toward actual equity in treatment with men’s soccer teams, to stand up for the rights of fans and players, and to say publicly and frankly that being anti-fascist is not controversial while not having anything to do with MLS’s fan-hostile policies.

To paraphrase women’s soccer writer Charles Olney, team owners have the opportunity to make the NWSL the Premier League of women’s soccer. But applying boneheaded MLS policies to the NWSL—policies that don’t exist at the NWSL level, and aren’t enforced elsewhere in the league, including at MLS venues in New Jersey and Chicago— is the first and biggest step into turning the NWSL into the MLS of women’s soccer.

Do we really want to regress that far from where the NWSL is now? Do we want to be like MLS—do we want to be WMLS—instead of a world leader in this sport?

* I don’t expect everyone to click on every link and read every story here, but I’ll celebrate any chance I get to link to one story noting that Utah Royals FC turned a profit in year 1, in the same sentence as another story where MLS commissioner Don Garber says that Real Salt Lake would be profitable without the Royals.

Wrongs Can Be Made Right

107ist Admin — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 19:03:14 GMT

Guest blog by Kyle Jones

As was witnessed last night, the Timbers Army, Rose City Riveters, 107ist and even ECS and Gorilla FC, take very seriously the issue of an arbitrary “political” imagery ban in our stadiums. We are clearly willing to put ourselves out there to show the Front Office and the league how important this is. Timbers and Thorns ownership has an opportunity to move toward a resolution, even in the next day.

Merritt Paulson and Mike Golub have both stated that the organization they lead is unequivocally antifascist. Removing the non-NWSL instituted ban on the Iron Front symbol at Thorns games would go a long way to prove to us, the supporters, that they, the Timbers and Thorns organization, are genuinely on the right side of this societal issue.

On a business operations level, it would show their employees that management believes in the people who put on a Providence Park jacket and polo each match day to do their jobs. If they are able to distinguish the difference between a GA ticket and a reserved one from six feet away (which they are), they are more than capable of discerning a Timbers match from a Thorns one. Park staff have the ability to not enforce a non-league instituted ban for one of those teams. “Staff confusion” is not a valid reason.

The ban being enforced at Thorns matches is solely being imposed by Thorns ownership. Period. Merritt and Mike can change that.

Fewer than 18 hours from now, fans will be lining up to enter Providence Park to cheer on the Thorns. And this isn’t just some Yahoo! livestream. The game will be broadcast on ESPNews. This is a tremendous opportunity for the club to extend an olive branch to its most ardent supporters; for them to show us their mettle.

Mistakes can be forgiven. Amends can be made. But both require action. As a supporter and season ticket holder for both clubs, I ask them to please, take action.

I will continue to boycott concessions and club merchandise until the ban is overturned. And if I find myself standing silently in a stadium for another 33 minutes, so be it. I’m confident that we, as supporters, can deal with an eerily quiet stadium far longer than they can.

Why Does My Voice Matter?

107ist Admin — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 19:02:39 GMT

Guest blog from Bitty

Why Does My Voice Matter?

It’s a question even I have. The last few years have brought forth many opportunities for people to step outside their comfort zones, to stand up and speak out about the wrongs that are happening in our own neighborhoods. We always see crowds protesting and standing up for issues that the Right often attack, but we rarely see the people on the sidelines. People who show up, but aren’t sure where they fit into that protest. They know it must be important if hundreds or thousands or millions show up, so what keeps them sidelined?

It’s not just a cheesy saying, every single voice matters no matter how small you think yours is. I’ve taken part in many protests and demonstrations, I used to find myself questioning if I was the right person to be protesting certain issues. It took me sometime to realize within my discomfort is an anger that drives me to be a part of the change. After all, I’m human, it’s my right to stand up and defend our rights. Even if I’m not who the Right is attacking in that moment, I’m not going to be a part of any change if I’m comfortable in what’s happening around me.

In all of the protests I’ve been a part of, I never thought my discomfort that would come from a sports angle. But alas, here we are. We have a league (MLS for those who don’t know yet) that seems to be confused on what’s political and what’s a human right. Unfortunately, it’s common these days when the media and leader of our country are empowering alt-right movements and creating a problem our generation didn’t wager they’d see. We learned about the extreme right, fascism and Nazi’s in history classes, but to see what’s happening now is something at least I didn’t see coming. Some may say, but this is sports, it shouldn’t be political. Too bad, it already is. From the national anthem used as a recruiting method, the camo kits and merch sold by FO’s, to the American flag. It’s all political from the time game day starts. However, in a system of balances, for every bad there should be a good. This is where we bring up the Iron Front, a symbol used and designed in the 30’s to be able to cover swastikas, it’s a symbol of the resistance of Nazism. It’s a symbol use to stand against fascism. It’s a symbol of human rights, therefore it isn’t political.

Don’t let the Front Office or leagues definition of Antifa scare you or deter you from speaking up for human rights. If you’re against fascism, you’re Antifa. There’s no middle ground. Attacking Antifa and the Iron Front is supporting Fascism and aides the rising of white supremacy under this administration.

So as a supporter of soccer, watching this all unfold has found a lot of people wondering what they can do to ensure human rights are stood up for and hate has no place in our stands. You’re also probably wondering as an NWSL supporter, why does any of this matter to you. It matters because Portland’s Front Office has decided this horrendous code of conduct should span all 3 leagues that Providence Park hosts. Their reasoning, the employees don’t know the difference between teams/leagues. So aside from being a human rights issue that one leagues supporters find themselves fighting for, in Providence Park it expanded to a stadium issue.

Standing up to anyone is hard, especially a Front Office. However, a line has to be drawn. First they come for the Iron Front, what will they come for next? The pride flag? The trans flag? So here is your chance to take a stand. If you’ve found yourself on the outside looking in, know you’re not alone. I often say “I’m new here” because I’m still highly unsure of where I fit in. But we’re all human, and our standing up for human rights put us right in the middle of this. Protesting has been a way to fight power for, well forever. Like any business they depend on consumer money, taking a stand can be as simple as not spending money in the stadium or on merch. Speaking out can be as simple as making your own two stick about standing up for human rights and against fascism. Reach out to those around you, work with each other, don’t be afraid to ask for help or clarification. Change starts within all of us, all of our voices matter.

An Open Letter to Amanda Duffy

107ist Admin — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 19:01:40 GMT

Guest blog from Nash Drake

Dear Amanda Duffy

Hi, Amanda. Nash here. It seems that you have been extraordinarily busy, so I’ll try to keep this brief.

Did you know that the front office in Portland has decided that NWSL has a policy against flying the Iron Front flag at matches? Crazy, right?! I’m fairly sure that NWSL didn’t participate in that decision-making process, but if I’m wrong, please let me know.

So let’s talk about the Iron Front symbol. It was created by anti-fascists to give a symbol to counter the Nazis. Yep, Nazis. Again, you’ve been busy, so I won’t assume that you know there is a rising tide of white nationalism sloshing about in our country at the moment that is accompanied by racism, homophobia, transphobia, and on and on. In short, bad things are going on.

I’m a member of the Rose City Riveters. No matter how busy you are, I’m going to assume that you *do* know who we are. We are aggressively inclusive. Anyone is welcome amongst our ranks. Except Nazis, we don’t like them. We have flown the Iron Front flag at a Riveters match before and I personally would like to fly it at every match to let people know that they are safe within our ranks.

Here’s where the rub is, Amanda. While NWSL doesn’t have a code of conduct, MLS does. And while the code of conduct for MLS doesn’t say that an Iron Front symbol can’t be flown in stadiums, the Portland Front Office has decided that it should be banned because it is “political”. They also decided that for NWSL and USL, the same applies. Of all the nerve, amiright?! How far do we have to leap in order to get to a ban on rainbow flags? Pride nights? The Portland front office has said that people are “uncomfortable” with the Iron Front symbol being flown in the stadium. What happens when someone says they are “uncomfortable” with the rainbow flag or a Pride Night? Do we want to tell our players from all over the world that NWSL stadiums aren’t a safe space for them, but are safe spaces for Nazis? Do we want our LGBTQ+ players and supporters to think that NWSL matches are not safe spaces for them, but are for bigots?

Again, I know you are busy, but I am hopeful that you aren’t so busy that you are willing to let one front office dictate a policy for an entire league and its supporters. I’m further hopeful that you and I can agree that human rights are not political and that this will be addressed quickly so that we can all go back to growing this league that we are all so invested in.

Best,

~Nash

A Message from the 107IST Board of Directors

107ist Admin — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 19:00:13 GMT

Some may wonder why Riveters are sharing this. Aside from falling under the same 107IST umbrella as Timbers Army, we also have a stake in this matter. Riveters have flown the Iron Front for years with no concerns or issues- and no policy provisions from NWSL suggest it is inappropriate (aka “the league” taking issue with it). The justification is dubious at best- the Thorns front office seem to believe their stadium personnel are not able to distinguish the difference between Thorns and Timbers, and a blanket ban would eliminate confusion. Irrespective of their stance, one thing remains true. When you ban a symbol of resistance to oppression, you are taking the side of the oppressors. Rose City Riveters know what side we are on.

The following is a statement on behalf of the 107IST board of directors.

As many of you have seen, the Timbers Front Office issued a statement about their ban of the Iron Front symbol at Timbers, Thorns, and T2 matches. We would like to address some of the points in the statement.

Yesterday’s statement from the Front Office comes directly on the heels of one of the most upsetting weekends in recent memory for many of our members — a weekend where avowed white nationalist demonstrators descended on Portland, many of whom had publicly called for violence. The timing is puzzling to say the least and damning at the worst.

When discussions about the Iron Front image started, we repeatedly asked the Front Office for a public statement, but we could not get anything in writing. Finally, with the first home match looming, we effectively had to force the FO to put together something we could share with our members.

If the Iron Front flag ban is an MLS policy, we have never seen any kind of official document from MLS stating this, and, once again, the most recent statement about it appears courtesy of the Timbers Front Office — in fact, the only “official” statements have been from the Timbers and Sounders front offices. The Seattle statement, in particular, included additional information that was not shared with us by our own Front Office or by the league.

The 107IST board has been working with the Independent Supporters Council (ISC), who have been attempting to engage in a dialogue with MLS headquarters on these issues since January.

The Timbers Front Office continues to use the word “dialogue” around the Iron Front situation, but this is an incorrect word. This policy and any associated actions have been unilaterally dictated to the 107IST board by the Front Office. Any “dialogue” at our meetings with them has been met with vague replies such as “We will continue this discussion later” or “Thank you for the input, but the league’s policy on this stands.”

The Timbers Front Office continues to maintain that they have received much support for the ban, but they have shared no metrics and few details. At the time of this writing, the 107IST board has received more than 50 copies of emails to the Front Office opposing the ban, and 0 emails supporting the ban. We recognize that we are likely to hear from only a subset of supporters, but these are the only metrics we have on letters to the Front Office, and they are wholly at odds with what they say they are hearing. Most importantly, however, some decisions are beyond metrics: Deciding when and whether to stand up for human rights and inclusion should not be subject to email and phone call ratios.

The 107IST board has expressed in no uncertain terms that not only do we disagree with the implementation of this policy, we also disagree with what it represents at a more basic level: the ability to arbitrarily, unilaterally, and subjectively interpret symbols and ideas as “political,” something we’ve already seen happening across the league in recent weeks. This is especially worrisome with clubs and ownership in MLS who refuse to even acknowledge Pride Nights by claiming they are “too political.” Our Front Office has acknowledged that the policy is fluid, open to interpretation, and has the potential to change.
We are frankly appalled that the Timbers Front Office has repeatedly attempted to conflate their support for marriage equality five years ago with the issues discussed of late, apparently to somehow buy back goodwill for their position. The support of basic human rights should not be used to attempt to gain points in the court of public opinion — it’s the bare minimum to which we should hold our institutions accountable.

The MLS Fan Code of Conduct was envisioned to bring about clarity, specifically with respect to equal treatment of supporters across the many clubs in MLS. The implementation of that has been anything but, showing that clubs (for example, Columbus, Atlanta, Chicago, and LA) can — and will — interpret the rules however they see fit, with supporters paying the price.

As our city, county, and state governments join with community organizations and the business community to make it clear that hate is not welcome here, we are disappointed that our Front Office is not a part of these efforts. While they continually reiterate that they share our ethos of acceptance and against hate, we have continually left the door open for them to do the right thing in this situation. That door is still open.

The 107IST board remains committed to asking MLS and the Timbers Front Office to rescind the subjective ban on “political displays” and come together with supporters and human rights experts to enact a Fan Code of Conduct that protects the game we love, as well as the supporters who make it unique.

Prideraiser Supporting TransActive- How to Donate

107ist Admin — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 18:59:24 GMT

Thank you for your pledge to TransActive Gender Project! For more than 12 years, TransActive has been a leading voice in creating a more affirming and inclusive world for gender diverse and transgender children, youth and their families. The money received from your pledges will be used to continue expanding outreach to individuals, families and communities in need of TransActive Gender Project’s services.

To make your online donation:

Click here to go to the Lewis & Clark Graduate School Giving page. In the field named “My Gift Should Benefit” click on the drop down menu and select “OTHER”. Enter “TransActive Gender Project” in the field that appears.

Thank you again for your generous support!

Clarification on Code of Conduct and Iron Front Imagery

107ist Admin — Fri, 24 May 2019 18:54:02 GMT

From the beginning, a core value of the Timbers Army, the Rose City Riveters, and the 107IST has been that we are unquestionably and vocally an anti-fascist and anti-racist organization. We have never — and will never — tolerate discrimination or bias for any reason. We believe in acceptance, understanding, inclusion, and love. You can read about our central beliefs in this blog post, which we posted after the MLS Code of Conduct was released. We firmly repeat: The fight for human rights is not a political one.

The Independent Supporters Council and supporters groups around the world share these values, and we are aligned in working together to combat prejudice and oppression.

As a vocal stance against fascism, we began displaying banners with the Iron Front logo in 2017 (although some also made appearances as far back as 2011 and the USL days before that). The Iron Front logo has stood as a symbol of the fight against persecution and fascism since World War II. Originally designed to symbolize the resistance against Nazi rise, it now stands primarily for the fight against all oppression. With the recent rise in targeted attacks against so many groups — LBTGQ+, immigrants, women, religious groups, and more — and the presence of fascists in our stadiums, this symbol represents our firm stance of combating hatred in soccer, our communities, and our world.

We have been working with the Timbers/Thorns Front Office for several months on the Iron Front symbol — what it stands for and how important its meaning is in these times. The FO stands by our beliefs, and they have agreed that we may use the words anti-racism and anti-fascist in our displays.

However, in conjunction with MLS, the FO has decided that this particular image is not to be used in any signage at Providence Park going forward, including Thorns and T2. What follows is a letter the 107IST board received last week, clarifying this policy.
(Ed.: Small, clarifying additions are noted in brackets.)

The 107IST is relaying the following message to our own supporters as well as fellow supporters groups in other cities.

Take heed.

Providence Park Iron Front Signage Policy

Following last night’s meeting [May 14] we want to close the loop on the Iron Front dialogue with a clear written message you can share with the TA.

Rule

No Iron Front symbology will be allowed in Providence Park during Timbers, Thorns or T2 games. This rule includes any creative “work-arounds” like we saw in Vancouver this past Friday [May 10] and any Iron Front-based clearly organized displays that make a public statement. Due to the extensive dialogue on this issue and subsequent breaches of trust in Vancouver and in other media, We will be enforcing strict punishments for any violations of this rule out of the gate, starting with multi-game bans for violators.

The question was asked last night “if its Iron Front now, what next?” The answer there is simple: any signage that’s political or fails to comply with the MLS Supporter Code of Conduct, which is now clearly spelled out. And while the Iron Front is not specifically cited in the Code of Conduct it is unequivocally prohibited by the league.

Background Reasoning

With the bottom-line regarding the Iron Front out of the way, here is some very important context behind the issue that everyone should understand:

Even in the context of the new Supporter Code of Conduct guidelines, there is still a fair amount of local discretion teams can apply, something we personally fought very hard to ensure. The Timbers have always been the most lenient of any club in the league in allowing freedom of expression from its supporters. To that end we advocated very hard to the league to allow signs stating “Anti-Fascist” (the very spirit of the Iron Front prior to its antifia appropriation) would be acceptable and, furthermore, allowed the 107ist/TA to publicly communicate that to the ISC. The same applies to public denouncement of racism etc.

The reasoning behind why the Iron Front symbol is unacceptable is as follows:

The Iron Front symbol has been clearly appropriated and linked to the antifa movement, and sometimes in a context of violence. There is no question that antifa and its current rise is why some in the TA suddenly have decided to use the Iron Front…if not why wouldn’t anti-fascist be ok?
Symbols of politics are exclusionary and antithetical to the inclusive TA and Timbers ethos
There are some added security concerns waving antifa symbols pose to all fans
We have received many complaints about the Iron Front from fans who are clearly anti-fascist but feel uncomfortable with antifa imagery in their sporting experience for all the reasons stated above

We know better than anyone that the beautiful game can be a conduit for positive change in society. But we also fully agree that the Stadium should be a politics-free zone. Team, Town & TA. We believe that the end approach to the Iron Front and the dialogue that lead us there have been reasonable.

We hope this clarifies the issue. As we often say, we won’t always agree but we will always be open, honest and respectful. We have rarely drawn lines in the sand. We have a track record of being cooperative and working with the TA on a variety of potentially divisive issues that together we have resolved in a positive and peaceful way. It is our sincere hope that this is another case of just that.

For almost 10 years the Timbers and the 107ist have had a tremendous mutually beneficial relationship. We recognize the 107ist are volunteers and are deeply grateful for your service and all that TA does in support of the club we all love.

The 107IST board disagrees with this decision, but we felt it our duty to inform our members of this change. We will continue our work with the league and the Front Office on addressing the presence of hate in our stadiums and our communities.

Welcome to the Crosscut Collection: Growing our Community Impact

107ist Admin — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 18:53:32 GMT

As we all prepare for the new NWSL season, we are also excited to showcase a new level of partnership between the Rose City Riveters, the 107 Independent Supporters Trust and Portland Thorns FC. Starting with this weekend’s preseason tournament, fans and members will be able to purchase merchandise in a new Crosscut line, specifically designed by the Riveters to show our support of the club. The Crosscut line will continue to be a line that supports the community projects of the 107ist and Stand Together.

Over the last 6 seasons, we have developed a close relationship with the Thorns, both on and off the field, and through this new partnership we are able to use club imagery in designs that we would not normally have access to. This is a partnership and collaboration to help produce a unique collection for fans but also raise funds for the community.

The Crosscut Collection was born in 2015 as a collaboration between the 107ist and the Timbers, and now we are growing that relationship to include the Thorns. The agreement from 2015 will continue, wherein PTFC will donate a portion of the proceeds to Stand Together and the 107ist will use our proceeds to fund ongoing efforts to support soccer from the grassroots to the highest level. We are thrilled to expand our impact on the community through this partnership.

It’s important to note that we are still focused on making our own gear for supporters, and will have new merch throughout the 2019 season. We will be launching new gear at watch parties or at the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder) before home games, and we will be using our social media channels to keep you updated on what is dropping and where you can get it, so don’t worry. We’re not going anywhere.

Once again, we are stoked to be able to work with the Thorns on this project and we hope you enjoy the new Crosscut Collection. Keep an eye on the official Thorns social media channels for sneak peaks of the new items. You will be able to purchase them in the PTFC Team Store (currently on Burnside) and on https://www.shopthornsfc.com/. Once the stadium re-opens, you’ll be able to get the items in the Thorns Team Store.

Riveters Holiday Shindig

107ist Admin — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 19:52:50 GMT

Let’s Have a Party!

Come join us at the Lucky Labrador Beer Hall – Quimby for some holiday fun.
We have some cool stuff to raffle & white elephant gift exchange if you want to play along! All funds raised will be donated to the Bradley Angle House.

Cash or Cards accepted.

Details:

Saturday, December 29, 2018

6:00pm – 9:00pm

Lucky Lab –
Quimby Beer Hall
1945 NW Quimby St, Portland, OR

All ages welcome!

To volunteer for this event, click here.

White Elephant rules:

Numbers will be handed out upon submitting a gift.
Participants must stay in bar for the entire exchange. NO LEAVING unless gift has been locked down.
Gifts can be stolen TWICE. Essentially the third person to hold the gift keeps it.
Item should be wrapped & between $10 – $15. Funny, Nice and Weird are always good.

Your Generous Ticket Donations & What Happened Next

107ist Admin — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 19:52:19 GMT

Guest post from Riveters Outreach
Sometimes the weather stinks, your head is pounding, stayed late at work, came home to a child covered in a mysterious rash, or for any number of reasons Just Can’t Soccer. Nine out of ten of your close friends are STH already so you sign today’s match ticket over to the Riveters, breathing in well over $13 worth of relief that you don’t have to put on shoes again.

What you may not know is that Riveters set aside the funds raised from reselling those tickets and make an end-of-season donation to Harper’s Playground, a local charity organization created by one of our own 107IST community members, that is focused on creating playgrounds accessible to all kids.

Maybe it was all those $25 Key Bank Club upgrades, maybe it was the free sunscreen we keep on the Fanladen counter now, but I wanted you all to know that your ticket donations raised $2031.00 for this incredible cause.

Rose City Riveters in the North End

107ist Admin — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 18:46:32 GMT

There’s a little blue sign that has always been posted in the breezeway of the 107/108 entrance. For years it referenced Timbers Army/Timbers. More recently, the sign was updated, with Rose City Riveters/Thorns included.

The North End was always home for Riveters- but this seemingly small change was significant. We were officially whole, equal, valid- not just in our own eyes, but now in the eyes of the stadium, too.

The purpose of that sign? It welcomes the reader to Providence Park, and advises that the person observing the sign is now entering a supporters section.

Standing, chanting, singing, flags waving. Raucous, loud, enthusiastic. Smoke, two sticks, banners. And, perhaps most noticeably- drums, trumpets, capos. All for Thorns FC. These top-tier athletes deserve all those things as much as any pro team; we have a wide swath of supporters eager to give them their hearts, enthusiasm, and energy.

Do you want to root for the girls in red? With every fiber you’ve got? Welcome. You’ve got a home in the North End.

Within minutes of the end of the NWSL championship match, unfortunately, we encountered some concerns about how we do what we do in the North End.

Some were concerned about capos yelling. Others didn’t like the salty language. One was angry that she was called out after choosing the second half to sit down and eat her lunch in 107.

More so, several believed standing and cheering throughout two, 45-minute halves was and is too hefty an expectation. More than a few felt our tradition of enthusiastically cheering and chanting for Thorns FC so long as they remained on the pitch was impolite. Discourteous.

We hear these concerns.

We also know that there are a couple simple truths in life: the first is that you can’t please all the people all the time, and the second is the importance of letting go of what isn’t meant for you.

Some folks want to sit and casually enjoy the contest while multitasking with other things- and we respect that. It just can’t happen in our supporters section. Some want G-rated language. That, too, will likely never happen in the North End. Some do not want to be “yelled at”- but that’s part of what capos do. And capos will always be a part of the Riveters support experience.

The vast majority of the stadium outside of the North End is perfect for those who want a comfortable, civil experience with no standing. (and certainly, we understand and respect that some folks will need to utilize the North End ADA sections, and your being seated in those sections is absolutely OK, and no one has any expectation that you stand at all, capos most especially.) For a little extra expense, spectators can sit where stadium employees will bring hot dogs and licorice whips directly to the seats, gratis- you don’t even have to stand to get your food! What a world. Providence Park is a beautiful stadium with many great views of the pitch, and most you can comfortably remain seated in.

The North End is small, comparatively. But this small wedge of stadium is the source and summit of Thorns support. The loud energy. The smoke. The waving flags. The undying adoration. Players want to come to Portland not for money or the housing options- they come because we hail them as heroes.

We want to give them all of this, every single time. Because they deserve it. Every single bit, with no deceleration, louder when the score tips against us, if anything. Scarves up! Sing! Loud!

If this isn’t meant for you, we understand. Between your ticket rep and guest services, you will find the right fit.
And if unrelenting support- jumping and clapping and screaming and raising your scarf high above your head when the other team scores, for 90 minutes every home match- if this is for you?

Welcome.

Where to Watch

107ist Admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 18:45:50 GMT

As we rapidly approach a sell-out, here are places you can catch the match:

OREGON

Portland Metro:

Bethany Public House
Beulahland (in restaurant- Kid friendly!)
Blue Room Bar
Civic Taproom (21+ over)
Great Notion Brewing (if they don’t have it on, tell them owner Paul said to!)
IBU Pub
Kell’s
Lightning Will
Mad Greek Deli
McNally’s Taproom (there will be specials!)
Portland Cider Co. (both locations)
The Thirsty Monk

Corvallis:
2 Towns Ciderhouse (21+ over)

Eugene:
Level Up (Kid friendly until 8:00 p.m.)

OUT OF STATE

California:

Los Angeles- Fox and Hounds Studio City
San Diego- Knotty Barrel

Montana:

Helena- Bert & Ernie’s
Missoula- Meagher Bar

New York:

Smithfield Hall

Washington DC:

Drafting Table

NWSL Finals Roundup

107ist Admin — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 18:45:22 GMT

There’s a party in Portland- no one’s sleeping for a few nights!

There’s a little something for everyone, both to welcome our out-of-town guests to the Rose City, and also share the big occasion with local women’s soccer supporters.

In the weekdays preceding the finals, we’ll have a special service project in conjunction with the folks at Stand Together: NWSL Championship Legacy Community Project. Stand Together is an extension of the Thorns FC front office, with the mission to harness the power of sport to improve the lives of children and families through targeted programs, partnerships, and philanthropic giving. Working in tandem with them, we will complete a renovation on the game room at the Boys and Girls Club in Hillsboro. Sign up for a shift by clicking here.

Thursday night, head over to The Civic Taproom for WoSo trivia with Jen Cooper (AKA @KeeperNotes on Twitter)! $1 off your first drink with @107ist card! Civic is a hop skip from Providence Park, and will allow you to bring in food from neighboring eateries (Una Mas, Boise Fry Co., & Hot Lips Pizza all in the same building).

Friday night– NWSL finals eve- head on down to Kelly’s Olympian at 426 SW Washington St, Portland to catch Pie Fight, Bitch’n, and baby ketten karaoke. Five bucks at the door, and proceeds will support Street Soccer USA. There will also be some incredible raffle prizes for folks to take a crack at- you won’t want to miss it! Doors at 9:00 p.m.

Morning of the final, join us for some pick-up soccer. We will meet at Wallace Park, 2550 NW Raleigh Street, Portland from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome, no special gear required! Just show up- it’ll be fun and friendly.

Also on the day of the final, Goal Five, a women’s soccer apparel brand, will be hosting a pop-up shop at The Far Post from 9:00 to 6:00. There will be a food truck, athlete appearances, and more. Best of all, 5% of sales goes to Riveters/Gisele Currier scholarship fund!

As always, Fanladen will be open pre-match as well.

Riveters 2018 POTY

107ist Admin — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 18:44:55 GMT

What can we say about our Riveters 2018 Player of the Year?

It’s easy to get lost in the avalanche of her accomplishments. Two NWSL Championships with Portland Thorns FC. Prior to that, two WPS Championships, and two national collegiate championships during her time at the University of Portland. Tack onto that the four FIFA Women’s World Cups she has played in; not to mention two-time Olympic medalist, and Canada’s all-time leading scorer to boot. And this is just a sampling of what she’s done.

At the end of the day…she is our Captain. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever…Christine Sinclair is not just an international soccer legend, but a Portland icon.

We couldn’t possibly be more proud to name her Riveters 2018 Player of the Year. Thank you, Captain, for everything.

#BuildTheStatue

BYCAP 2018- Coming Up Fast!

107ist Admin — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 18:44:29 GMT

A guest post from your Capos/DnT

This is your annual reminder, and the time for you to remind your fellows, family, and friends that it is….

BYCAP time!

To the ladies and gents (and non-binary too) that joined us this lovely year of 2018 (aka – the n00bs), welcome to the Rose City Riveters fanbase this season. We are glad to have you here! I am going to take a moment to explain what BYCAP is, why we do it and how you are the most important part of this event.

Where BYCAP begins…

Sometimes, well, often, at the end of the year, some peeps get this sweet and kindhearted idea that, out of admiration and/or gratitude, they should buy Capos and/or DnT (Drum n Trumpet/Trombone) a pint. This is a really, REALLY great idea, and while we are mostly all for having a sippa at the match, honestly, there is no way he/she/they/we can drink that much and remain, loud, passionate, accurate, aware, and leaders, throughout the game. Enter the name – Buy Your Capo A Pint, or BYCAP for short.
BYCAP is an annual fundraiser and is driven by the Capos/DnT.

Buy Your Capo A Pint is a chance for Thorns fans (YOU) to both, help us do good, and say “Thank you” to the ALL VOLUNTEER crew (yep – all volunteers – we all purchase tickets for seats we rarely ever see, except from a distance) that keeps the NWSL’s most passionate, loud, and proud supporters working together to support our awesome, talented, skilled, professional athletes, the Portland Thorns.

Your help helps us, so we can help others, through BYCAP

At the last in-season match we are asking for you to give us a truly important ‘Thank You’. Please consider taking those dollars, the ones you would happily spend on getting a complimentary beverage or two or more for hard-working capos, drummers, horn players, and instead of buying said beverage/s and getting us smashed, put that money into our collection buckets that will be on our stage, nests and by the drums. We will turn ALL of the funds you donate into tuition for young girls to attend Portland’s own Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls, so these future women can learn the strength, power and wisdom of their own voices. So they can have the opportunity to gain the empowering support and confidence we all share on match days as your Capos/DnT.
“Creative voices of girls and women need to be amplified to create social change. Girls need positive role models and support for their creative endeavors. We can build a community where girls support each other rather than tear each other down. We can empower girls to recognize, understand and respond to discrimination. ‘Girls Rock’ is more than just a slogan.”

If you are unfamiliar with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls , check the hotlink for more information on the AMAZING work they do, what they offer, what other donations they need, and how to get tickets to The AMP Awards gala event Friday, November 3rd with Piefight and Janet Weiss.

AGAIN – for the people in the back – help us, your Capos/DnT, give back to our community by donating on Sept. 7th to the BYCAP 2018 fundraiser.

JUST IN CASE – Are you [insert poopy emoji face here] because:
• You don’t carry cash?
• You want to spread twice the love?
• You are going to be out of town?
• You’re an out-of-town fan?

You can donate electronically and in advance by clicking here. Be sure to select “Riveters BYCAP” when making your donation.

TL:DR – you should help us out by stuffing our buckets with cash at the last regular match of the season (vs the Seattle Reign) on Friday, Sept 7th for a badass fundraiser.

2018 Riveters Player of the Year

107ist Admin — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 18:43:46 GMT

Who is your pick for Riveters POTY? Let your voice be heard! Click here to participate in our poll.

The winning player will be recognized by Rose City Riveters with a special award presentation in the north end.

The Championship Ring is Here!

107ist Admin — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 18:40:09 GMT

The Thorns front office has generously gifted a championship ring to Rose City Riveters!

The ring was designed with significant contribution from Captain Christine Sinclair, and has many special elements that comprise its unique design. The largest design is the Thorns FC crest with “NWSL” overarching the crest, and “Champions” below. One side of the ring has “Rose City Riveters” emblazoned above an ice bear; the other side has two stars, representing the two NWSL Championships won by Thorns FC, and the date of the championship match, 10.14.2017. The best little secret gem is an inscription inside the ring- “Build A Bonfire”.

We can tell you all about the ring- but we’re ready to see it in person, and bet that you are, too! Stop by Fanladen between 4:30 and 7:30 Sunday to get your photo taken with our sparkly new bauble.

Seattle Takeover- Tomorrow- 6/30/2018

107ist Admin — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 18:39:43 GMT

Riveters attending the match tomorrow will pick up their tickets from a table posted outside Memorial Stadium- distribution should begin at or around 4:30. Gates will open at 5:30- we’ll enter through the South Entrance, our area is up the stairs to the left.

Once you’re in the stadium and have located your seats, we know some of you might be looking for a drink. This year, in order to get into the beer garden, you’ll need to buy tokens at the food concessions prior to entering. Please be prepared. And don’t forget ID!

Late to the party? We’ve got you!

You can still stand with us at Memorial- follow this link, choose “upper grandstand”, and on the checkout page, use promo code RIVETERS

These tickets are $12 plus a $6 fee. (Yes, you will have to create an account. Sorry about that!)

See you in Seattle!

Upcoming Match Day Drive: Impact NW

107ist Admin — Wed, 16 May 2018 18:39:10 GMT

Impact NW is a local organization that has been helping low-income Portland residents since 1966. Today, they have services available in Multnomah, Clark, Washington and Clackamas Counties and parts of Washington state. In our upcoming Match Day Drive, our focus will be on filling their pantry near the stadium.

Impact NW offers immediate assistance to those in our community who are either homeless or in transition, and often those they are helping do not have access to food prep stations.

Please bring non-perishable pantry items to the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder St) before you head into the stadium. The individuals and families these organizations are helping may not have access to a safe home to cook in, so if your item requires cooking, please make it microwavable and easy to open. Often those seeking help are in need of very substantial (protein-heavy) foods, like peanut butter or tuna. Below is a complete list of the items we are looking to collect:

Oatmeal (packets)
Peanut butter (jars and single-serve cups)
Cereals (single-serve packages)
Pop-Tarts
Noodles and pasta (canned with pop-up lids, cups, or microwavable bags)
Rice dishes (cups, microwavable bags)
Mac & cheese (regular boxed and microwavable)
Fruit cups
Fruit leather
Granola/trail bars
Crackers
Rice cakes (Quaker)
Assorted nuts (single-serve packages)
Juice box packs
Canned goods (pop-up lids are best, please) – Soup, vegetables, tuna, chili

As always, thank you for your care, generosity, and concern for vulnerable neighbors in our community.

Utah Away Info

107ist Admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 18:38:39 GMT

Pre-Match/Tailgate Information:

Friday night meet up – anyone who is in town can join us at the Green Pig Pub downtown http://thegreenpigpub.com. They are located at 31 E 400 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, just 2 blocks from the Little America hotel.

Saturday afternoon tailgate – The Royals SG (The Court), have invited us to join them at Rio Tinto in the Auric Solar Lot 4 – they will be there beginning at 4:00 MT, and we are welcome to come anytime. Bring drinks & snacks to share!

(Parking is $10 at RioT; TRAX is $2.50 one way – take Blue line & exit at the Sandy Expo stop)

Rio Tinto Stadium Game Day Information:

We will all be seated in Section 7. The front row will be reserved for capos. We will have drums, banners & flags!

Please meet at the East Gate no later than 5:55 p.m. MT.

6:00 p.m. MT – all traveling Riveters will enter together, you will need to show your printed ticket(s) at this point.

Stadium rules:

no smoke or flares
bags no larger than 14x14x6
no outside food or drink
no sealed water bottles
empty water bottles ok – filling stations inside
no profanities in chants or yelled (family-friendly stadium)
they have cleared Section 6 as a kind of buffer for us
stadium staff will be assigned to us in case we need anything
possible 15 minute hold before exiting post-match

For any general questions, please email awaytravel@107ist.org !

And last but not least…DON’T FORGET TO PRINT & BRING YOUR TICKET!

See you in Utah!

Your Rose City Riveters Travel Crew

Home Opener Match Day Drive: Teddy Bears (etc!)

107ist Admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 18:38:03 GMT

Keepers Care for Kids will be collecting new plushies/teddy bears/stuffed animals at the home opener April 15th for The Children’s Center of Clackamas County. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and we’re glad for the opportunity to help this worthy organization. Your caring donations, which can be dropped off at fanladen, will bring comfort to a local child who may be experiencing trauma.

Kids are referred to Children’s Center by law enforcement agencies, child protective workers, parents, teachers, health care providers, therapists, and others concerned for their welfare. As a private, non-profit child abuse intervention center, they offer child-centered abuse and neglect evaluations. They partner with local agencies responsible for intervening when there is concern for child maltreatment.

As the Designated Medical Professional (DMP) for Clackamas County, their primary goal is to provide children and adolescents with comprehensive child abuse assessments in a trauma-informed and child-centered environment. They also connect caregivers and children with services to help families sustain a healthy & happy home.

Saturday, April 28th – First Thorns Away vs Utah Royals

107ist Admin — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 18:37:21 GMT

The 2018 season brings us a new venue for Away Days, as the Utah Royals are added on the NWSL roster.

The first meeting of Thorns and Royals will be Saturday, April 28th at 7:00pm Mountain Time @ Rio Tinto Stadium, located at 9256 State Street in Sandy, Utah.

Use this link to order tickets: https://timbersarmy.org/event-2866969

Flags are allowed with plastic poles under 6′, and drums are allowed as well. Watch the language, though! Heads up that bags will be inspected & cannot be larger than 14x14x6- clear bags are recommended.

We have obtained a discount for lodging at the Little America in downtown SLC. Reservations & information can be found here: https://reservations.travelclick.com/4650?groupID=2145848

It appears that local transportation via the Trax Blue Line ($2.50 one way) goes from the hotel (Courthouse Station stop) to the Sandy Expo Station stop which is less than a 1/2 mile walk from Rio Tinto Stadium.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS….Rose City Riveters Travel Banner?

107ist Admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 18:36:12 GMT

Somehow, in all the excitement of the Thorns winning the championship and the ensuing celebrations throughout all of Portland, one of our Rose City Riveters banners has come up missing.

We think it may be hiding from us, and perhaps is still a bit too giddy from partying to successfully make its way back home.

Now it is nearly time for the travel banner to suit up and get on the road for 2018 away matches- so banner, come back!

Have you seen it? Please let us know at info@rosecityriveters.org

2018 Tifo Fundraiser- update: GOAL MET!

107ist Admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 18:34:08 GMT

****Monday, April 9 update- we’ve met our goal! Thank you!****

We’re fundraising to generate revenue for the match day experience, and have a special treat for those who want to help!

Donate $10 or more to our tifo fund, and we’ll send you a special, limited edition “Tifo Hero” pin!

Thanks to those of you who have donated so far! Our goal is $6000.

Click the “donate” button to your right to donate through PayPal.

Stay tuned to this page, where we will keep you updated on the amount of funds raised.

Preseason Meetups- Save the Date!

107ist Admin — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 19:33:44 GMT

Come join Riveters at meetups during the preseason matches! $1 off pints with your 107ist membership card.

Click here for March 11 details*

Click here for March 14 details

Click here for March 17 details

Rose City Riveters merch will be available for purchase, too. There will also be an opportunity to make a donation to the tifo fund, and get a great “Tifo Hero” pin. Check the links for all the details!

*March 11 meetup is kid-friendly

Bingo 3/8/18 -Canceled

107ist Admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 19:33:09 GMT

We love getting together at Providence Park- and at our away match venues, too!

And sometimes, that doesn’t feel like enough, so we love creating opportunities to get the Rose City Riveters family together outside of Thorns matches. If we can turn it into a helpful act of community service or a fundraiser, even better.

In our excitement to enjoy each other’s company, and enthusiasm to run with a great idea, we recently held a bingo night at Cider Riot. We also planned to have another tomorrow at Lucky Lab…without realizing we were missing some steps.

As it turns out, we really didn’t understand the complexities (see: rules) in hosting bingo. We learned of the criteria late last night, and found that we would likely not be able to be in compliance for tomorrow night’s event. Regretfully, this means we must cancel the bingo event at Lucky Lab.

We know a lot of you were looking forward to this- we were, too! But it’s incredibly important to us that we always work in a manner that is above board, and at a bare minimum, never threatens our nonprofit status.

Our most sincere apologies for canceling this event on such short notice.

We are incredibly grateful for your understanding. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@rosecityriveters.org.

See you in the North End soon!

Annual General Meeting Wrap-up

107ist Admin — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 19:32:36 GMT

What a fantastic Annual General Meeting the 107 Independent Supporters Trust had! We hope you were there to learn what we accomplished in 2017, and to participate in the breakout sessions to help determine the direction in 2018.

If you weren’t there, we have a video version for you. Check it out! Also, if you would like to view the slides of the presentation as a PDF, you can download those here.

Ready to get stuck in yet? There are many volunteer opportunities available to you!

Here are a few continuous/committee-type opportunities:

If you would rather take advantage of event-by-event-basis volunteer opportunities, please visit the Volunteer Opt-In Page.

Or, you might have an idea of your own- and we’d love to hear it!

Drop a note to our events coordinator, Dawn Bauman, at dawn.bauman@107ist.org

Remember that Rose City Riveters fall under the 107IST umbrella, and your membership is valued and important. You can sign up for membership here. Thanks again to all who attended our 2018 AGM!

Community Partnerships and Fundraising

107ist Admin — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 19:31:07 GMT

Sure, Rose City Riveters are known for great match day tifo displays, epic away trips North, and of course, all the red smoke!

What you might not know is that when we fundraise, it doesn’t just go to Riveters expenses- it also goes to support our community.

In addition to products cultivated from our match day drives, financial assistance is also provided to organizations. Here is a thumbnail sketch of where fundraising dollars were directed in 2017:

Pioneer Courthouse Square – repair $100 (Click here to find our brick!)
Lori Lindsey trip to Mt. Killimanjaro – $107 (Click here to read about her adventure, coordinated by Altitude Football Project. Athletes set a Guinness World Record for the world’s highest ever soccer match, to help draw attention to equality issues.)
Street Roots for Spread the Love Scarves (joint with Timbers Army) – $1,000
The Living Room Pride Scarf (joint with Timbers Army) – $3,330
TransActive Pride Shirts & Buttons – $2,539
Rock n Roll Camp for Girls BYCAP and End of Year Show – $3,594

Thank you for purchasing our limited run scarves, shirts, and other merch that helps fund great organizations and causes like these!

107ist Candidate Applications Open

107ist Admin — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 18:30:40 GMT

We made it a double.

We painted tifo, we sang songs, we supported the Thorns.

We went to Orlando, and we brought back the NWSL Championship trophy.

And now we rest. Kind of. For a few minutes. There is always work to be done.

The application period is open for candidates for the 107ist board. The 107ist, for those of you who may just be joining us, is the operational umbrella covering both the Rose City Riveters and the Timbers Army. It’s what allows us to do all the things we do at the scale at which we want to do them.

Applications are open until Friday, November 10, at midnight and can be found HERE. You must have a current, paid 107ist membership to run.

Being a member of the board isn’t easy and it isn’t always fun, but the board is essential and this year, four positions in the 11-member group are open. Newly elected board members will serve a three-year term, from January 2018 through December 2020.

The candidate forum, where candidates will answer questions from their future constituents, will be November 19 at Artists Repertory Theatre beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Whether voter or candidate, consider carefully. You have the ability to shape the organization going forward.

NWSL Championship Watch Parties in Oregon (+merch info)

107ist Admin — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 18:25:25 GMT

In-state:

Beaverton:

Craft Pour House, 16055 SW Regatta Ln #700 $1 off in-house draft pours for fans wearing Thorns/Timbers gear https://www.facebook.com/craftpourhouse/

Corvallis:

Corvallis Sports Park (Upper Deck Pub upstairs), 175 SW Twin Oaks Circle (Corvallis) Seats 65

Eugene:

Level Up, 1290 Oak St (Eugene) Seats 100. facebook.com/leveluparcade

Hillsboro:

McNally’s Taproom, 370 E Main St (Downtown Hillsboro) $1.00 off drafts during the game! we will grill beer brats and burgers! https://www.facebook.com/McNallysTaproom/

Portland:

Bazi Bierbrasserie, 1522 SE 32nd Ave (Hawthorne District). Seats 85. Happy Hour food and drink specials plus the 107ist discount ($1 off all draft beer/cider). Pending sunny skies on Saturday, we’ll have our third TV outside. @bazipdx Will have merch

Bridge City Taproom, 620 SE 122nd Ave Hosted by Whipsaws FC. Come join the Whipsaws to watch the NWSL Championship game! Good food, family friendly & Big Screen viewing! Please rsvp to this event on Facebook & post if it will be more than yourself so we can make sure we have enough space for all

Bullseye Pub, 4835 SW Pomona St. Seats 44, with an additional 34 on the covered patio outside. Happy hour specials during the game for folks sporting Thorns/Timbers gear. https://www.facebook.com/BullseyePub/

Cider Riot!, 807 NE Couch St. Seats 49. Happy Hour pricing for 107ists. @ciderriot on twitter, facebook. cider_riot on instagram

Civic Taproom & Bottle Shop, 621 SW 19th Ave $1 off draft selections for anyone wearing Thorns gear. https://www.facebook.com/thecivictaproomandbottleshop/ or https://www.instagram.com/thecivictaproom/

Gigantic Brewing Co, 5224 SE 26th ave. Barrel room with projector will be open – game will be on main tv with sound as well. 21+

Kells Brewery, NW 21st ave. Seats 100. @kellsbrewery #kellsbrewery Will have merch

Ladd Taphouse, 2239 SE 11th, 10% off total bill for 107ists.

Laurelwood Brewing Co, 5115 NE Sandy Blvd. Seats 60. Special viewing in our upstairs area. Private bar and sound. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Leisure Public House, 8002 N. Lombard St. 10% off beer- find them on facebook

Lightning Will, 305 NW 21st Ave 10% for 107ist – they will reserve back room and move group to front if more than 30.

Mad Greek Deli, 1740 E Burnside St. Seats 125. 10 Wings for $6 & $1 off all pints with 107ist card (except CBD Beer Tap). @MadGreekDeli Twitter/Insta | https://www.facebook.com/MadGreekDeli/ Let’s win it a 2nd time Will have merch

Portland Cider House, 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd Raspberry Cider-mosa pints for $6 facebook.com/pdxciderhouse IG: @pdxciderhouse Twitter: @portlandcider 107ist members get Cider-Mosas for $5, plus the normal 107ist deals (Happy Hour at all times, which means $1 off Portland Cider Co. pints all-day and food specials) AND we’ll have one of the last kegs of 2 Towns Ciderhouse’s Two Thorns collab cider with the Portland Thorns on-tap. Minors not allowed after 5 pm.

Punch Bowl Social (Front Office official watch), 340 SW Morrison St, Fl 3.

Rose City Futsal East, 5010 NE Oregon St. Seats 124. Special Happy Hour; Free Open Play 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm instagram.com/rosecityfutsal

Sellwood Public House

Sunset Division, watching at IBU Pub House, SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy. Seats 20+. Please join our group and event with accurate RSVP so we can book accordingly

The Toffee Club, 1006 SE Hawthorne, gameday pitchers for $15. @toffeeclubpdx

Una Mas, 1914 W Burnside St

Salem:

Santiam Brewing, 2544 19th St SE Happy Hour pricing for attendees in Thorns gear. Facebook, Twitter

Vagabond Brewing, 2195 Hyacinth St NE Seats 250. www.vagabondbrewing.com

Out of State:

California:

Christopher’s home (private residence), 101 Polk St, San Francisco, CA Seats 20. Welcome expat fans! @cjk4140 on twitter

The Fox & Hounds Pub, 11100 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA @FoxandHounds818

High Park Tap House, 23641 Via Linda, Mission Viejo highparktaphouse.com

10 Barrel Brewing, 1501 E St., San Diego, CA

Colorado:

British Bulldog, 2052 Stout St, Denver, CO *This is not an official bar event, just some wandering Oregonians in Denver…*

Montana:

Bert & Ernie’s, 361 N Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT @MT_Volunteers facebook.com/MontanaVolunteers

Riveters merch- including scarves, stickers, and patches- will be available at Kells, Bazi, and Mad Greek Deli.

Players Gifts- 2017 Season

107ist Admin — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 18:22:42 GMT

Each year, a special gift is presented to individual teammates of the Portland Thorns by Rose City Riveters. This year’s gift was particularly exceptional.

Player Gift: Coins designed by Riveters Matt and Hannah, and created by ADX Portland.

All work was done by the Makers Collective at ADX Portland. The coins’ imagery and wording were designed by Riveters Matt and Hannah, which was laser etched into rosewood rounds from a 25 y/o rose bush native to North Portland. The boxes are Douglas Fir, aged 10 years and seasoned for five.

The Riveter crest on top is silk screen printed with a gold and gunpowder grey ink finish, and the message inside the lid is one of unity with the players and the club. The top and bottom are held together by magnets, and the rosewood coin rests in a black, felt-lined setting.

Hope you enjoyed this little peek at just one of many small facets of Rose City Riveters support. Thank you to those, named and unnamed, who contributed their time and talent to this worthy project.

Hayley Raso Voted 2017 Rose City Riveters Player of the Year

107ist Admin — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 18:22:03 GMT

Oi Oi Oi.

Hayley Raso has won the 2017 Rose City Riveters Player of the Year award. Nearly 550 votes were cast this year, and Raso registered 38% of the vote.

During the 2017 regular season, Raso has scored 6 goals and has had 3 assists. While her second year on our squad, this was a breakout season for Raso. Her heart and grit won our hearts over. When her physical play was rewarded with a 1 game suspension, the whole stadium showed their support of her by sporting red bows in their hair, beards, or caps.

The Riveters will always remember the role Raso played at Memorial on August 26th, where she got her first NWSL brace and helped the Thorns earn their first win in that godforsaken stadium.

This year’s award was assembled by our friends at ADX Portland, with a handmade rose generously donated by a local craftsman.

Past Rose City Riveters Player of the Year Winners:
2016 – Emily Menges
2015 – Michelle Betos
2014 – Vero Boquette
2013 – Karina LeBlanc

Riveters Takeover Orlando!

107ist Admin — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 18:21:18 GMT

NWSL Final – October 14, 2017

As we all know, attending an Away Match is tons of fun. And when your team is in the Away Match, even better! We don’t know yet if the Thorns will be in the NWSL Final this year, but our fingers are crossed. Many of us are going anyway & we had a fantastic time in Houston last year, even without the Thorns playing.

In preparation, we have secured match tickets, some housing, and have a few events on the schedule!

MATCH TICKETS:

If you’d like to travel with us, the first thing to do is to get your match tickets ordered! In order to get that taken care of, please go here: https://timbersarmy.org/event-2639430

Please note that tickets into Orlando City Stadium are digital, so you’ll need to have these loaded on your cell phone when you get to the stadium.

HOUSING/TRAVEL:

With help from Denise of the Pride’s Crown SG, a block of rooms has been reserved at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Downtown (191 East Pine Street, Orlando, FL 32801), which is less than 1 mile to the stadium. This hotel has free breakfast, free cocktail reception, & free wifi for starters. Details for getting in on this deal are here: https://rosecityriveters.org/orlando-travelaccommodations/

We have also setup a Facebook page especially for travel discussion/arrangements. Please go to this link to find folks to share rooms, cars, etc. with. https://www.facebook.com/events/890519707765465

FRIDAY NIGHT MEETUP:

The Crown Supporter Group has invited everyone to a meet up! $5 donation at the door. Meet Friday night beginning at 6pmET @ The Venue: 511 Virginia Drive, Orlando.

SATURDAY A.M. PICKUP SOCCER:

If you are interested in lacing up your boots side by side with other SG’s & getting a little footy in, you’ve come to the right place. With help from Mike of the Pride’s Crown SG we’ll have pickup soccer on Saturday morning close to Embassy Suites. If you were with us last year, the pickup soccer was great fun. The sprinklers went on so we all got a little wet but since it was hot, no problem! We had folks repping the Riveters, Bayou City Republic, & the Spirit Squadron among others. Meet on Saturday at 9:30am at 480 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801.

WoSoCo:

Jen Cooper of KeeperNotes is once again hosting this conference & more information can be found here: http://keepernotes.com/wosoco/

TAILGATE HOSTED BY THE CROWN:

The Crown Supporter Group has invited everyone to their pre-game event!
For $10 you get a Low Country Boil, Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw & Dump Cake.

Meet on Saturday, NOON – 3PM @ Broken Cauldron Brewery: 1012 W Church St, Orlando.

PRIDE WEEKEND:

Go to this site for more information about Pride events over the weekend: https://comeoutwithpride.com/events/

As more events get communicated & finalized we will add them here, so please check back again. We hope to see you in Orlando!

BYCAP 2017- September 30th!

107ist Admin — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 18:20:38 GMT

For those that know – It’s almost BYCAP time!!

For those that have joined the Rose City Riveters fanbase this season, let me explain what BYCAP is, and why you should help us out.

At the end of the year, folks get this wild idea that, out of admiration and/or gratitude, they should buy the capos a pint. This is a really, REALLY great idea but, honestly, there’s no way they can drink that much and remain functional through the game.

Thus, we have our annual season ending BYCAP fundraiser. (This year it is going to be on September 30th when the Portland Thorns take on the Chicago Red Stars)

BYCAP is Buy Your Capo A Pint, and it is a chance for Thorns fans to say, “Thank you” to the volunteer crew that keeps the NWSL’s most passionate, loud, and proud supporters working together to support our beloved athletes.

Yes, we are asking one more thing of you on the last match of the season; Consider whatever funds you would spend on getting a complimentary beverage or two for a hard-working capo, drummer, horn player… Instead of buying beverage/s and getting us smashed, put that money into our collection buckets and we will turn it into tuition for young girls to attend Portland’s own Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls.

“Creative voices of girls and women need to be amplified to create social change. Girls need positive role models and support for their creative endeavors. We can build a community where girls support each other rather than tear each other down. We can empower girls to recognize, understand and respond to discrimination. ‘Girls Rock’ is more than just a slogan.”

Head to Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls for more information on the AMAZING work they do, what they offer, what other donations they need and how to get tickets to The AMP Awards gala event in November.

Please help us, your capos, drums, and horns, give back to our community through BYCAP 2017 (and save our livers) on September 30th!

WAIT!!! Are you sad because:

Don’t carry cash?
Want to spread twice the love?
Going to be out of town?
Are a long-distance fan?

You can donate in advance by clicking here!

Thanks, love and passion – yours truly the RCR Capos DnT.

PS – Share the hell out of this please. ? <3

Orlando Travel/Accommodations

107ist Admin — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 18:20:05 GMT

Passing along this message from Denise Murray of Pride’s Crown in Orlando:

Great news! I have secured 20 rooms for the NWSL playoffs for October 13th and 14th at Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando downtown.

It is less than 1 mile to the Orlando City/Pride Stadium and is an all-suite hotel.

Address is 191 E Pine St, Orlando, FL 32801. We have 10 king rooms with pull-out sofa bed and 10 doubles with pull-out sofa bed.

Here is what we get:

1. Free made-to-order breakfast daily

2. Free cocktail reception nightly

3. Valet parking for fee

4. Free shuttle to and from the stadium

5. Free wifi

6. Gathering areas

Rooms are based on double occupancy and kids are free. Each additional adult in a room is $15 per person to cover cost of food and beverages. The hotel is beautiful and the staff is extremely helpful with a great view and pool overlooking the skyline.

Fine print:

Rooms are nonrefundable but can be transferred
Once you pay for your room you will get a confirmation in your name within 48 hours
2 night minimum required
You’re responsible for valet fees and incidentals
Have fun

To book a room, please PayPal poohmurrdog@aol.com and use Send as Friends and Family so there are no fees.

Then email me or put in notes:

Name
Address
Email
Phone number
Guests’ names in room
King or double room

PayPal Poohmurrdog@aol.com $229/night x 2 = $458 + 12.5% tax = $515.25 total

Add $15 per adult for additional adults in room.

You may call or text as well with questions. 407-694-8744

I look forward to seeing everyone in October.

-Denise Murray

2017 Rose City Riveters Player of the Year Poll

107ist Admin — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 18:19:36 GMT

It’s that time of the year! While excitedly anticipating the playoffs, we still take a moment to reflect upon the season thus so far, and how each player has contributed to Portland Thorns FC’s overall success.

To that end, it’s time to poll all of you. Who is your “Player of the Year”?

Click here to vote.

The poll will close soon, so don’t delay.

The player with the most votes will be honored Saturday, September 30th. See you there!

Finding Soccer in Music City

107ist Admin — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 18:17:06 GMT

Guest column from Chrissy Webb

Hello my name is Chrissy and God, do I love soccer. If you would have met me 7 years ago, I would have never thought I would say those words . . . that was until I watched one of the 2011 Women’s World Cup matches and was introduced to this beautiful game. That same year, I moved to Nashville for work and went to my first USWNT match and there was nothing like it; the atmosphere, the energy, the roar of the fans when we scored our first goal. It was in that moment I learned this was much bigger than just cheering a club, it’s about growth of the game, the culture, the community, and it’s about being part of a family.

The evolution of a soccer fan is interesting, isn’t it? The journey to find your favorite club(s), favorite player(s) and local club supporters group /or starting a much-needed supporters group. My journey started with falling in love with the USWNT; from there attending watch parties hosted by American Outlaws Nashville Chapter and traveling over 3000 miles to matches with AO family. It was through these experiences of watching and traveling together that a small core group of NWSL fans with a love for Club and Country emerged with the issue of where to meet to watch matches.

Thankfully, this season the partnership of NWSL and Lifetime made this a reality. After an AO Nashville watch party a conversation stirred about having public watch parties, because we wanted to create a space that hopefully will grow interest in women’s soccer locally. So, I took a leap and asked Tailgate Music Row, who has been extremely welcoming in hosting watch parties for different soccer matches, if we could watch the Lifetime NWSL match of the week and of course they said yes. With a watch party location set and a core group of WOSO supporters; NWSLville Supporters was founded and has gained slow and steady momentum since April 2017. One of the best moments we have had to date was our June watch party which was a meet and great with our WPSL club, the Nashville Rhythm FC who were in their inaugural season and made it to the playoffs this season!

One of the many things I love about having this supporters group in Nashville is that we don’t have one club we root for, but most of us have a tier of allegiance to the NWSL clubs. It creates a unique experience of playful banter and united desire to see this league grow, and not one of us would be mad if an expansion club one day made Nashville their home. Until that happens we will love our clubs from afar or fly to cities to watch as many matches as we can. While we do have loyalties spread across the NWSL, there are quite a few of us that share a love for the Thorns and the Rose City Riveters. I thought it would be fun to ask some of the members of our group to share what makes the Thorns special to them, as well as having the local NWSL supporters group:

Jessi shared that for her, “Thorns are one of [her] favorite teams because of the soccer culture in Portland. The support fans show for the Thorns is unmatched in women’s soccer, and it’s great to see. It shows the sports world that there is a market for women’s sports and if you really listen to your community you can make it grow. It’s an experience I hope to have in person next season.”

Maegan shared “It’s super cool to have a group of other people who are as interested in the game as I am. Being a women’s sports fan in general can be a pretty lonely experience since the coverage is minimal and other fans are hard to find. While it’s improved over the years there is certainly a long way to go. Hopefully by creating this group we’ve created a space for all of us to get together and form new friendships while watching the game we love. Even if we don’t all agree on which team should win on any given Saturday. If we can pull more people into this world we can pull the beautiful game out of the shadows and into the light.”

Steve shared, “I think it’s great. It shows how much of a soccer city that Nashville is becoming and demonstrates the diversity of our fan-base of the sport as a rule. To have a bar that supports the NWSL games is great as well. While my allegiances lie elsewhere in the NWSL, I do love how Portland embraces the Thorns as well as the Timbers. Truly a great soccer city. Everything from the stadium to the traditions and the unquestionable support. Definitely on my list to catch a game or two in Portland in the future.”

Allison shared that, “As a former soccer player, long-time fan, I love the excitement that comes with having a team to rally around. It brings me right back to my playing days when we all get together to support our NWSL teams of choice. That same spirit of rallying around a team, and a common cause, is why I love the Thorns so much. It is very apparent every time you watch a Thorns match that everyone shares a passion for the team’s success, and it brings the community together.”

And speaking personally as a Thorns supporter, it comes from my experience of living in Portland before the NWSL was established because it’s a city of inclusiveness and passion which is evident of your section each game. The Riveters have set the bar for the best supporters group that encompasses so many things but mostly the passion for the environment and bringing everyone together, it’s what inspires me to help create a similar space here in Nashville.

While Nashville will always be Music City, we are emerging as a city that loves soccer. Right now, it seems that the love of soccer is growing just as fast as the city itself. In recent years we have hosted historical record breaking matches for the USWNT, USMNT and an ICC match. We are paving the way with a bid for a MLS team through the Nashville Soccer Club who is starting their first season in the USL in 2018. The Nashville soccer community appears to have local club supporter’s groups for most leagues, roughly 19 that I was able to count, and humbled to say we now have the first WOSO supporters group to add to the list. As Maegan said earlier, by being committed to growing the local interest of soccer & supporting the women of the NWSL, USWNT, & WPSL we pull this beautiful game out of the shadows and into the light where it belongs!

A big thank you to the Rose City Riveters for giving us the chance to share our story. I hope one day to cheer with you all at Providence Park! – Cheers, Chrissy

SEATTLE TAKEOVER WEEKEND!

107ist Admin — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 18:15:14 GMT

Tickets are now on sale for our second trip to Seattle, on August 26. We will be stepping up our game to have 3 buses to support the Thorns: a Cider bus, Beer bus, and for the first time, an OVERNIGHT bus!

Since the Timbers are playing the Sounders at Century Link on Sunday, August 27th, this overnight bus will stay in Seattle Saturday night, journey to the match on Sunday, then back home with the rest of the Timbers Army buses Sunday night.

Now we just need you, your voice, and your passion for the Thorns (and Timbers)!

The Riveters have purchased Lower Grandstand tickets, just like last time. This means no hiking up to the furthest corner of the stadium. Normally, these tickets are $25 each, but with the group discount, they are $15 each. Here are the details for our group ticket order opportunities:

Thorns Match Ticket & Cider/Beer Bus combo – $50
Thorns + Timbers Ticket & Overnight Bus combo – $70
Thorns Match Ticket only – $15 – LOWER GRANDSTAND. You will need to pick up your ticket in Seattle when the bus gets there or the tickets will be left at Will Call.

You will select your bus at the time you purchase your tickets on the EventBrite site.

Links below to buy tickets/seats on the bus!

Match/Bus Combo:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seattle-take-over-bus-edition-august-26th-27th-2017-busticket-combo-tickets-36283418682

Match Only:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seattle-take-over-thorns-edition-august-26th-match-ticket-only-tickets-36281908164

All participants in our group agree to the 107ist Away Travel Code of Conduct. Please review it here:

107ist away travel code of conduct

Rules for the buses:

NO GLASS ALLOWED ON THE BUS. While we are allowed to bring food and drink (adult beverages are way okay), you are not allowed to have glass containers. Please plan accordingly.

NO #2 ON THE BUS! The bathroom on the bus has a very small storage tank! We will be stopping at a rest stop about halfway through the drive (or about 90 minutes in).

General trip info:

There are no age restrictions in the Riveters or on our buses. If you’re a party of 1, coming with friends, or want to make it a trip for the whole family, please join us.

Memorial Stadium allows away supporters to have flags & two-sticks so long as it does not obstruct others’ view. We are awaiting a final decision on an exception to their noisemaker policy from the Reign front office – until we hear back, please plan on leaving noisemakers at home.

There is a Bag Policy that will be enforced at Memorial Stadium this year. All bag styles and sizes are allowed but are subject to inspection upon entry. Fans will be asked to return prohibited item(s) to their vehicles or throw them away before they are allowed entry into the stadium.

At the last match, we were allowed to bring in sealed plastic water bottles. This is still an option, along with empty plastic water bottles that can be filled inside.

We will continue our policy of a capo-only front row in Memorial Stadium.

Bring food and drink for the bus. Keep glass at home. Clean up after yourself. Keep an eye on each other. We all want to have fun. Be sure to bring some ca$h to tip our great bus drivers!

Your Riveters buses and captains are:

Cider Bus (2 Towns) – Nash Drake

Beer Bus (Lompoc) – Kelsey Miglioretto

Overnight Bus (Cider Riot!) – Patch Perryman

ITINERARY:

6:00-6:45 a.m. – NEW LOCATION! Load at 200 N Winning Way (Jack Ramsay Way), near the MODA Center (Rose Quarter). This is easily accessible by public transportation and has access for the large amount of buses. We will return to the same location. There is street parking in the area but be aware that much of it is metered in the immediate vicinity. There are also pay lots available in the area. http://findit.oregoncc.org/Parking%20Maps/Area%20Parking%20Map/AreaParking.pdf

7:00 a.m. – Depart Portland

10:45-11:00 a.m. – Arrive at Memorial Stadium

11:30 p.m. – Enter stadium

1:00 p.m. – Kick off

3:30 p.m. – Reboard Cider & Beer buses only, head back to Portland

6:45-7:00 p.m. – 2 buses arrive back in Portland

Please keep in mind, this itinerary may change and is not set in stone.

* Overnight bus remains in Seattle & will leave around 2:30pm from TBD on Sunday to meet TA buses at CenturyLink:

3:00-3:30 p.m. – Arrive at CenturyLink Field

4:30 p.m. – Enter stadium

6:30 p.m. – Kick Off

9:00 p.m. – Reboard buses, head back to Portland

12:00 a.m. – arrive back in Portland

Please keep in mind itineraries may change and are not set in stone.

If you have any questions or concerns, we will be happy to address them in the comments on this post. Come join us in Seattle!

Match Day Drive & Helping Opportunity: Street Roots

107ist Admin — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 18:14:44 GMT

Our Match Day Drive Saturday will be for Street Roots; they are in urgent need of more sunblock and socks for their vendors! While socks and sunblock are the most urgent and pressing needs, they would also appreciate donations of reusable travel mugs and disposable coffee cups with lids. Another big help for Street Roots: gift cards to places like IKEA, Cash & Carry, Fred Meyer, and Office Depot- this allows them to get what they need right when the need arises. Your donations are cheerfully and gratefully accepted at the fanladen. Fanladen will open on Saturday 7/22 from 4:30-6:30pm for your donations, and can also assist with Riveters merch, ticket exchange, and member services.

Want to help out Street Roots but no time to shop for drive items? Pick up a Spread The Love scarf! Street Roots is the beneficiary of the funds raised by these scarves. They’re available both at the fanladen and online.

Rose City Proud

107ist Admin — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 18:13:57 GMT

We are proud of our club and our city.

Pride started because people who were marginalized in our society had had enough and stood up against police brutality and discrimination. For a lot of people, the road to equality is paved by self-loathing, painful discovery, and fear of their community. Over the years, the LGBTQQ community has used Pride Month to celebrate diversity, our individuality, and our common ground: Love.

I’m proud of the Rose City Riveters, the Timbers Army, and the 107IST. We are organizations that say no to discrimination, to hate speech, racism, sexism, xenophobia or homophobia. And we put actions and money behind our words. Especially given the recent events, I feel it is even more important to create a community and culture that is inclusive and allows others to be themselves. This is true for children and adults. No one deserves to be fearful of their community.

This month, we are offering two different pieces of merchandise that are fundraising for two different organizations that have a direct impact on our community. Both of these organizations are focused on creating a safe space for young people.

The Riveters and Timbers Army have produced a new Pride scarf. The proceeds for this scarf will be going to The Living Room, an organization in Clackamas County that works with LGBTQQ youth.

The Living Room is an organization with a stable and well-defined infrastructure that creates safe spaces through community education and collaborations. Using youth/adult partnership model, we offer accessible programming and resources that encourage the personal growth and leadership skills of GLBTQQ youth and their allies. – Mission Statement

We also have a new shirt, which is available as either a T-shirt or a sleeveless tee. This shirt is a fundraiser for the TransActive Gender Center. This group is located in Northeast Portland and offers training, advocacy, and support for gender diverse and transgender children and their families.

TransActive Gender Center provides a holistic range of services and expertise to empower transgender and gender diverse children, youth and their families in living healthy lives, free of discrimination. – Mission Statement

I am proud of the impact we are having. I hope you are too.

Both the scarf and shirts will be available for purchase at the Fanladen today and will be on our online store tomorrow. Please support us and these organizations having a positive impact on the youth in our community.

New Times for Thorns Matches- July, August, September 2017

107ist Admin — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 18:13:28 GMT

NWSL is implementing new guidelines for extreme heat, including procedures for match delays, effective immediately. You can read those guidelines here.

Here are the Thorns matches that will now have a different start time:

Saturday, July 15
Portland Thorns FC vs. North Carolina Courage
Providence Park
12:30 Pacific

Saturday, August 5
Portland Thorns FC vs. Houston Dash
Providence Park
12:30 Pacific

Saturday, September 2
Portland Thorns FC vs. Washington Spirit
Providence Park
12:30 Pacific

Saturday, September 23
Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns FC
Orlando City Stadium
12:30 Pacific

Saturday, September 30
Portland Thorns FC vs. Chicago Red Stars
Providence Park
12:30 Pacific

Seattle Away: Bus, Tickets, and More!

107ist Admin — Tue, 23 May 2017 18:12:03 GMT

Tickets are now on sale for our first trip to Seattle, on July 1. We will be stepping up our game to have buses to support the Thorns: a cider bus, beer bus, and for the first time, a juice bus! Now we just need you, your voice, and your passion for the Thorns!

The Riveters have purchased Lower Grandstand tickets, just like last time. This means no hiking up to the furthest corner of the stadium. Normally, these tickets are $25 each, but with the group discount, they are $16 each. Here are the details for our group ticket order opportunities:

Ticket only – $16 – LOWER GRANDSTAND. You will need to pick up your ticket in Seattle when the bus gets there or the tickets will be left at Will Call.

Cider/Beer Bus only – $40 – you either have your own ticket or will be acquiring your own ticket. The Riveters will be in the LOWER GRANDSTAND, and those tickets are normally $25 per ticket.

Juice Box Bus only – $31 – you either have your own ticket or will be acquiring your own ticket. The Riveters will be in the LOWER GRANDSTAND, and those tickets are normally $25 per ticket.

Ticket & Cider/Beer Bus combo – $55

Ticket & Juice Box Bus combo – $47

You will select your bus at the time you purchase your tickets on the Wild Apricot site – this is different from how we’ve done it in the past.

All participants in our group agree to the 107ist Away Travel Code of Conduct for Riveters Away Travel. Please review it here:

https://rosecityriveters.org/what-is-the-107ist/107ist-away-travel-code-of-conduct/
Rules for the buses:

NO GLASS ALLOWED ON THE BUS. While we are allowed to bring food and drink (adult beverages are way okay), you are not allowed to have glass containers. Please plan accordingly.

NO #2 ON THE BUS! The bathroom on the bus has a very small storage tank! We will be stopping at a rest stop about halfway through the drive (or about 90 minutes in).

General trip info:

There are no age restrictions in the Riveters or on our buses. If you’re a party of 1, coming with friends, or want to make it a trip for the whole family, please join us.

Memorial Stadium allows away supporters to have flags & two-sticks so long as it does not obstruct others’ view and is not on poles. Please leave all noisemakers at home; those will not be allowed into Memorial Stadium.

At the last match, we were allowed to bring in sealed plastic water bottles. This is still an option, along with empty plastic water bottles that can be filled inside. You may also bring in outside food.

Bring food and drink for the bus. Keep glass at home. Clean up after yourself. Keep an eye on each other. We all want to have fun.

Schedule for Saturday, July 1:

(PLEASE NOTE TIMES HAVE CHANGED)

1:30 pm – Bus departs from the Oregon Convention Center (NE Holladay St between NE 2nd and MLK)

5:30pm – Bus arrives at Memorial Stadium under the Space Needle. The Riveters will enter the stadium 6:00pm at the South entrance.

7:30 pm – Kickoff of match.

1:30 am – Bus arrives back at Oregon Convention Center to drop road warriors off.

If you have any questions or concerns, we will be happy to address them in the comments on this post. Come join us in Seattle!

Match Day Drive: The Fuel

107ist Admin — Thu, 18 May 2017 18:11:38 GMT

Our next Match Day Drive will be for “fuel”; foods that can keep houseless friends and neighbors sustained while on the street.

Please bring your shelf-stable donations to the Fanladen pre-match. Suggested items include:

Granola bars
Nutrition bars and drinks
Easy Mac
Cup O Noodles
Instant coffee (and small creamers/sweeteners)
Bottled water

Nutritious, shelf-stable foods in portable snack size will benefit those served by Street Roots.

Street Roots creates income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and poverty by producing a newspaper and other media that are catalysts for individual and social change. To learn more about what Street Roots does, click here.

Next Thorns FC home match will be Saturday, May 27, vs Boston Breakers.

Match Day Drive For May 6: Beat the Heat!

107ist Admin — Thu, 04 May 2017 18:11:09 GMT

On Saturday May 6, both before and immediately after the Thorns match, we will be accepting donations to help folks “beat the heat”!

When people think of houseless neighbors dying from exposure, the first thought is usually of freezing temperatures. In reality, the summer temperatures are far more deadly. Sun exposure and dehydration- either alone, or due to a reaction with medications/pre-existing conditions- are incredibly dangerous, and the source of countless lives lost each year.

Non-customers are often barred from entering retail establishments, and that makes access to water as needed difficult. Providing durable, shatter-proof water bottles, particularly the insulated variety, can go a long way to helping someone stay cool and hydrated. With limited public places to get out of direct sunlight, a quality sunblock is an absolute necessity as well. Sunglasses and visors can also be incredibly helpful. Cooling neck wraps and towels can also provide comfort in extreme temperatures.

Thank you in advance for your life-saving gifts to these friends and neighbors in our community- we know you’ll come through! And thank you again for helping out with last week’s drive, too.

Final note- As we head into these warmer months, please keep in mind that what may appear to be an intoxicated person could possibly be someone struggling with heat exhaustion. Don’t be afraid to call 911.

Match Day Drive For April 29: Tampons, Pads, Etc.

107ist Admin — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 18:10:38 GMT

Our match day drive for Saturday is for feminine hygiene products, such as tampons and pads.

This drive is being organized by Mya Kimberly, who is a senior at Forest Grove High School, and is doing this as a part of her senior project. Feminine hygiene products are a necessity that is often overlooked, and having access to these products should be a right and not a privilege. Tampons are preferred, but any and all feminine hygiene products are welcome. Half of the products raised will be donated to Janus Youth, and the other half will be donated to Portland Homeless Family Solutions.

Bring your donations to the Fanladen before Saturday’s match- and thanks in advance!

Riveters Foster Care Room Makeover

107ist Admin — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 18:10:03 GMT

Make a positive impact in the lives of kids and families on the west side of Portland, and represent Rose City Riveters at the same time!

The 107 Independent Supporters’ Trust, along with Embrace Oregon and other west side friends, are coming together to complete TWO major family visitation room remodels at the Beaverton DHS offices (foster care system) this June.

One family visitation room will have a Portland Thorns theme. Rose City Riveters will design the room, which will include a Thorns and Riveters-themed mural.

The room’s purpose is to provide a safe, comfortable space for children & teens who are in foster care to spend their average of one hour weekly with a birth parent. This is an intimate, critical point of connection for both the children whose lives have been turned upside down, and for the biological parents who are working hard to get their kids back. A room that is homey and warm speaks value and worth to both the children and their families.

The rooms are also utilized when children are removed from their home and are sitting in the child welfare office, awaiting placement. Volunteers will play with kids for an average of 5-7 hours while the caseworker tries to find a foster placement. Having an inviting space with activities is very helpful in this instance as well. These rooms will be a reminder to kids, teens, parents, guardians, and DHS staff that they are valued, and will also leave a lasting legacy of love from the Timbers, Thorns, TA, and Riveters.

The total budget for both rooms is $10,000, but with the generous in-kind support of local businesses and the 107ist (Timbers Army & RCR) directly, we are already halfway there! The money raised will all go to the direct expenses of furniture not donated, new flat screen TVs and game systems, paint and paint supplies, shelving and wall mounts, etc.

The makeover itself will take place over the first two weeks of June, so the sooner we can complete the fundraising, the better! To donate, click here.

Travel Updates

107ist Admin — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 18:09:20 GMT

The travel page on rosecityriveters.org has been updated with information for many of the upcoming Away matches. Please refer to this before buying tickets. You’ll get the group pricing, and get to sit (stand, jump, clap, chant + root for the Girls in Red) with fellow Riveters! Also, please use the links there to navigate to specific forum topics. Find the topic for the match you’ll be attending, and post to RSVP and make arrangements with other traveling supporters! The forums are also a great place to ask questions and get recommendations.

The first Away match for the Thorns takes place THIS SATURDAY, 4/22 at Cary, NC with the newly named NC Courage. If you are going to be there to clap & cheer for our Thorns, please let your fellow traveling Riveters know by commenting on the NC Courage Forum topic here.

We’ll see you at Providence Park- or on the road!

KPTV: Reconsider Your Relationship With Willie Anderson

107ist Admin — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 18:06:53 GMT

Guest post/editorial from Jason Rodgers, Thorns Season Ticket Holder and Supporter

To KPTV,

Yesterday’s double-header at Providence Park was an exciting day for Portland soccer. The Thorns started their season with a home win over Orlando pride, setting an attendance record for an opening match, followed by a physical and emotional loss by the Timbers to Sporting KC.

While Portland soccer fans spoke with their presence, epic tifos, roaring chants, and general boundless support and love for their teams, former Timbers player Willie Anderson spoke with his foot solidly planted in his mouth. In the KPTV pregame show, sportscaster Nick Krupke asked Thorns coach Mark Parsons substantive questions about receiving the Supporter’s Shield and starting the season strong. But then Parsons turns to his left to questions from Anderson about why he coaches “girls,” and if he yells at them and makes them cry! Really?! These are the only questions that came to his mind? Krupke nervously glances at the camera and then is wise to cut the interview short.

These sexist remarks are unacceptable. It is clear that Mr. Anderson does not respect or value our women’s soccer league, and thinks Parsons is somehow a lesser coach because he is associated with them. The challenges that women’s sports face with regards to inequities in pay, facilities, and accommodations – and not just soccer – is frustrating enough without these sorts of small-minded comments from within the athletics and media community. Julie Foudy was at Providence Park yesterday, and I hope she gets wind of this interview and makes an example of these ignorant statements in a future broadcast.

Please reconsider your relationship with Willie Anderson as a sports commentator. Whatever his contributions to the Timbers organization of old, he does not represent Portland soccer today. Thank you.

Jason Rodgers

Thorns season ticket holder

Longtime Timbers supporter

RCTID

The First Match Day Drive of 2017- Socks!

107ist Admin — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 18:06:05 GMT

The 2017 Thorns FC season kicks off this Saturday. As you’ve likely noted, this day is a PTFC double header- Thorns kick at 12:00 noon, Timbers kick at 7:30. Providence Park will be jumping with the best of NWSL and MLS soccer (and the best supporters, too)!

That extraordinary situation brings us to our very first Rose City Riveters — Timbers Army joint match day drive. The drive will support Janus Youth Programs. Since their founding in 1972 for the purpose of providing residential care for adolescents struggling with homelessness and drug abuse, Janus Youth Programs has provided a second chance for at-risk youth with few resources, and no place to turn for help. Every year, 6,000 youth are assisted through their 40 programs in Oregon and Washington. This includes youth who have runaway or are homeless, or who have been trafficked for sex. Janus also serves teen parents and youth living in low-income neighborhoods as well.

We encourage you to stop off at a department or variety store over the next few days, and pick up some new socks. The most needed kind are the athletic style, as many of the people Janus serves spend a good deal of their day on their feet. As we approach the warmer weather, ankle socks and other lower cut socks are especially welcome. Thick, boot-style socks are always in need, too. While it might seem like such a little thing, good clean socks are greatly appreciated by the young people Janus serves.

Socks can be dropped off at Fanladen, 1633 SW Alder.

See you Saturday!

Preseason Photo Roundup

107ist Admin — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 18:05:22 GMT

We’re very fortunate to have some amazing photographers in our midst.

If you’d like to vividly relive Saturday’s Thorns match:

Click here for photos from Ray Terrill

Click here for photos from Darren Lloyd

And thank you to all who share your excellent photos with the masses!

If more public photo galleries come available, we will update here.

2017 Town Hall & Meet Up

107ist Admin — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 19:04:29 GMT

As the season nears, we are going to get the gang back together!

Please come to Lightening Will (305 NW 21st Ave) on Sunday, March 19th from 4-6pm for some snacks and drinks as we discuss ways to get more people involved in Rose City Riveters activities!

Please RSVP via Facebook or leave a comment on this post so we have a general headcount to give our gracious host!

We have different areas where we are looking for more volunteers, some require experience and others do not. We want to share those opportunities with everyone during the first part of the get-together, so please plan on being prompt! We will also have time for a Q&A in case you have any questions or ideas for the upcoming season of activities.

See you soon!

Spring Invitational (Presented by Tillamook)

107ist Admin — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 19:03:50 GMT

The preseason tournament is nearly here! Supporters with season tickets will have the preseason matches provided as part of their package. GA tickets are still available through the front office for $8.00. Also, don’t forget the Timbers/Thorns Ticket Exchange for affordable and fair ticketing needs.

Dash vs the U.S. U-23s Sunday, March 26 at 2:30 p.m.
Thorns vs Red Stars Sunday, March 26 at 5:00 p.m.
Red Stars vs Dash Wednesday, March 29 at 5:00 p.m.
Thorns vs U.S. U-23s Wednesday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Red Stars vs U.S. U-23s Saturday, April 1, at 5:00 p.m.

The preseason tourney closes with Thorns vs Dash on Saturday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m.

TOMBOY Symposium Monday, March 6

107ist Admin — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 00:09:41 GMT

What: ~~TOMBOY~~ Symposium – Elevating the Conversation About Gender Equity in Sports

Symposium features partial documentary screening along with panel discussion surrounding the topics at hand.

When: Monday, March 6, 6:00-8:00 pm (doors open at 5pm)

Where: McMenamins Mission Theater – 1624 NW Glisan St, Portland

Panel:

Nadine Angerer, Portland Thorns goalkeeping coach; two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion; 2013 FIFA World Player of the Year

Erin Hubert, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland; former EVP/COO of the Portland Trail Blazers

Emily Menges, Portland Thorns defender and 2016 team MVP

Anne Peterson, Associated Press sportswriter

Documentary: NBC Sports Regional Networks recently announced the launch of ~~TOMBOY~~, a multi-platform documentary project that aims to elevate the conversation about gender in sports told through the voices of many of the world’s most prominent female athletes, broadcasters and sports executives. The initiative culminates with a special one-hour documentary. TOMBOY will debut on Sunday, March 12 at 9:30pm on CSNNW. The documentary includes interviews with four-time World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn, Little League World Series pitching sensation Mo’ne Davis, Basketball Hall of Famer Ann Meyers-Drysdale, and many more. ~~TOMBOY~~ will air across all NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBCSN, and select NBC Owned Television Stations in March – during Women’s History Month. Join the conversation using #CSNTOMBOY.

Get Ready for the Season this Thursday!

107ist Admin — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 00:08:47 GMT

The schedule isn’t ready yet, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be. The season’s fast approaching- we’ve even been gifted a date and time for our first game.

But before the roar of the crowd begins, before the flags are unfurled and the capos take their place, preparation must take place. Ignoring the sheer amount of time, tears, and cheap liquor that goes into tifo painting and planning, there’s also a cost. The fabric on which the images are raised, the paint in which it is etched. As the standard bearer for fans of women’s soccer, we like to dedicate all we can to the effort.

So I ask that you join us, and the wonderful Whipsaws FC, who raising for their trip to the World Masters Games, which is happening this year in New Zealand. The date? March 2, a Thursday. Pre-sale tickets are available from now until noon, the day of the event for $15 and the processing fee. Tickets for minors are available for 5$, and tickets at the door will be 20$. The ticket allows you entrance, all the food you can eat, and two drink tickets. There will be additional drink tickets available for purchase inside, but the entire event will be cash only, so make sure you’re prepared. It will run from 6 to 9, and there will be time for those of you who enjoy trading to swap scarves, patches, and the like. For those of you who plan to hit up the Timbers Army event, a group will brave the half mile walk to Cider Riot after the event.

The drinks list is more than decent. Lagunitas alone has provided Pilsner, an IPA, New Dog Town Pale Ale, Stoopid Wit, Aunt Sally Sour, and Little Something. Columbia Distributing has provided a Crest Match Day Red Blend if you fancy a touch of wine. 2 Towns has offered their Rhubarbarian for those of you who prefer ciders, there will also be San Pellegrino Limonata there for those of you who prefer to avoid alcohol altogether, legally should, or just aren’t in the mood. There will also be food there to mop it all up. All of the donors were incredibly generous in their offerings.

Home Opener Set

107ist Admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 00:08:13 GMT

The opening game of the 2017 NWSL season for Thorns FC will be at Providence Park, hosting the Orlando Pride April 15.

This will be a rare “double header”; Thorns taking the pitch at 12:00 noon and Timbers playing at 7:30 p.m.

The Thorns vs. Pride match will be televised as Lifetime Game of the Week. (Lifetime is available through local cable providers- but of course, we expect to see most of you in the stadium.)

Portland is 4-0-0 in home openers, and last season won against the Pride 2-1.

Let’s Go Thorns!

Riveters – Friends of Trees Tree Planting

107ist Admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 00:07:35 GMT

It’s been a long off-season; let’s go plant some trees!

The Rose City Riveters will be participating in the March 4th Saturday tree plant with Friends of Trees at Errol Heights. All ages are welcome (volunteers under 18 will need a signed waiver) and all Riveters are welcome.

From Friends of Trees:

Please arrive by 8:45am to register and be assigned to a planting crew. Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather: wear sturdy shoes/boots (rubber rain boots are perfect if you have them), rain-proof layers are always great, and be prepared to get a little dirty. We provide gloves, tools, and planting guidance–as well as breakfast snacks and hot coffee/tea to get everyone fueled up. We’ll be planting hundreds of native trees and shrubs to improve watershed health and add beauty to this special site — and this work wouldn’t be possible without volunteer groups like yours!

If you have any questions, feel free to email this event’s organizer Hannah Mueller: han.mueller.nah@gmail.com

Friends of Trees can be contacted at Volunteer@FriendsofTrees.org or (503) 595-0213

Hope to see you March 4th!

107IST/Rose City Riveters Joint Statement

107ist Admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 00:01:29 GMT

(Cross-posted from timbersarmy.org)

“To support soccer from the grassroots to the highest professional level”

Chances are that if you’re at all familiar with the 107 Independent Supporters Trust (107IST), you recognize that as our mission. Those words have been the guiding force behind everything we’ve done as organization since we were formed in 2009.

The 107IST was born out of the Timbers Army with the purpose of doing the heavy lifting on behalf of a vibrant supporters’ culture that was in the midst of a transition to MLS and the associated stadium renovations. The establishment of the non-profit organization was necessary to provide a stable point of contact to the Front Office on all issues facing supporters, be accountable for the management of all finances, house the intellectual and physical assets, as well as build on our already established record in the community.

The 107IST was founded to be the engine that drives the Timbers Army.

In the early days there really was little distinction between the Timbers Army and the 107IST. The 107IST Board of Directors supported the operations of the Timbers Army, and the two entities were viewed by most people as being synonymous.

However, in 2012, a change occurred with the announcement of the National Women’s Soccer League and the news Portland would have a team. When the Portland Thorns FC announcement was made official, supporters were already working to come together, organize, and plan for showing their dedication to the new team. The Rose City Riveters supporters group was born out of passion, anticipation, and civic pride, and quickly joined the 107ist community. From the beginning, in accordance with our mission and the wishes of the 107IST members, there has been a close relationship between the 107IST and the Rose City Riveters. This has included everything from knowledge sharing, to organizational support, to sharing the 107IST infrastructure. The Riveters have supported the Thorns from day one, and have set the standard on a global scale for what it means to support a women’s soccer team. Their tifo is second to none, they travel across the country to support their club, and they share this knowledge freely with other burgeoning SGs.

To be sure, there have been growing pains over the past few years, but there has also been much work done to identify problems and work through them.

Even though this relationship is now entering its fifth year, we still see a lot of confusion amongst members of the Portland soccer community. We thought that as we head into the 2017 seasons for both teams, it would be a good time to put out a succinct statement that clarifies the relationship between the 107IST, Rose City Riveters, and Timbers Army.

The 107IST is the umbrella under which both supporters groups live. It supports both groups as equal peers. Today the 107IST Board is still the de facto board for the Timbers Army, while the Rose City Riveters have their own steering committee. Lexi Stern sits on the steering committee as a 107IST Board member, and the rest of those positions are filled by core Rose City Riveters volunteers who oversee Riveters subcommittees.

As our work has evolved, we have incorporated both Rose City Riveters and Timbers Army work on the 107IST Community Outreach committee. We are looking to continue to evolve this cooperative participation at the 107IST committee level in several other areas, such as in travel and membership.

Over time we expect this “cross-pollination” to grow. We also expect that certain committees will work closely together, but remain separate as it makes the most sense. Game day is a good example here: we use the collective buying power of the 107IST to the benefit of both groups, but the actual day-to-day management of stadium operations are handled by two distinct teams.

Additionally, as time goes on, you’ll see the 107IST and the Timbers Army becoming more distinct from each other when appropriate. This started with the 107IST newsletter (which has always included both Timbers Army and Rose City Riveters news) as well as with Green Weekend (where both SGs have participated for the past few years). As we continue to grow and evolve, you’ll likely see some messages come from 107IST, some from Timbers Army, some from Rose City Riveters, and some from combinations of the three, as appropriate.

In the end, the best summary of all of this is with an updated tagline that we’ve actually been using for a while:

The 107 Independent Supporters Trust: The engine behind the Timbers Army and Rose City Riveters.

Respectfully Signed,

The 107IST Board of Directors and Rose City Riveters Steering Committee

A Record Year

107ist Admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 00:00:01 GMT

When we started this historic fourth season of NWSL, we were enamored with our Twitter-hip new coach and snazzy lineup, but mindful of the challenges we would face losing so many players to the Rio Olympics. One thing was clear: the Thorns would need our support more than ever. We needed to be organized and loud, and continue to set the bar for other NWSL SGs starting to make more visible efforts.

Thanks to the success of the tifo donation pin and our already-solid merchandise sales, Riveters’ operating budget sat at a comfortable level early in the season. It became clear we had the capacity to do a bit more.

I volunteered to represent the Riveters on (read: invited myself to) the Community Outreach committee for 107IST. Since we didn’t have a specific seat there already, and I was kind of a noob, I just brought cookies and hoped for the best.

Needless to say, they were all extremely welcoming and eager to help us extend our impact. As it turns out, all I needed to do was ask a few simple questions and magical things started to happen around me.

We chose a handful of local organizations for our Match Day Donation Drives, anticipating possibly meager first-attempt results…and we were totally wrong. Let’s just say I now know the exact diaper capacity of a 2010 Prius and it’s pretty impressive.

By the end of the 2016 season, we made over a dozen donation drops from the match day drives. It felt so good to stand there and just stuff the bare shelves at some of these places. Our mission of choosing severely underfunded organizations made me see just how quickly those resources get used, though.

In 2016 we also sold A TON of merchandise. New t-shirts, some really nice patches and buttons, and a trusty old bandana had our bank balance looking very tidy, indeed. After sorting out next season’s operating needs, I am proud to say the Rose City Riveters were able to donate $5000 back into our community for the first time!

Five $1000 donations were made this week to:

Rose Haven http://rosehaven.org/

Raphael House http://raphaelhouse.com/

ImpactNW https://impactnw.org/

OutsideIN http://outsidein.org/

The Living Room http://www.thelivingroomyouth.org/

These funds are going to have a huge impact on these small, local organizations, and I can’t thank you all enough for pitching in cash, great ideas, supplies, vehicles, and braun when you had them available. We have some new volunteers joining the ranks, and planning for 2017 is well underway. I am so excited to see how much bigger, better and, most importantly, LOUDER the Rose City Riveters can be!

Winter Classic – Sign-Ups Still Active!

107ist Admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 23:57:40 GMT

Don’t forget, the Timbers Army Winter Classic is coming up, and there’s still a short window of time to register.

There are men’s, women’s, and co-ed divisions, and the tournament will be at the all-new Rose City Futsal West location. What’s not to like? For $250 per team or $30 per individual, you get a three game guarantee, too. Why not join in on the fun?

BONUS Match Day Drive- Impact NW

107ist Admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 22:56:55 GMT

With the Thorns season extending into the playoffs, we’re also extending our Match Day Drives. This Sunday, please plan to lend a hand to the individuals and families served by Impact NW.

“By working with schools, businesses, faith communities, other community-based organizations and governmental agencies we create a safety net and springboard for community members to improve their quality of life and achieve independence.”

Impact NW offers immediate assistance to those in our community who are either homeless or in transition, and often those they are helping do not have access to food prep stations.

Please bring non-perishable pantry items to the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder St) before you head into the stadium. The individuals and families these organizations are helping may not have access to a safe home to go and cook in, so if your item requires cooking, please make it microwavable and easy to open. Often those seeking help are in need of very substantial foods, like peanut butter or tuna. Below is a complete list of the items we are looking to collect:

Oatmeal (packets)
Peanut butter (jars and single-serve cups)
Cereals (single-serve packages)
Pop-Tarts
Noodles and pasta (canned with pop-up lids, cups, or microwavable bags)
Rice dishes (cups, microwavable bags)
Mac & cheese (regular boxed and microwavable)
Fruit cups
Fruit leather
Granola/trail bars
Crackers
Rice cakes (Quaker)
Assorted nuts (single-serve packages)
Juice box packs
Canned goods (pop-up lids are best, please) – Soup, vegetables, tuna, chili

Noon on a Monday

107ist Admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 22:55:32 GMT

When people ask me about the differences in supporting the Timbers and the Thorns, I give complicated answers about the different fan bases and supporters groups, and the intersections and overlaps of the two, and demographics and visibility and growth and whatnot.

But then I find myself at the airport just after noon on a Monday to greet a team who’s just won a league Shield and I forget all those things.

It’s not about the number of butts in seats. It’s not about who sells how many jerseys. It’s not even about that Shield.

It’s about support.

We will be there, win or lose. We will be there, rain or shine. We will be there.

There were somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 of us at PDX Monday afternoon to greet the team as they arrived home as 2016’s NWSL Shield winners. They looked tired from their travels, but happy to be home, and ready to get to work preparing for Sunday’s playoff match, the first home playoff match for the Thorns in franchise history.

Among stalwart supporters and national team members, is one of the littlest Riveters, Harper. She’s new to us, but to me, she represents future generations of players and supporters.

She wore sparkly shoes to the last home match. She sat on her dad’s shoulders and waved a flag as the team came off the field. She’s one of us. She’s all of us. She’s just a tad shorter. But someday, she’ll kick a ball on that field or design tifo that’s raised in the stands. Next level, next generation support.

Last we checked, there were still a few tickets left for Sunday’s match. Go get them. Bring a friend.

Start thinking about what possible excuses you can give your boss should the need for another airport greeting arise.

Emily Menges: 2016 Riveters Player of the Year

107ist Admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 22:54:05 GMT

In each of the four National Women’s Soccer League seasons, the Rose City Riveters have presented a trophy to the Thorns player who exemplifies what the supporters consider to be vanguard traits: connecting the spirit of the club with the city’s character, and their selfless contributions to both. These trophies have evolved over the years and intentionally carry an element describable as “We-Can-Do-It-Ourselves” if you may. Utilizing the makers and engineers at the local creative space ADX Portland, this year’s trophy features a reclaimed industrial gear, hand-crafted rose made of copper and steel, and fabricated steel background featuring the Riveters badge. It also has some fancy words on it which are about to be explained.

Some schools of thought insist that it is defense which wins games. The Rose City Riveters have determined that its consummate defender and backline leader has won not just hardware but their hearts. Emily Menges, who has worn her fervency like a badge of honor for her whole career, was voted as Player of the Year after a week-long poll contributed to by hundreds of Riveters. To commemorate this choice, Menges was presented this unique trophy after the final home match of the 2016 season on September 11th.

Throughout this season Menges has been a standout, a vital play-maker who has helped to keep the Thorns in the NWSL playoff race. She has shown to be a steady, reliable and club-minded player during a season loaded with instability thanks to national team call-ups, unfortunate injuries and the dreams of success for all who played at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Her individual production on the pitch is the stuff of highlight reels. Amazing as those efforts have been, when combined with her numerous displays of genuine appreciation to her teammates, supporters and everyday fans of the Thorns (those smiles and finger-points and waves which are less noticeable by the large cameras but noted and shared all the same by individuals), they have endeared Menges to us as a step above all.

It is interesting to note that the 2016 Riveters Player of the Year choice was the first year where the figures showed significant parity among the candidates rather than a singular, distinctive pick. This should be considered as high praise not just to the choice of Menges, but to all who were close in the running, who were voted for en masse, as well as those who have been considered in the past. We are fortunate to have a proud club, one that is full of talented and impassioned players to consider and honor.

Congratulations to Emily Menges, thank you to all of the players, and Onward Rose City.

Buy Your Capo A Pint (BYCAP) 2016

107ist Admin — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 22:53:12 GMT

Ever had a moment (or several) of incredible gratitude for our amazing capos, drums, and horns? How many times have you thought to yourself, “I should buy them a drink!”

Now is your chance.

BYCAP—Buy Your Capo A Pint—will be held September 11th, when the Thorns take on WNY Flash. In advance of the match, we’ll pass the hat (well—buckets) throughout the north end to collect your cash contributions towards pints. These “pint dollars” will in turn be funneled back into our community to provide financial aid opportunities at nonprofit Rock & Roll Camp for Girls, which aims to build girls’ self-esteem through music creation and performance.

“Creative voices of girls and women need to be amplified to create social change. Girls need positive role models and support for their creative endeavors. We can build a community where girls support each other rather than tear each other down. We can empower girls to recognize, understand and respond to discrimination. ‘Girls Rock’ is more than just a slogan.” —Rock & Roll Camp for Girls

Please help your beloved capos, drums, and horns give back to our community through BYCAP.

Match Day Drive #8: School Supplies!

107ist Admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 22:52:30 GMT

The last Match Day Drive of the 2016 NWSL *regular* season is coming up on Sunday. Since school is kicking off, we are working with the HOPE program to replenish their school supplies for Vancouver-area school kids.

The Homeless Outreach Promoting Education (HOPE) program is a program that works with area homeless shelters to provide support to families with school-aged children. The goals of HOPE are to help students maintain consistent education while their families are in transition, provide educational opportunities to homeless students, and ensure that the schools and families are meeting students’ needs. HOPE works with families to get kids registered for school, arranges transportation for kids to keep going to the same school even if they move outside the school’s boundaries, provides tutoring and after-school programs, and helps families find resources in our community.

The Riveters are asking for donations of basic school supplies to help HOPE achieve their mission. The organization has requested the following items:

Markers
3-ring binders
Metal blade scissors
#2 pencils – mechanical pencils are not permitted
Colored pencils
Scientific calculators
Composition notebooks

Please bring these items to the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder) before the last home match. The Fanladen will be open from 4:30pm – 6:00pm on Sunday, September 11th.

Supporters Group/Riveters Research Project Update

107ist Admin — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 22:51:44 GMT

In May of this year, many of you took the time to complete a survey created by Andrew Guest, PhD and Anne Luijten from the University of Portland. As you may recall, the purpose of the survey was in part to determine why the Thorns are one of the most popular women’s sports teams in the world. Thank you to those who took the time to add your contribution via the survey and interviews.

Dr. Guest has shared the results of the research with us, which you can view here.

While some of the contents won’t come as a surprise, it is an incredibly informative piece and great for sharing.

Riveters 2016 Player of the Year Voting

107ist Admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 22:48:37 GMT

Time to vote for who has captured our hearts during the 2016 season. We started off with a bang, and the Thorns are racing toward playoffs in a good position.

Take a couple of minutes to think about the player contributions this season and who you want to see honored after the final home match of the regular season on September 11th.

Match Day Drive #7: Tampons & More!

107ist Admin — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 22:47:49 GMT

As we get ready for the last three home games of the regular season, it’s time to fire up the Match Day Drive again!

For this drive, we’re asking for tampons, pads, condoms, diapers, and baby formula. This may seem like an odd assortment of items, but all are listed as critical needs by the organizations we have been supporting all season. Most of these women’s health-related items are expensive and overlooked during your average donation drive.

The need for pads and tampons is high given that these items are not covered by food stamps and the annual costs for these items can be over $70 a year per person, as noted in a New York Times article in early 2015.

The donations will be collected for Rose Haven and for Janus Youth Program, which has an Access Center located right above the Fanladen. Janus works with area runaway and homeless youth on emergency shelter, job placement, access to services, and education assistance. Janus was founded in 1972 and today serves over 6,000 Portland youths and families per year.

This Match Day Drive will last through the next two home games. Please bring your donations to the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder) before or after the Thorns matches on Sunday, 9/4 and Wednesday, 9/7. The Fanladen is open 2 hours before kickoff and for 1 hour after the team takes their lap.

Spreading The Love

107ist Admin — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 22:46:50 GMT

Everyone’s journey as a soccer supporter is unique. For me, the rhythm of the game has been the underlying beat driving my life. I have lived in a lot of different places, experiencing and being influenced by soccer in all of them. However, it wasn’t until I joined the 107ist and the Riveters that I felt like I had found a true home in the soccer community. We are a family that mobilizes our love for the beautiful game to help the community around us. “Spread the Love” has become synonymous with soccer support in Portland and in our other affiliated communities. It is an important part of being a Portland supporter, one which we take very seriously.

In the last few months, the Riveters have been driving this charitable ethos by supporting not one, but three organizations in our match day drives. These three worthy causes are Impact NW, Rose Haven, and Raphael House. These organizations were chosen because each one offers key programs and support to the most vulnerable populations in Portland.

Impact NW works to help combat poverty and empower people to better their lives. They help an estimated 36,000 people each year to break the generational cycle of poverty. They have programs that help a wide variety of people, including children, families, seniors, and adults with disabilities. These programs include everything from domestic abuse help, to parenting courses, to housing and food assistance. Impact NW works closely with other community organizations, schools, businesses, and governmental agencies to help as many people as possible.

Rose Haven focuses specifically on helping women and children who are victims of abuse, have lost their homes, or have had other disruptive life experiences. In 2015 alone they helped over 3,000 people. They are LGBTQ friendly, and they also accept pets of all kinds. They have a health clinic, a community center, and a place to “shop” for clothing on site. In addition to these services, they also offer food and financial aid, career assistance, help in transitioning to permanent housing, creative courses, and support groups. Here is what they said to us in a recent letter:

“Thank you so much for supporting the lifesaving work of Rose Haven. We are so delighted to be in a partnership with your amazing group. The oral hygiene products recently donated as a result of your drive are so appreciated. We want you to know that you have played a significant role in helping the increasing number of women and children who are suffering from homelessness and abuse in our community. Because of you, we are able to maintain sanctuary for those who need it most.”

Raphael House also helps victims of abuse, assisting people of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and sexual orientations. On site they have an emergency shelter, a food pantry, a clothing closet, as well as an advocacy center to help people get back on their feet. They have career resources such as resume writing help, an interview style counselor, and computers and phones to help people with their job searches. Over half of the people they help are children, so homework help is available, as well as a safe space for children to play basketball and soccer. They also offer support groups, crafts, yoga, and therapy animals to help people heal from the trauma they have experienced.

Over the last few months we have collected a total of 1,571 oral care, bath supply, and pantry items for these three organizations. This equates to 394 pounds of supplies which have gone to help people in need. Out of these totals, 209 pounds of food were collected for Impact NW, completely filling their bare pantry. Those provisions have specifically helped people who needed emergency food assistance. We were also able to collect 937 travel-sized personal care items for Rose Haven and 178 full-sized personal care items for Raphael House. These donations have assisted the many different types of people who have come into these organizations needing assistance to get out of the difficult and sometimes dangerous situations in which they found themselves. Our support has helped people get back on their feet, allowing them another start at life and helping to break cycles of poverty and abuse.

We will continue to collect more donations in our match day drives, so keep your eye out for additional opportunities to give. However, if you would like to find out more about these worthy organizations or want more information on volunteering your time, click the links below:

Impact NW: http://impactnw.org/main-navigation/how-to-help/

Rose Haven: http://rosehaven.org/

Raphael House: http://raphaelhouse.com/

Match Day Drive #6: Beat the Heat!

107ist Admin — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 22:46:03 GMT

The Reign may be coming to Portland this Saturday, but the heat is here to stay!!

Please bring donations that help members of our community as the temperatures rise. We are working with Rose Haven and Raphael House to collect sunscreen, reusable water bottles, sunglasses, hats, aloe lotion, or anything to beat the heat! Rose Haven works with women and children who are in need of daily resources but do not have stable housing. Raphael House provides transitional housing to victims of abuse and their families.

Please drop off your full-sized or travel-sized items before or after the match on Saturday. The Fanladen will be open from 5:30pm to 7pm and again after the Thorns take their final lap.

This is the FINAL match before the Olympic break, so hit up those summer sales while you still can!

A Fun Time in Houston – 2016 NWSL Final Tickets

107ist Admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 22:44:59 GMT

The 2016 NWSL Final will be in Houston, Texas at BBVA Compass Stadium on Sunday, October 9th. We know most of the details, just not the teams.

Now, as a true Thorns supporter, I’m hoping that the Girls in Red make it back to the final this year. I think they have a fighting chance of it, especially if the Olympians come back right after the break. I’d really, really like it if that happened.

But I am also planning to go to the final no matter what, already having purchased plane tickets when Alaska Air had their vouchers at the Timbers game last month. (It would be sweet to get some sort of promo deal like that for a NWSL match, wouldn’t it?)

Anyway, if you are planning to go to the final and are at a bit of a loss about tickets, please let me provide some guidance.

When tickets went on sale a couple of weeks ago, I opened up an account with BBVA Compass and ordered 40+ tickets and got a great group rate. Not the most expensive tickets, but I have started purchasing seats in section 108, with the capacity to expand to section 109 if necessary. Tickets are $34 total, and I’m managing the group purchase. If you’re interested in sitting with fans who are there for the love of the game, keep reading and perhaps I can help you out. If the current price point isn’t in your budget, they have a few other options as well—though, if you purchase tickets outside this group order, it may be more difficult to transfer your ticket to the Thorns supporters section (if there is one) in October.

Now, obviously, this purchase was made before knowing who will be playing, so, there is a big “IF” factor to take into account.

IF THE THORNS MAKE THE FINAL, the Riveters will work to secure more tickets in the Thorns supporters section and will sell them to our members. There will be a very short turnaround to plan the trip, but we will be able to purchase a block of tickets per my ticket rep. This section might be in the upper level, as ticket sales are doing okay right now. And that’s a good thing!

Anyone involved in my group order can and will be relocated to the Thorns supporters section, meaning we will get new tickets that will be for the supporters section for the Portland Thorns. In other words, section 108/109 is not a supporters section. This will be a normal, sit-and-watch-the-match section.

I can add more tickets to my group order as needed, so if you have read through this whole post and you would like to get in on my group order, please email me at gabby.rosas@gmail.com and we can get things going. In case it needs to be said, these are not Riveters official tickets. These are just tickets for folks who want to go to the final and sit with like-minded fans. If you are interested in some sort of hotel group rate, please let me know and I can work on getting that set up for folks. There are a lot of places to stay within walking distance of BBVA Compass Stadium.

If you would like to purchase your own tickets to the 2016 Final, please feel free to do so online (link above) or by calling Steve Bracale in the Houston Dash Ticket Office at 713.276.7531. He is the ticket rep I am working with for my group order.

If we change sections, I’ll change the tickets and take care of all of the hassle. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

**Fine print** If you do decide to go in on my group ticket order and then do not travel to Texas, please do not ask for a refund. I cannot get a refund on the tickets once purchased, but I can try to give you a list of folks who are looking for tickets, just like any other match.

Seattle Away 2: Tickets on sale now

107ist Admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 22:43:49 GMT

Tickets are now on sale for our second trip to Seattle. We have 2 kegs secured (thanks 2 Towns Cider and Lompoc Brewing). We have 2 buses. Now we just need you, your voice, and your passion for the Thorns!

The Riveters have purchased 100 Lower Grandstand tickets, just like last time. This means no hiking up to the furthest corner of the stadium. Normally, these tickets are $25 each, but with the group discount, they are $15 each. Here are the details for our group ticket order opportunities:

Ticket only – $15 plus Eventbrite Fees – LOWER GRANDSTAND. You will need to pick up your ticket in Seattle when the bus gets there or the tickets will be left at Will Call.

Bus only – $29 plus Eventbrite Fees – you either have your own ticket or will be acquiring your own ticket. The Riveters will be in the LOWER GRANDSTAND, and those tickets are normally $25 per ticket.

Ticket & Bus combo – $44 plus Eventbrite fee

You will pick your bus while we wait to load up on travel day, so don’t worry about there not being an option here.

All participants in our group agree to the 107ist Away Travel Code of Conduct for Riveters Away Travel.

Rules for the buses:

NO GLASS ALLOWED ON THE BUS. While we are allowed to bring food and drink (adult beverages are way okay), you are not allowed to have glass containers. Please plan accordingly.

NO #2 ON THE BUS! The bathroom on the bus has a very small storage tank! We will be stopping at a rest stop about halfway through the drive (or about 90 minutes in).

General trip info:

There are no age restrictions in the Riveters or on our buses. If you’re a party of 1, coming with friends, or want to make it a trip for the whole family, please join us.

Memorial Stadium does not allow away supporters to have flags or two-sticks. Please leave all noisemakers at home; those will not be allowed into Memorial Stadium either.

At the last match, we were allowed to bring in sealed water bottles. We are checking with the stadium to see if that policy is still in effect.

Bring food and drink. Keep glass at home. Clean up after yourself. Keep an eye on each other. We all want to have fun.

Schedule for Saturday, August 27th – This is an early morning trip, so please keep that in mind!!

8am – Bus departs from the Oregon Convention Center (NE Holladay St between NE 2nd and MLK)

12pm – Bus arrives at Memorial Stadium under the Space Needle. The Riveters will be escorted into the stadium (and out after the match).

2pm – Kickoff of match

9pm – Bus arrives back at Oregon Convention Center to drop road warriors off

If you have any questions or concerns, we will be happy to address them in the comments on this post. Come join us in Seattle!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rose-city-riveters-seattle-away-2-tickets-26611325190

Match Day Drive #5: Look Good, Feel Good!

107ist Admin — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 22:42:58 GMT

Can you believe we are already in the middle of the season?

For this Match Day Drive, we are asking Riveters to bring beauty and grooming supplies so we can donate them to organizations who are helping homeless women and victims of domestic violence throughout the Portland area. Our items will be donated to our partners at Rose Haven and Raphael House.

Many of those who are seeking the support of these two organizations do not have access to these daily comfort items that were a part of their routines. For many women, these are basic items to which they no longer have access. Being able to put on makeup or do your hair is not just about looking good, but also about emotional empowerment and being ready to take on the day! Many of the women served by Rose Haven and Raphael House are preparing themselves for events where they may need elevated confidence and support, such as job interviews, court dates, or children’s concerts.

Please bring new packages of makeup, lotion, hair product, hair supplies, hair brushes, combs, deodorant, and other beauty supply items to the Fanladen before you head into the match! Remember to keep all hair types and skin colors in mind while shopping. The Fanladen is located at 1633 SW Alder and is open 2 hours before the Thorns kickoff and for an hour after each match. This drive will be in effect for July 2nd and July 9th, so if you forget or are out of town this weekend, bring it to the next!

Match Day Drive #4: (White) Sox & Underpants!

107ist Admin — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 22:42:00 GMT

The Thorns are playing Chicago this week, so we thought we would do a socks and underpants drive. If you squint, you can see the connection (white sox = sock drive).

Please bring packages of new socks, underpants, bras (and extenders!), and any other undergarments you would like to contribute. The recipients will be adult women (plus sizes are a plus) and children.

We will be contributing these items to three different organizations: two that we have worked with before and we know the people they serve are in need, and a new organization. The two existing organizations are Rose Haven and Raphael House. As a quick reminder, Rose Haven works with women and their children who do not have steady, consistent housing. They offer day services such as warm meals, new clothes, personal hygiene items, and community events. Raphael House serves those who are or have been victims of domestic violence. They have a undisclosed facility where these individuals and families can go and receive support as they make a transition from a violent environment.

The new organization we will be collecting resources for is Rahab’s Sisters. This group serves vulnerable and exploited women in the Portland area. They are working to provide food and new clothing to the people they serve. We want to be able to provide them with socks, underpants and bras to help those in need.

Our mission at Rahab’s Sisters is to offer “Radical Hospitality” to vulnerable and exploited women in the Portland Metro area, especially those that have been impacted by the sex industry, domestic violence, poverty, substance abuse, and homelessness.

Their vision of living in a city where all women are safe ties in with what the Riveters stand for. They have an active social calendar with events and fundraisers about which we hope to help spread the news, and in which we hope to participate in the future.

The Fanladen will be open from 5pm – 6:30pm on Wednesday, June 22nd for donations. We will also be open for 1 hour after the match, from 9pm to 10pm, if you have anything you need to drop off.

Match Day Drive #3: Let It Rain

107ist Admin — Wed, 25 May 2016 22:40:56 GMT

For the Thorns’ third home match, we have a new Match Day Drive.

This week, the items we’re pooling are small. They like to travel, and they are needed to support those who don’t have stable homes or are seeking shelter from domestic violence. These items clean up well and love a little shower time.

Stop by the Fanladen to drop off your travel-sized and full-sized sized shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, baby care products, and hair products including activator, relaxer, and hair grease before the match vs. Seattle. The Fanladen (1633 SW Alder) will be open from 2-3:30pm on Sunday, May 29th.

This Drive is for Rose Haven and Raphael House. We worked with Rose Haven for our Oral Care Drive in April and as a reminder, they provide support for homeless women and children in Portland.

Raphael House is a new one for the Riveters. They work with those impacted by domestic violence and provide a safe space to help start the transition to new housing in Portland. They also offer advocacy programs and operate a 24-hour crisis line.

We believe that everyone deserves to live a life free from violence. The mission of Raphael House is to engage our entire community in non-violent living through advocacy, education, and community outreach, and by providing a safe haven from domestic violence.

The items we are collecting will be used by the women and children who are seeking help in their Emergency Shelter. Raphael House has 11 living areas: 9 for families, and 2 for individual adults. Raphael House provides on-site access to food, clothing, household supplies, and toiletries. Every year the Emergency Shelter serves 130 adults and children.

Our drive will help Raphael House continue to support this underserved community.

What We're Up To

107ist Admin — Sat, 21 May 2016 22:39:02 GMT

On May 18th, the Riveters’ Community Outreach Crew dropped off our Oral Care Drive donations at Rose Haven. During that visit, we got a tour of their facilities and developed a better sense of how they are making an impact in our community.

Rose Haven, located in NW Portland on 18th and Irving, provides assistance to 70-90 guests a day, or about 3,000 people a year. These guests visit a total of 15,000 times a year with holidays and busy periods. Guests can have warm meals, access to clothing, shoes, personal supplies, and medical care, as well as participate in community events. Rose Haven operates out of the basement of the First Immanuel Lutheran Church’s administrative building. We met up with Katie O’Brien, who is the Community Outreach & Development Officer for Rose Haven. She showed us around their modest facility, which is a safe haven for women and children.

We have an open door policy, and accept any woman in any condition who needs our help. Staff and volunteers form a compassionate and supportive team for women who are traumatized by homelessness, abuse, and other disruptive life challenges. Rose Haven is a safe, respectful environment where change begins. We address basic needs, and help women build confidence and sustainable lives for themselves. Through reflection of trust and mutual respect, the foundation on which personal healing and healthy choice making begin.

During the tour, we got to watch guests play Bingo as well as enjoy a hot meal served by volunteers. Rose Haven has several community partners who donate meals to their guests, be it full meals from Elephants Deli or sandwiches from a local shop. While Rose Haven does not have an on-site kitchen with the capacity to cook meals from scratch, they do have enough room to prep the donated meals. The ability to help with the basics, such as a healthy meal, allows guests to focus on their other needs.

Rose Haven also has a store on site full of clean, donated clothes, shoes, underpants, bras, and hygiene products. There are no cash transactions in the store, as each guest has access to “shop” and pick out new articles once every 30 days. They then can get advice as to how to make different outfits out of the choices they made, whether they are going in for a court appearance or visiting with their kids. The assistance Rose Haven provides is to help build comfort and make to take away some of the stressful parts of their guests’ everyday lives so they can focus on finding ways to improve their environment.

Women can come in with their children, too. They can also bring in their pets. Rose Haven works to always have a stock of pet foods, as they know that pets are some people’s companions.

It was a very inspiring visit. Rose Haven strives to create a safe place for any woman to come and seek out support. While the Riveters were able to donate over 35 pounds of oral care products (200+ toothbrushes, 90+ tubes of toothpaste), we were also able to experience how quickly they go through their donations. Helping 70+ women a day takes a lot of resources. We will continue to work with Katie and her team on future events and drives.

As a follow-up to our first Match Day Drive post, I want to provide some additional information regarding our Match Day Drives and other Community Outreach opportunities.

One area in which that the Riveters have wanted to do more, but have not been financially able to in the past, is outreach. Historically, we have engaged in ticket exchange and merch production/sales to help fund our tifo and game day operations. Everything had been self-sustaining at the minimum; we’ve reused tifo materials until they had too many layers of paint for seams to hold in overhead pulls, or we reused the materials from past displays to keep costs low.

We had a very successful “Tifo Superhero” fund drive this spring where we were able to raise $3,400 from the sale of limited-edition pins. This funding, along with some other donations earmarked for tifo, will support all of our planned tifo activities for 2016. This means that we need another focus for the ticket exchange and merch proceeds aside from our operating expenses.

We plan to still generate revenue, but we have minimal operating expenses (smoke, flags, photocopies, upfront merch production costs) that need to be covered. There’s also a little trophy we like to hand out at the end of the season. But those are all costs that are easy enough for us to plan for. And we anticipate that the gear we put out this year will help us increase our capacity to do so much more.

Going forward, resources will be set aside to aid in community outreach. This year we are working with quite a few different agencies throughout the Portland area to get them the physical donations they need through the Match Day Drives. We want the capacity to provide them with additional support as well. We want to start being a bigger voice in the community, as well as take on small projects where we see a need. We want to be able to contribute our time, our energy, and our resources to helping those who need it the most. Buying Riveters merch is going to help us do all of this.

We also want your input on our merch line. We have set up an email address for you to send us your ideas, be it in the form of a description, a rough sketch, an item you would like us to make, or even a full-on design. If you want it, let us know! Email us at merchideas@rosecityriveters.org, and the design team will review your submission and send a response. Note that for copyright reasons, merch designs cannot include the word “Thorns” or any player likenesses.

As our focus pivots toward community outreach, we want to make sure that all of our members are aware of our financial shift as well.

Fill Their Pantry!

107ist Admin — Wed, 18 May 2016 22:36:42 GMT

For the Thorns’ next home match on May 21st, the Riveters’ Match Day Drive will be to support the YWCA of Greater Portland and Impact NW. These organizations are already partners and are working together to help those in need in our community by providing a safe place for individuals and families to turn to when in need. They are not just an immediate resource, but also strive to create lasting opportunities for those they help.

The YWCA is a national organization with local chapters that are focused on improving their communities. YWCA of Greater Portland has been working in the local community for over 100 years. Today, the YWCA works closely with other organizations to help educate about oppression and create opportunities in our community for equality.

The YWCA of Greater Portland’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

Impact NW is a local organization that has been helping low-income Portland residents since 1966. Today, they have services available in Multnomah, Clark, Washington and Clackamas Counties and parts of Washington state. They strive to provide support to individuals and families in both the short term and the long term so everyone has a chance to achieve their goals.

By working with schools, businesses, faith communities, other community-based organizations and governmental agencies we create a safety net and springboard for community members to improve their quality of life and achieve independence.

Both organizations are offering immediate assistance to those in our community who are either homeless or in transition, and often those they are helping do not have access to food prep stations. When we offered our support, their ask was very simple: help them fill their pantry.

This weekend, please bring non-perishable pantry items to the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder St) before you head into the stadium. The individuals and families these organizations are helping may not have access to a safe home to go and cook in, so if your item requires cooking, please make it microwavable and easy to open. Often those seeking help are in need of very substantial foods, like peanut butter or tuna. Below is a complete list of the items we are looking to collect:

Oatmeal (packets)
Peanut butter (jars and single-serve cups)
Cereals (single-serve packages)
Pop-Tarts
Noodles and pasta (canned with pop-up lids, cups, or microwavable bags)
Rice dishes (cups, microwavable bags)
Mac & cheese (regular boxed and microwavable)
Fruit cups
Fruit leather
Granola/trail bars
Crackers
Rice cakes (Quaker)
Assorted nuts (single-serve packages)
Juice box packs
Canned goods (pop-up lids are best, please) – Soup, vegetables, tuna, chili

The Fanladen will be open on Saturday from 5:00pm to 6:30pm. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm, so there should be plenty of time to get your donations in. Let’s help these organizations continue to provide services to our community!

***UPDATE***

The Fanladen will also be open on Sunday from 10am to 1pm before the Timbers match. You can drop off your donations then as well.

After an Away Day

107ist Admin — Mon, 16 May 2016 22:36:08 GMT

There’s always something in the air on the trip home. The game is played. Maybe we’ve won or lost. Whatever the result, you can feel it. It lingers around us as our emotions feed it and give it strength. The immediate joy or sorrow have been spent in the stadium. Perhaps carried over in celebrations at a bar in Rochester or in solemn heartbreak over BBQ in Kansas City.

Once the journey home begins, a tranquility descends. A collective exhaustion from the excitement of the day. Each retreats into their own world as our common passion and devotion keeps us together. Some sleep, others quietly converse; a few are simply silent, enjoying the rhythm of the ride home. Here I write. Thoughts flowing from the community around me. It’s in these moments I feel closest to my fellow supporters.

As much as I love singing in away stadiums, stealing points on the road, or celebrating in unfamiliar bars, sometimes it’s these tranquil moments that I appreciate the most. In a van in upstate New York, a hotel lobby in Boston, a bus southbound on I-5. Savoring the stillness in quiet camaraderie with those who root for the girls in red.

Prepare for Invasion: An Away Day Guide

107ist Admin — Sun, 08 May 2016 22:34:49 GMT

It’s been over two weeks since the Thorns have graced the pitch at Providence Park and it will be two more until we see them there again. So, if you, like me, suffer from TSA (Thorns Separation Anxiety), you’ll be happy to know that the last game of this away trip is in that little fishing village up north. Since we already know that you want to go (even if you don’t think you do, trust me, you want to go) here’s some tips to make the best of the experience.

Get On The Bus:

It’s a decently long drive to Memorial Stadium. There will be traffic in Olympia and Tacoma, not to mention having to battle downtown traffic in Seattle itself. Spare yourself all this hassle by getting on one of the Riveters’ buses. All you have to do is show up at the meeting place and get on! We’ve even supplied a couple kegs (one of beer and one of cider) for your ride north. How else are you going to (legally and safely) show up to Memorial pre-gamed with a drink or two (or three) and ready to go for the match?

The Ride North:

Once you’re on the bus, there are a few tips to be learned from those who have done this before. First of all, make sure you check that the bathroom on the bus is functional before you start drinking. You don’t want to be two beers in before you realize that you actually have to wait until Centralia to use a restroom. Second, introduce yourself to those around you that you don’t know. The bus is a great place to get to know your fellow Riveters and make new friends. The bus is also a great place to write new chants. Let’s enter the stadium singing a brand new song to cheer on our Thorns. Lastly, it’s a tradition for first timers to bring a baked good for the author of travel blogs.

Memorial Stadium:

When it comes to food and beverage, expect the standard stadium fare. You won’t find the great choices that we have at Providence Park: no giant sandwiches, bacon-wrapped hot dogs, or rotating food carts. Many travelers choose to bring food and eat on the bus before the game. Be warned that there is limited alcohol in Memorial Stadium. The stadium itself has a no adult beverage policy, but the Reign have gotten permission to have a beer garden. If you consider adult beverages a key part of your game day experience, they will have to be consumed away from our section or before or after the match. This is where the kegs that we have on the buses come in handy. Also, if you anticipate needing to use the restroom at the stadium, I suggest you go early and wear closed-toed shoes. I personally have only used them once before a game, but stories have been shared of less than stellar conditions in the Memorial Stadium restrooms.

Hostile Territory:

In case you don’t already realize, we’ll be entering a stadium full of thousands of people rooting for the other team. We’re not going to be their favorite people. Some will let us know this. Some of them will do so loudly. It’s our job as visiting fans to let these incidents slide. You’re going to have to get used to people yelling things at you that you might not like. To prepare, I suggest you call that uncle with opposite political views from yours and asking them why they’ve chosen their preferred presidential candidate. If you, like me, don’t have their phone number, you can actually read the articles they post to Facebook. In addition, since we are guests in another team’s stadium, we should keep the language respectable. There’s no need to give one of Seattle’s supporters groups more reasons to flash that “Keep It Classy, Portland” sign at us.

Let’s Pretend We’ll Score A Goal:

The Thorns haven’t had the best of luck at Memorial. Over the past two years, we’ve been beaten there by a combined score of 8-0. While I’m always one to look on the bright side and hope for the best, there are also times when one needs to prepare for the worst. Personally, I’m going to be happy if we manage to score a goal. If we don’t, I’m hoping you’ll all join me in this chant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PpJBR_rQJk

In all seriousness, while I’m hoping for Seattle’s second loss at Memorial, there’s more to this trip than who comes away with three points. It’s about being with fellow supporters, having a great time, and cheering on our girls in red.

Riveters Match Day Drives

107ist Admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 22:33:37 GMT

This season, we’re going to try something new. For each match, we’re going to be collecting different items to donate to area organizations that help those in need. Our focus is on those seeking shelter from abusive relationships or have fallen on hard times who need a warm place to stay and basic supplies.

The first organization to partner with the Rose City Riveters in this effort is Rose Haven.

Rose Haven serves women and children experiencing the trauma of abuse, loss of home and other disruptive life challenges. Rose Haven’s mission is to maintain a safe, respectful community while providing our guests with support and services to assist them in regaining stability in their lives. – http://rosehaven.org/about-us/mission-history/

For the first event, we are asking our community to help us collect oral care products such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss. These are items that Rose Haven is in dire need of, as they serve 30 individuals a day on average and provide these basic items to each person who calls on them for help.

If you are able, please bring new toothbrushes, unopened toothpaste, and sealed packages of floss to the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder St) on Sunday, April 17th from 5:00 to 6:30pm. The match starts at 7pm, so hopefully everyone can drop off their items and get to their seats with plenty of time!

We will be partnering with other community organizations for future drives. As we get those events confirmed, keep an eye out for a schedule for all matches!

Equal Play. Equal Pay.

107ist Admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 22:32:02 GMT

The Rose City Riveters have stood up for equality and different social issues a number of times over our short 3-year history. Now we have an opportunity to stand up again.

We stand behind the United States Women’s National Team as they strive for equal pay for equal play as compared to their male counterparts in the United States Soccer Federation organization. Their fight is on the front page of most news websites today. It is a fight that has been going on for decades, most notably in the last 3 years as the USWNT was not able to establish a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with USSF after their epic World Cup performance in 2011.

For the first time in history, in FY2016, the USWNT is on pace to out-earn the USMNT. This is huge for a number of reasons, the primary one being that the counterargument for their pay structure has always been “look at who brings home the bacon” (pun not intended).

The second part of this issue has a lot to do with sponsorship and winnings, because when a team wins a tournament, those winnings tend to go to the Federation, who then pay out their own predetermined bonuses. USSF bonuses are structured differently for the MNT and WNT simply because a) the size of the winnings differ, and b) the WNT players are salaried while the men are only being paid for their participation with the team. The simple way to look at this is that there is the potential for the Federation to generate more revenue from earnings from men’s tournaments because the prize money is greater. But that is a shallow way of looking at this. Why is the prize money greater? It is because there are, generally, more sponsors and TV deals and coverage for these tournaments.

Sponsorship is a bit more convoluted, because most sponsors are Federation sponsors. For example, USSF pocketed $26M in FY2015 from a Nike sponsorship. The Federation does not report out what it does with that sponsorship money, though it did note that in FY2015, Nike gave them an additional $250K as a men’s World Cup bonus. My question here is: Why do sponsors sign on? Is it to market a particular squad? Should USSF have a responsibility to distribute the resources as the sponsor intends? So, I’ll be interested to see if there is a specific line item bonus in the FY2016 report.

But I digress. When we take the sponsorship and winnings piece out of the equation, and look at the earnings for the two senior teams, 2016 is an epic year for the women. They now have the data that stands by their growing popularity and their growing support, and the consumer has voted with their pocketbook. This, to me, is huge.

We stand behind women not being satisfied with the status quo, especially when the playing field is not even. We stand behind these women as they make a historic move toward equality in all aspects of their job.

But we do not just stand behind the USWNT.

We stand behind the NWSL with the promise that the growth of the league will lead to better wages for all players, not just the big names in the league, The Federation players. We stand up for those unpaid amateurs who show up day in and day out for practice and meetings, hoping for a chance to make an impact and earn a contract.

For too long, female athletes have had to pursue their dreams as more of a hobby. They are unable to earn a living wage for themselves or their families, because no one watches their sport. Because no one is sponsoring their sport. Because they do not have a big money-making machine enabling them to train and condition full-time for their sport.

We have shown up, for three years now, to prove the contrary. We are watching your sport. We are buying the sponsors’ products. We want to help develop that machine that will hopefully enable future NWSL players to be able to train and condition full-time for their team. We stand behind the players.

With the inception of the NWSL and then Merritt Paulson bringing a team to Portland, we have all become very aware of the issues surrounding women and sports. Not that we weren’t aware of them before, but now we want to pass a hat for them, we want to gift them grocery store gift cards, we want to help them every day. We help support them through GoFundMe campaigns. We network to try to find them reasonably priced, reliable vehicles. We realize this is grass roots, and we know that this is going to grow into something that is so much more.

I want to support a league that is able to generate revenue and also pay its players a living wage. I want a league that plays entirely in soccer-specific stadiums. I want a league that has a TV deal and national sponsors. I want a league that is attracting world-class players as much as they are developing players in the local communities. I know that our current league status is in place to create a sustainable format for growth, but I do not want this league to consider its current status a success. I want the ownership group, the coaches, the general managers, and the players to continue to strive for improvements. I want every player who steps on the pitch in a Thorns kit to be earning above the poverty line.

I stand by these players because I see all of these things as viable. I stand with the Rose City Riveters because I know that we will not accept the status quo to remain constant. We are always striving for better, and we want to support the players as they do the same, both on the pitch and off.

I stand by the USWNT because I am the consumer and I know that my dollar is equal to yours. I know that today’s action is just the first wave in a tsunami of change for these athletes, and will have a significant impact on the way our Thorns are compensated and developed in the future. Hopefully, in the very near future.

Supporters Storm Seattle on May 14

107ist Admin — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 22:31:21 GMT

Link to buy tickets/seats on the bus! http://www.eventbrite.com/e/rose-city-riveters-space-needle-away-1-tickets-24212359820

We are mere hours away from seeing our club in action for the first time this year! Your Riveters Travel Team has been hard at work sorting out logistics for our away dates, and are excited to announce that we will again be sending two buses up to Memorial Stadium in Seattle on May 14! After our season opener, the Thorns have four consecutive matches on the road. Away at Seattle will be last of the four, and is our first opportunity to send a big block of supporters up north this year. It is important to reserve these early, as we have limited space on the bus and limited tickets in our current allocation. It also helps us with knowing names and numbers as early as possible.

The Riveters have purchased 100 Lower Grand tickets (we should be right next to the pitch, which means no more hiking up to the top of Memorial Stadium) for the match from the Reign. Normally, these tickets are $25 each, but with the group discount, it is $15 each. Here are the details for our group ticket order opportunities:

Ticket only – $15 plus Eventbrite Fees – LOWER GRANDSTAND. You will need to pick up your ticket in Seattle when the bus gets there or the tickets will be at will call.

Ticket & Bus combo – $44 plus Eventbrite Fee

We will work with our partner breweries to get some sponsored kegs on board, but as of right now we do not know what we will be able to offer. We will aim for 1 cider bus and 1 beer bus. You will pick your bus while we wait to load them on travel day, so don’t worry about there not being an option here.

All participants in our group agree to the 107ist Away Travel Code of Conduct for Riveters Away Travel.

Rules for the buses:

NO GLASS ALLOWED ON THE BUS. While we are allowed to bring food and drink (adult beverages are way okay), you are not allowed to have glass containers. Please plan accordingly.

NO #2 ON THE BUS! The bathroom on the bus has a very small storage tank! We will be stopping at a rest stop about 1/2 way through the drive. Or, about 90 minutes in.

There are no age restrictions in the Riveters or on our buses. If you’re a party of 1, coming with friends, or want to make it a trip for the whole family, please join us!

Memorial Stadium allows flags, banners and 2-sticks. Please leave all noisemakers at home, though. Those will not be allowed into Memorial Stadium.

Bring food and drink. Keep glass at home. Clean up after yourself. Keep an eye on each other. We all want to have fun.

Schedule for Saturday, May 14th

1pm – Bus departs from the Oregon Convention Center (NE Holladay St between NE 2nd and MLK)

5pm – Bus arrives at Memorial Stadium under the Space Needle. The Riveters will be escorted into the stadium (and out, after the match).

7pm – Kickoff of match.

1am – Bus arrives back at Oregon Convention Center to drop road warriors off.

If you have any questions or concerns, we would be happy to address them in the comments under this post. Come join us in Seattle!

Join us!

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/rose-city-riveters-space-needle-away-1-tickets-24212359820

UPDATE!!! We have received donations from Lompoc Brewing and 2 Towns Cider for the buses. We are still finalizing exactly what pours will be made on the bus (depends on availability, so requests don’t really fly). Please be sure to thank them if you will be frequenting their establishments!! Also, thank Hilda at Bazi this weekend because she was a huge part of making this happen!!

Preseason Friendly Neighbors

107ist Admin — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 22:30:18 GMT

We all know what friendlies are—or at least, what they’re supposed to be, in theory. A match not so intensely competitive; one that played for little more than its own sake. (MLS pre-season matches we’ve seen this year might make such a definition questionable at best.)

If there’s one friendly the Thorns play in the pre-season that we can hope will remain neighborly, let’s hope it is the match played with our collegiate neighbors to the south.

Oregon State University Beavers will play Portland Thorns on March 30th. OSU already has a meaningful connection to the Portland Thorns—2015 forward Jodie Taylor was an Oregon State standout 2004-2008. Also, those who look today may see a distinctly Portlandesque imprint on portions of the Corvallis squad.

Goalkeeper Lizzy Coryell played several years for the Westside Timbers, winning a state championship in 2013. Forward Maddie Misi also played several years with Westside Timbers in varying positions, and had two years on the Westside Timbers WPSL team. Former Jesuit goalkeeper Lindsay Lamont helped Crossfire Oregon to state championships in 2012 and 2013. Midfielder Annie Govig played with FC Portland in addition to captaining Sherwood High School’s team.

Slated to join the team this Fall, incoming freshman forward Jada Krening was the 2015 Oregon Live Girls Soccer Player of the Year. She spent the last two seasons with the Portland Thorns Academy, and was the first Parkrose student to accept a Pac-12 scholarship. As Team Captain, Krening set the Parkrose High School record with 81 goals in her four seasons (while maintaining a 4.0—not too shabby!). Another new recruit, midfielder Diana Santiago, played for FC Portland as well as the Westside Metros.

There are other connections to Portland with the Oregon State squad. For the many who closely follow University of Portland soccer, Beavs Assistant Coach Michelle Voiland was starting goalkeeper and was a four-time All-Conference First Team selection at UP in the early to mid-nineties. She went on to play, and later coach, for FC Saarbruecken in the Bundesliga.

While the local connections are endearing, the talent on the OSU squad certainly isn’t limited to Oregonians. Defender Greta Espinoza is just returning from her most recent effort as part of the Mexican National Team, with whom she has 13 caps. Helene Haavik, a forward from Norway, Played for the U16, U17, and U19 Norwegian National Team and went to the European Championships all three years.

Certainly, we will be there to cheer for our Thorns as our priority. But if your schedule and collegiate allegiances allow, you may want to take time to cheer for those Beavs as well.

Sunday, March 27 – Houston Dash vs. Oregon State at 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 2 – Seattle Reign FC vs. Oregon State at 2:30 p.m.

A Thorns Podcast? It’s About Goddamn Time

107ist Admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 22:27:54 GMT

Hi there, Thorns supporters and podcast enthusiasts! My name is Patrick Chizeck, and I am a co-host on a brand new podcast called Riveting! Despite the name, we aren’t an official program of the Riveters—I asked for permission from the powers that be to use the name and they very cordially allowed it.

I am joined every week(ish) by my co-hosts Eric Ohlsen and Emilie Rossi to discuss, bicker and ultimately make mostly unsuccessful jokes about the Thorns and the state of women’s soccer in the US and abroad, although we will be mostly concentrating on what happens with our women in red and black.

Every week we will be soliciting questions from you, the audience, to either answer or at least begin a discussion about (as some questions have no answers—for instance, why does Merritt keep deleting his tweets when he knows we Tweetbunker them?). This podcast doesn’t just belong to Emilie, Eric and me, it belongs to all of us, which is why we want as much participation from y’all as you’re willing to give.

Right now you can check us out in a bunch of places:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

If you somehow forget all of these things as well as this post, you should probably stop hitting yourself on the head, but we’re also linked on the sidebar on the Thorns subreddit, which you should be subscribed to anyway.

Our first episode is already up! (We’re on iTunes now! Just look for us!) but you can either find us on Stitcher or just add us manually to your favorite podcast manager by using our RSS feed:

http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:212977054/sounds.rss

Wow, that’s a lot of links.

I guess if you’re super lazy, here’s the first episode right here.

https://soundcloud.com/chizeck/episode-1-new-players-new-coach-same-old-payscale

Thanks for your time, and we hope to hear from you soon (or that you hear us. Either way!).

Patrick is a founding member of the SG from the very first meeting and a Game Day Ops stalwart since forever. You should listen to him.

Connecting Wandering Riveters

107ist Admin — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 22:26:27 GMT

Today was another big day for a lot of NWSL teams as single game tickets went on sale for a lot of different clubs. With that, we want to let everyone know that we have assembled a Travel Committee to help with the 2016 Riveters Away Day Travel. This group is working with the different ticket sales reps to better understand if we can get a group discount for Riveters and if we can get Away Supporter sections at the different stadiums.

If you are planning on or interested in hitting the road this year to support the Thorns, please bookmark the 2016 Away Stadium Ticket Info to stay in the know about stadium policies (drums, banners, flags, smoke) and group tickets. We really want to take advantage of group discounts for tickets as much as we can, so each away event has a Facebook page set up (also available on the 2016 info page under each match) so we can get a sense of the demand for each game. Most group discounts kick in at or around 8 tickets, so if you’re planning to go, help out your fellow traveler and let us know so we can get things put together.

Also, the Facebook pages will help with coordination and carpooling to the games. After all, we’re a small group of road warriors.

FOR SEATTLE AWAY — Hold on to your horses. We are working with their ticketing rep to get a different section at Memorial set aside for us as well as buses (2!) lined up for the trips. More information about the 2 matches up north will be available shortly.

Ocho's Bat Signal

107ist Admin — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 22:23:04 GMT

Please donate $8 or more, if you are able, in order to help Tiffany Weimer, her fellow players, and host family recover from a devastating fire. https://www.gofundme.com/nwslfirefund

Ocho. Tiffany Weimer may have worn #19 on the pitch for the 2013 NWSL Championship winning Thorns FC team, but supporters who followed her career closely knew that Tiffany’s nickname was Ocho, and that she has a specific affinity for Batman. Tiffany scored the monumental tying goal in the sweltering heat of the semifinal game at Kansas City and she was an enormous reason why there is a star above the Thorns crest and a banner hanging in our stadium.

Tiffany also wrote eloquently during the end of our inaugural season about the Superheroes tifo and what it was like to feel the kind of support we are known for in Portland. Tiffany’s post is a great reminder why we do what we do, and you should read it all. This section is especially pertinent today:

Imagine doing what you love for a living. Then imagine 15,000 people cheering you on every time you land a plane or publish a book. Or whatever it is you love doing.

Then imagine your competitor trying to bring you down. And those same 15,000 people standing behind you saying “no, honey, you need to take a step back, this is our house.” And that happening every single day. And even if you make a mistake on the job, like the best friend that will always tell you “you were too good for Zac Efron anyway”, they will show you unconditional love like you’ve never experienced.

When someone has your back, you truly feel like you can do anything. Your superhero superpower is invincibility. You’re untouchable. Being on a field competing in an arena like professional sports, there’s nothing more powerful.

Earlier this afternoon, we learned that Tiffany Weimer and her fellow professional soccer players Tori Huster and Britt Eckerstrom, alongside Britt’s parents, Pam and Kurt, have lost almost everything they own to a fire. Thankfully, nobody was injured.

One of the images from the aftermath of the fire that has most struck with me is Tiffany’s journal, covered in ash, on top of a book with a sticker of her trademark Batman silhouette.

The signal has been sent for our community to rally and support our superhero once more. Instead of 15,000 people cheering Tiffany on the pitch, we need to stand behind her and those impacted by this horrible event. While it may not be during the course of a game, we know that community during all facets of life is important, especially through trials such as these. We have your back, Tiffany. Once a Thorn, always a Thorn.

Please consider donating $8 or more in order to help Tiffany Weimer, her fellow players, and host family recover from a devastating fire. https://www.gofundme.com/nwslfirefund

Little Red Sign

107ist Admin — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 23:19:11 GMT

I had a miserable time yesterday. MISERABLE! I sat at home and watched our Portland boys give it a go with that cranky team from the Midwest. I hacked, I wheezed, I may have gotten a little misty when ESPN ran some clips from the moments following what was a historic moment for the Timbers. An MLS cup. Ours. A star. Ours.

I was all set up in my chair with some tissues to my right and a glass of water to my left, cold medicine within easy reach, and animals settled in on my lap and in the chair next to me, content to snooze until I cursed at the screen in frustration or screamed in celebration.

There was the inevitable build-up to the unveiling of the banner. Talk of how long it had been. 1975. That’s a loooong time. Being in the North End for most matches for the past 5 years made me feel small. When you’re looking down the barrel of 1975, when I was 2…yeah, go ahead and do the math if you must…5 years looks small. And you know, there hasn’t been a championship in the Rose City since those ’77 Blazers. Whoa. That’s a loooong time, too, rig…wait.

There’s a little red sign.

It’s actually not so little. Actually, it’s quite large. Must have been as big of a pain in the ass to hang as that nifty Timbers banner that was unveiled yesterday. Perhaps you’ve glanced up now and then to look at it while searching the for the signs of great retired Timbers players and, of course, of our beloved Timber Jim.

It says NWSL Champions…2013.

Huh. Maybe we should talk about this. There must have been a mistake somewhere, because the announcers said that there hasn’t been a championship in Portland since ’77. Caleb Porter himself, of the laser blue eyes and confident smirk, said that there hasn’t been a championship in Portland since the Blazers won in ’77. It’s almost like the Thorns accomplishment is…invisible.

I’m a reasonable person. I understand that sports have been a bastion of testosterone for…well…ever. This is one piece, though, that I’m willing to have a say about. The USWNT won the World Cup last summer. Let that sink in for a second. They won. The. World. Cup. They didn’t just win it, either…they DEMOLISHED Japan in the final. It was impressive. It was inspiring. It was…historic. We have, at this point, 4 USWNT players who will be on the pitch for the Thorns this season. We also have national team players from Canada, Denmark, England, and Iceland. I know, I know, “club over country.” Ok. Well, I don’t really have a stance on that, to be honest. But if you’re going to complain about it, then shut your mouth about Nagbe being called up to the USMNT, and we’ll call it good.

Back to that pesky little red sign, though.

It’s there. I checked. And every time it’s not acknowledged in our proud “Soccer City USA” heritage, it’s a silent permission slip to pay some of our best female players $6,000 a season…or bring in unpaid players to round out the roster during the Olympics or the World Cup…to not make kits that can be worn by men…to write angry emails about swearing and finger-flipping at Thorns matches when the same damn things are done each week from the main stage and capo nests for the Timbers. The more times we let it go by and say nothing, the more we are saying it’s quite alright that a derby match between Seattle and Portland be bumped for “Behind the Scenes at NASCAR.”

I will be the first to say that that first Thorns season was full of just plain weirdness. There were stories about CPC and her lack of plan or control, how the players had taken things into their own hands, Morgan’s attitude, Heath’s apathy, etc. Doesn’t matter. The little red sign persists. As a matter of fact, let’s relive a goal that pertains to that sign:

Yeah. Not so much with the apathy there.

I think that it’s time that Soccer City USA prove its mettle and make a goddamn ruckus when ANYone forgets that before the Timbers put a star on it after 40 years, the Thorns did it…in one.

The Pull of Portland

107ist Admin — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 23:17:21 GMT

I realized something last night, watching Mark Parsons talk about the Thorns and their fans. See, I’ve been trying to put my finger on it for a while now, why I like supporting the Thorns so much. There’s a lot there. First, I like soccer. All soccer. Any soccer. And the Thorns play some excellent soccer.

Then there’s an added benefit with the Thorns. With most sports, I can acknowledge to myself that I’m being sort of ridiculous – that in the grand scheme of things that matter in this world, whether or not my Red Sox win shouldn’t really rate on that list. Of course, it does. I have very clear memories of absolute heartbreak, and much foggier memories of raucous celebrations and the hangovers that follow. But I know very well I’m just watching grown men play a game. There’s no larger social movement behind it. Supporting women’s sports, on the other hand, is also about equality. Title IX did a lot of good. It increased female participation in sports by 990% in high school, and by 560% in college. But the job’s not done yet, and opportunities to play professionally are still lacking. Even today, even with our beloved Thorns, the minimum salary is less than $7,000. Last year, during the World Cup, there were women playing for professional soccer teams without any pay at all. There are still miles to go in the fight for gender equality, and supporting women’s sports is one way to aid in that battle.

But mostly, when you go to a Thorns game, you aren’t thinking about that. You’re just thinking about the soccer and the atmosphere and the fun. And that isn’t just down to the soccer being played. It’s also the fans. We have excellent fans. We have a supporters section that sings the entire time, not to mention tifo displays to rival men’s sides. We have – quite literally – the best fans in the world. That’s a point of pride for me, and I suspect for a lot of people. But it’s also useful. Thorns fans have more direct influence on their team than any group I’ve ever seen. It’s not just the immediate impact on a game that you might have (or hope to have) anytime you’re in the stands. Honestly, with the Thorns, I think sometimes that backfires. Players from other teams come in ready to play. They want to play in front of a serious, loud, knowledgeable fan base, even if they are, as Meghan Klingenberg described us, “hostile” (which I took as a ringing endorsement). I’ve heard players say that coming to Providence Park was the first time they felt like a professional athlete.

That’s what I realized last night, when Mark Parsons was talking about an as yet unnamed player they were hoping to sign. He said she was very excited about the idea of playing for the Thorns, that he didn’t think she would be coming here if it weren’t for us. He talked about this being a nice place to live, both Portland as a city and Oregon as a state. But mostly he talked about the fans.

When you follow sports, you see a lot of people go somewhere for the money or for the chance of winning a championship. Occasionally you see someone stay where they started out, and you applaud their loyalty. But coming to the NWSL from Europe means leaving home for less money. In Portland, it also means playing in front of the best fans in the world. It means those fans won’t just know the national team stars, but everyone, right down to the bench players. It means they take you seriously as a professional athlete, game in and game out. That’s one hell of a selling point. And that’s the impact that we, as fans, have on this team. How cool is that?

Limited-time offer: Donate to the Riveters Tifo Fund and receive a special gift!

107ist Admin — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 23:16:41 GMT

New season, new ambitious plans by our Art Department—so for a limited time, we’re offering special cloisonné pins as a thank-you gift to Riveters who donate at least $10 to our tifo fund!

We expect to be able to send them out or otherwise distribute them by month’s end. Some of the tifo folks will also have these available to hand out at events in exchange for in-person donations while this promotion lasts. Keep an eye on our newsletter, our Facebook page, and/or our Twitter account for details.

Donations are not tax-deductible.

Bring a Friend...It's a Big Tent

107ist Admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 23:15:56 GMT

It’s commonly said that Portland sets the standard for support; certainly, most soccer enthusiasts both in and outside of Portland would agree. Standards must evolve—and achieving and maintaining a pinnacle position means expanding ideas, broadening outreach, and otherwise growing. Those who’ve been to a volunteer recruitment get-together for the Riveters this year know there are already great plans created by those in leadership positions to facilitate growth, with diverse opportunities for involvement and contribution.

Ideally, there will be a strong turnout of skilled, creative, and/or otherwise talented and devoted hands this season.

Some folks will not have the ability or desire to contribute. Reasons will be far-ranging, just as they would be in any other other endeavor that relies on volunteers. Nevertheless, for those who can’t commit to volunteerism, there’s still a small way every individual can easily help to set that standard and continually raise the bar. It’s a challenge each one of us should accept for the upcoming season, and it begins simply with an invitation.

While there were indeed sellout matches in last year’s Thorns season, the average attendance was 15,639. Though that average puts the rest of the league to shame, it does show there still remains an opportunity to introduce the Thorns—and women’s soccer in general—to our friends, family, and business contacts.

For something so simple, there’s oftentimes reticence.

It isn’t uncommon to encounter folks who regularly attend Timbers matches, yet have never seen the Thorns play. Some expect the women’s game to somehow be less exciting, perhaps a less skilled performance, and therefore choose not to give the women’s game a chance. There was an uptick in popularity and interest after the U.S. Women’s Team became our beloved FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup Champions—an opportunity for a broader segment of the population to see that the women’s game is every bit as exciting as the men’s. But the off season is long, and a refresher may be needed. A modicum of gentle pressure can’t hurt, too.

Recalling Orwell’s words—”To see beyond the tip of one’s nose needs a constant struggle”—calls to mind the need to see beyond the exuberance, attendance, and enthusiasm in the North End, too. There’s a stadium to fill, and often pockets of seats are left unpopulated. This presents a great opportunity to bring in a group—whether officemates, friends, or helping facilitate the “best field trip ever”. Group tickets purchased from the Front Office are often comparable to, if not more affordable than, minor league baseball, Pac-12 (collegiate) basketball, and major junior ice hockey. The benefit of PTFC over any of those is experiencing not the up-and-coming, or maybe-someday stars, but women at the absolute pinnacle of their careers. Pro sports in every sense of the phrase.

Portland Thorns support is a big tent, as well. There’s room for every type of supporter and personality. Don’t know two-stick from chopstick? That’s fine. Thought tifo was an acronym? No big deal. Can’t breathe around goal smoke, or prefer to remain seated? There’s plenty of space outside the North End. Single? You get your pick of seats. Have a family in tow? Admission is cheap. But most importantly: there’s a place for everybody; all are welcome. (Or, to quote former goalkeeper and now goalkeeper-coach Nadine Angerer, “Except Nazis. I don’t like them”.)

With a dynamic new coach in Mark Parsons, and new recruits like Icelandic National Team/FSU standout Dagny Brynjarsdottir, USWNT veteran Meghan Klingenberg, and Paris Saint-Germain star Lindsey Horan coming on board as well, PTFC’s 2016 prospects look brighter than ever. Coupled with beloved returning stars like Tobin Heath, Christine Sinclair, and Allie Long, we stand at the precipice of what may very well be the Thorns’ most exciting season to date.

Growing the game is an effort we can all participate in—and it’s fun, too. Every single supporter/fan can and should commit to bring at least one first-timer to a Thorns match this year—whether they’re North End, South Deck, Value Terrace or “prawn sandwich” territory. It’s a great way to support the club, and one can be confident that their first match likely won’t be their last.

You’d better buy some extra scarves.

Blitz 99 Meet-up & Recruitment Event on 2/21

107ist Admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 23:15:00 GMT

On Sunday, February 21st, the Riveters will be hosting the second winter meet-up & volunteer recruitment event. This will be at Blitz 99 located at 10935 SW 68th Pkwy in Tigard from 11am – 1pm. We chose to do it early in the day, on a Sunday, to make it easier for folks who couldn’t get to the Thursday night meet-up earlier in the month. Also, the Timbers have a preseason match that evening, so hopefully there is limited conflict.

Come out to this meet-up if you want to connect with like minded fans and also if you’re interested in getting more involved in 2016. We are looking for a lot of new faces to join our efforts and will have committee members on hand to share info about what we do and answer any questions you may have.

If you cannot make it out to either of the meet-ups but still want to get involved, please add your information to one of the sign up forms below. You can sign up for as many committees as you would like. We will be in touch shortly after you sign up to let you know when the next meeting will be or ask about how you would like to get involved.

Riveters Design Team
Riveters Communications
Riveters Sales/Membership Team
Riveters Travel
Riveters Capos/Drums/Trumpets

Riveters Meetup and Volunteer Recruitment Event 2/11/16 at Bazi

107ist Admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 23:14:27 GMT

On Thursday, February 11, we’re holding the first of at least two preseason Rose City Riveters meetups and info sessions for prospective volunteers. This one will be at Bazi Bierbrasserie on SE 32nd and Hawthorne from 6:30-8:30pm. If you’re interested in chatting directly with subcommittee leads about the positions where we need help, come on down! In either case, come down to catch up with fellow supporters and meet new people.

We have signup forms online for open volunteer slots. Whether or not you can make it to one of the in-person events, we encourage you to fill out the online form for any position in which you’re interested:

Riveters Design Team
Riveters Communications
Riveters Sales/Membership Team
Riveters Travel
Riveters Capos/Drums/Trumpets

Hope to see you there!

Volunteer with the Riveters in 2016!

107ist Admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 23:13:31 GMT

Thanks to those of you who were able to attend today’s 107ist Annual General Meeting. To cut to the chase, though: we need you! Here are the Riveters volunteer signup forms for this year:

Riveters Design Team
Riveters Communications
Riveters Sales/Membership Team
Riveters Travel
Riveters Capos/Drums/Trumpets

As always, if you’re interested in painting tifo, the call will go out for help with individual displays when the time comes.

Feel free to email us with any questions you might have. Our committee leads expect to get back to all applicants within the coming weeks.

Restarting the engines...

107ist Admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 23:12:36 GMT

Greetings and welcome to an unprecedented Year 4 from your 2016 Communications Critter and 107ist Board Liaison!

Along with the ascension of MarPar to the throne, the team looks to have been gifted with a MASSIVE infusion of fresh talent and energy this off-season. We’ve got at least a preseason schedule now, and we can’t wait to be doing more than following along with the domestic and overseas adventures of our Girls in Red, wildly speculating over Twitter, and thinking up fun banner ideas as we sort paint out in the garage.

Watch this space, Facebook, and Twitter for updates in the very near future. In the meantime, a couple of things I’d love from you:

If you’re interested in receiving emails from us from time to time, sign up using the form on the right side of this page. We’ll send info on Riveters-centric events, volunteer opportunities, and other things you might want to know about as the year progresses.
Send me an email with feedback about what you’d like to do as a Riveter and what you’d like to see the Riveters do this year. What’s working for you? What’s missing? What are you interested in but not sure how to do? How can you help, and how can we? If it’s not in my wheelhouse (which at this point chiefly consists of our social media presence and the website), I’ll make sure your feedback/question/suggestion gets to the folks in charge of your area of interest: info@rosecityriveters.org

Let’s make this the best year yet!

-Lexi

A travel guide of sorts

107ist Admin — Sun, 13 Sep 2015 22:11:39 GMT

Consider this your formal invitation to come to Portland for the NWSL Championship final.

Portland is a pretty simple city for travelers. If you’re flying in just for a few days for the game, you don’t even need to rent a car. Providence Park (1844 SW Morrison) is conveniently located just a few blocks from the center of the city and is easily accessible by public transportation. Both the MAX light rail red and blue lines stop literally across the street and many bus lines have stops within a couple hundred yards of the gates. You can find a public transportation trip planner at Trimet.org. Trimet also offers a pretty handy app that lets you purchase your fare using a smart phone. A full day pass is $5 and will get you anywhere you need to go.

If you’re planning on driving to the stadium on game day, please note: there’s no parking lot. Parking is at a premium in the area with very few pay lots close by. Leave your car at the hotel/Air BnB or whatever and hop on a bus or train, or look for a Smart Park Garage in downtown. If you park after 5 p.m., it, too, is only $5 and several SP garages are close to the light rail lines.

There are lots of good hotels in the downtown core area, though they cater primarily to business travelers and aren’t cheap.

The Park Lane Suites and Hotel Deluxe are within lazy-people-walking-distance from ProPark, the big beige square on the left. This screen capture shows rates pulled from Google as of 9/13/15. They will likely change a dozen times over the next couple weeks. When searching for a hotel, you might also consider the Lloyd Center/Convention Center area. Most have on-site parking and are close to MAX light rail stops. Airport hotels may have lower rates as well, but be aware that rush hour traffic will be between you and the stadium on game day. Forgo the rental car and put that money into the higher-priced downtown hotel.

However, if you’re in town for the weekend, maybe pick up a car to get out of town and see some of the great Pacific Northwest. Mt. Hood and historic Timberline Lodge are roughly an hour’s drive to the east; Seaside, Canon Beach, and Astoria (where The Goonies was filmed*) are a bit more than an hour west.

Or, just stay in town. Portland is home to a significant food cart culture, dozens of breweries, tons of museums and galleries, and a bazillion things to do. Some things to check out:

Portland is home to what might be the only bar in the world dedicated to women’s soccer.

Take a tour of the downtown area and get to know the area with Portland Walking Tours.

We’ve got art!

You like werewolves? We’ve got those, too.

And, in case we hadn’t mentioned it before, we’re the City of Roses.

But you’re here for the soccer, aren’t you? Stick around and check out the University of Portland women’s team October 3 at Merlo Field. For many of us, women’s soccer begins with memories of the legendary Clive Charles. His legacy cannot be discounted.

Okay, so there’s your starting point for your NWSL Championship trip to Portland. We’ll update as we get closer and are looking forward to meeting all of you. Look for a Game Day Info post as we get closer to October 1st.

*When talking about travel to Oregon, it’s required that we mention where The Goonies was filmed.

Let's Dance.

107ist Admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 22:09:58 GMT

I’ve been watching from a safe distance for months as the tifo crew went through the planning and testing and adjusting process for the end-of-season display. They are an intrepid group, a group that works harder than most will ever know.

Any late interest in Plan F: Rent a big disco ball and have it light up the rafters?

Ideas were proposed, discussed, changed, scrapped, reborn. There was an elaborate contraption made of pvc and connectors, a weather balloon, strings of LED lights that went unused.

Learned an unhappy lesson this afternoon – trim your fingernails before inflating a weather balloon.

Trial and error, opportunities for learning and laughing and growing and groaning. Brilliant 2 a.m. ideas faded in the light of morning and were replaced by even more brilliant ideas. People floated in and out of the discussion and then, at long last, fabric was laid out and paint brushes taken up and a beautiful thing happened.

Simple and elegant, it said so many things. By the time it was raised, the Thorns were already outside of the playoff picture but, despite a disappointing season, we still saw them as the Belles of the Ball.

They are the reason we do what we do. They are why we show up en masse. They are the catalyst for the magic that happens in the sometimes indecipherable minds of the tifo crew.

Is helium actually a need?

I look at the work that’s created by this group of folks and I know just how lucky we are to have them. Working with materials that have been salvaged from previous displays and often donating materials they’ve gathered, they create short-lived works of art for the express purpose of delivering a message to the players on the field and, perhaps to a greater extent, the world.

We support you, our beloved Thorns. We know this season did not go according to plan, but we’re still here. Let’s dance.

A whole bunch of stuff you need to know

107ist Admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 22:08:50 GMT

Okay. This is it. Last home match of the season.

The season hasn’t gone the way we’d have planned it, but here we are anyway. We’ve got one more chance to show our Thorns that we support them regardless of the result.

It’s a big day. Be on time. Don’t traipse in five minutes to kick-off. Bring your A-game. Also, maybe bring some rain gear.

We’ve got two Thorns retiring at the end of this season: Rachel Van Hollebeke and Nadine Angerer. We know the team plans to honor both pre-match, but why not don a jaunty hat for Nadine and maybe some scrubs for Rachel, who’s off to medical school any minute now? They’ve both been stalwart for both the Thorns and for their national teams and they will be greatly missed in the soccering world.

BUY YOUR CAPO A PINT. Actually, don’t. But do kick in a few bucks (those few bucks you would have spent on that pint) to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls. We’ll be passing buckets around for cash donations, but you can also go here and donate online. Summer session tuition this year was $400 per camper. We’d love to be able to sponsor one camper for each of our capos and drum corps members next summer.

RIVETERS PLAYER OF THE YEAR. We’ve got the trophy and we’ll be presenting it to our winner at the close of the match. We know you guys stick around anyway, but encourage your neighbors to do the same. All our players deserve recognition, but the winner has gone above and beyond this year.

As always, we’ll be at Fanladen pre-match with t-shirts, scarves and assorted whatnot, as well as 107ist membership services and ticket exchange. If you’ve got a spare ticket you won’t be using, you can donate it to the tifo fund by transferring it to ticketdonation@rosecityriveters.org. We’ve got a pretty fantastic tifo crew and we want to make sure their efforts are well-funded as we look toward the planning of the 2016 season.

What to do about the Championship….

107ist Admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 22:07:05 GMT

HUGE DISCLAIMER: I posted a version of this last night on my personal blog. It’s my opinion, not the opinion of the Riveters as an organization (is there ever an opinion that covers all of us?).

The 2015 NWSL Championship will be held in our city, Soccer City, USA, and, in all likelihood, it will feature two teams not from Portland.

So, what happens here? I know there are some loyal Thorns fans who won’t be there if their team isn’t there to support. That’s fine. There are some who will be up on the Bluff, taking in the University of Portland match at Merlo. Nothing wrong with that, either.

I’ll be at Providence Park. I think it’s important to support a league still in its infancy, so I’ll buy a ticket and show up. I won’t be waving a flag and, unless someone comes up with something strikingly clever, I’ll probably stop singing after the anthem. I will cheer players who do well and I will congratulate the winning team.

People are discussing what role, if any, the Riveters should play. Should we take this as an opportunity to express our displeasure with the league, our coach, our underperforming players, with…what, exactly? Do we use it to elevate the other supporters groups in the league? Or maybe just those whose teams are still playing October 1st? There’s no true consensus.

A couple of us talked a day or two ago about taking up residence in section 223 for the Championship game. Visitors in our own home.

But meh. Let’s go to the South Deck. It’s nice to have a change of scenery once in a while.

It's that time again: BYCAP

107ist Admin — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:06:19 GMT

With just a week to go before our final regular season home match, we’re launching BYCAP.

What’s BYCAP?

At the end of the year, folks get this wild idea that, out of admiration and/or gratitude, they should buy the capos a pint. This is a really great idea but, honestly, there’s no way they can drink that much and still remain functional through the game.

Instead, they’d like to funnel the money that would be used to buy them pints back into the community through a donation to the Rock & Roll Camp for Girls. Summer camp tuition this year was $400 per student. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could cover tuition for at least one student for each of our capos and drummers?

We’ll be passing buckets pre-match on Sunday (not necessarily on Sunday the capo, though she’ll *have* a bucket you can drop cash into) or you can donate by clicking here.

Riveters Player of the Year poll now open

107ist Admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 22:03:58 GMT

Hey, all. It’s that time again. As we approach our final regular season home match of the year, we’re thinking back over the contributions made by each of our players. The Riveters Player of the Year will be honored August 30 at Providence Park.

The survey is set to only accept one response from each computer so please discuss with family/roommates/opinionated pets before you make your choice. The poll will close Sunday, August 23rd at 6 p.m. (assuming I clicked all the right buttons and checked all the right boxes).

seattle Away Updates

107ist Admin — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 22:03:08 GMT

HEY. READ THIS.

We’re roughly 26 hours from bus departure from the Moda Center. The bus will leave at 10:45 a.m.. This does not mean you should arrive at Moda at 10:45 a.m.. This means you should arrive there with enough time to gather your stuff, collect your ticket, share your donuts with friends and be safely tucked in ON THE BUS by 10:45 a.m..

Your bus captain will brief you on the dos and don’ts of Seattle Away, but here are just a couple things to remember before getting on the bus:

You may bring your own food and beverages, but NO GLASS OF ANY KIND, please.

You can leave your belongings on the bus during the match. Buses will be secured or the driver will stay on board.

The toilets get full pretty quickly so pace yourselves. And no #2s.

Bring a few dollars to tip your bus driver. They deserve it.

Please drink responsibly and make sure the others on your bus do, as well. When you travel on the road with us, you represent Portland, Portland Thorns FC, Rose City Riveters, and 107ist. If you are deemed too drunk to enter the stadium, you could find yourself staying on the bus and missing the match.

If you’re meeting us in Seattle, the time and meeting place have changed. Please meet the group at 2 p.m. at the Harrison St. entrance. This is especially important if you have flags or banners. You may enter the stadium separately from the group, but you cannot bring in flags/banners separately and entering as a group is really the only way we can ensure we’ll be able to sit together.

Any fan deemed to be conducting him/herself inappropriately may be subject to ejection from the match. Stadium staff reserve the right to escort any fan from the stadium should their conduct be deemed inappropriate and/or unsafe.

Have fun, have a safe trip, don’t be *that guy*. See you at Memorial.

seattle Away

107ist Admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 22:01:37 GMT

Reign, Reign, go away! On July 26, we invade Memorial Stadium to cheer our Thorns on to victory against Seattle Reign FC. Let’s do this.

Bus from Portland + Match Ticket

Your hard-working Riveters volunteers have reserved two buses for the trip. We’ll leave from the Rose Quarter, 200 N Winning Way (near the Moda Center) at 10:45AM. This is easily accessible by public transportation. We will return to the same location. There is street parking in the area but be aware that much of it is metered in the immediate vicinity. There are also pay lots available in the area. http://findit.oregoncc.org/Parking%20Maps/Area%20Parking%20Map/AreaParking.pdf

Please enter your name and email and bring your Paypal receipt as your ticket to get on the bus.

NOTE: You will be given your match ticket as you board the bus. Keep it safe.

Your bus captain will brief you on the dos and don’ts of Seattle Away, but here are just a couple things to remember before getting on the bus:

You may bring your own food and beverages, but NO GLASS OF ANY KIND, please.

You can leave your belongings on the bus during the match. Buses will be secured or the driver will stay on board.

The toilets get full pretty quickly so pace yourselves. And no #2s.

Bring a few dollars to tip your bus driver. They deserve it.

AS ALWAYS, TICKETS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE

The policies for Seattle Away ticketing are as follows:

According to the laws of the land, anyone under 21 is not allowed to consume alcohol, and it’s no different on this trip.

You will be asked to agree to the 107ist away travel code of conduct and a general release of liability. If you violate the terms of the fan code of conduct, 107ist leadership and bus captains reserve the right to remove you from the trip and have you banned from future organized away travel.

These requirements may change as we receive updated information from Seattle or Portland’s Front Office. While we will endeavor to give you as much notice as possible of any changes, it is sometimes out of our control.

Have fun and support the girls in red.

This year we’re also including the option of donating $10 to the Riveters tifo fund as you buy your ticket, because it turns out, awesome displays such as this require a LOT of support. And of course, the extra donation is entirely optional!

Match Ticket Only

If you live in Seattle, or plan to travel to the match on your own, please purchase your ticket directly from Seattle Reign FC by visiting Seattle’s Ticketing site. For seats in the Riveters section, you MUST select tickets in the Upper Grandstand.

You will need to arrive at the Memorial Stadium street entrance no later than 2:15PM, at which point stadium staff will conduct a bag search, and escort the group as a whole to our section. Anyone arriving after that time will need to enter through the main gates. Late arrivers will be welcome to sit with us, but they will not be permitted to bring flags, two-sticks, etc. through the main entrance.

Stadium policies on the following:

Flags: Yes, but must be taken in with the group, and will be checked by stadium staff. Individuals will not be able to bring them in separately.

Banners: Yes, but must be taken in with the group, and will be checked by stadium staff. Individuals will not be able to bring them in separately.

Drums: No

Smoke: No

Langauge: Family-friendly.

Where every game means the world

107ist Admin — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 22:00:25 GMT

Okay, so I’ll just get this out of the way: Allie Long made me cry.

It’s happened before. Vero made me cry more than once last year. Her passion for the game, her disappointment at losses, her love for the fans: her outward expression of these things brought tears from me regularly. Alex Morgan made me cry once when she herself was nearly in tears over the frustration she felt in herself over a less-than-stellar performance coming off an injury. There are pictures of Mana Shim in tears after a hard loss last year that invoke the No One Ever Cries Alone clause in my emotional contract with society at large.

But I didn’t expect it from Allie.

“I’ve said it a million times: my goal is to go to the World Cup or the Olympics so I’m just striving to keep improving and keep getting better,” she told the assembled media post-match.”The NWSL means everything. It’s all that I have to grow and get better each day, to achieve what I want for myself and the team.”

The NWSL means everything.

Listening to her answer questions about being one of the players expected to be in Portland for the full season rather than being called in to World Cup play, it was hard not to wonder how much that hurts. I think there’s still a part of her that believes there’s still a chance she’ll find herself in Canada this summer. And, in my humble and very biased opinion, I think she deserves to be there.

But the reality is this: it might take a lot of stars aligning to get her there.

And that, dear friends, was the point of the tifo.

I saw a fair few people post on Twitter and Facebook about how tonight’s tifo was a tribute to the players who will be playing in the World Cup this year. Well, sure, but it was more than that.

It was a tribute to those players who come from all over the world to play here, to play for us. It was a tribute to those players who pull on a Thorns shirt and play for the love of the club and have no aspiration to play for a national team. It was a tribute to those players who’ve had their shot at international play but won’t make the final roster heading into the World Cup.

Because here, in Portland, in Soccer City, USA, every match means the world.

There are dozens of little stories that could be told about the making of this tribute to our players: a last minute change of production venue when the first layers of paint weren’t yet dry that caused new swear words to be created; the hours and hours of work by dozens of volunteers who abandoned their families, their work, their friends and their normal lives; the absolute, collective refusal to let it be anything short of perfect. And those are the stories you’ll be a part of when you answer the next call for volunteers.

Game Day: Things You Need To Know, 4/11/15 Edition

107ist Admin — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 21:59:40 GMT

It’s here. It’s finally here. It’s game day.

As per the Thorns game alert email, gates tonight are at 6 p.m. with kick at 7:07. Fanladen (1633 SW Alder) will open at 4:30 p.m. for ticket exchange, merch sales, 107ist membership sign-ups and renewals, and general merriment.

If you have spare tickets you’re not using, you can donate them to the Riveters by transferring them to ticketdonation@rosecityriveters.org. If you’re looking for a ticket, we’ll sell you one of those donated ones at face value and that money will go toward tifo and community projects. Last year, some of the proceeds of ticket sales went to the Jefferson Field project.

We’ve got a new shirt going on sale today. It’s a super-limited run. I sincerely mean it when I say “super-limited.” If you want one, you’ll need to come to Fanladen and you’ll need to do it early.

In stadium, we’ll again try to concentrate on getting all our most vocal Thorns supporters into sections 106, 107, and 108. Concentrated effort = greater volume = greater impact on the atmosphere. Learn the chants. Sing the chants. Support our Thorns. And please, especially today, be ready to go before the anthem. We need you all there. The Thorns need you all there.

***

Other stuff:

April 18: Following the match, the Portland chapter of American Outlaws is hosting an event previewing the Womens World Cup and featuring Thorns Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, Rachel Van Holleke and Allie Long. Tickets are available through their Facebook page or at the AOPDX online store. You don’t need to be a member to purchase tickets and proceeds benefit FC West. Let’s send them to nationals!. Go, go, go!

April 30: The 107ist is hosting the US premiere of “Jack to a King” at Cinema 21 with proceeds going to the Cinema 21 refurbishment and to the Jefferson Field resurfacing project. Tickets are available here.

And don’t forget the Oregon Humane Society’s #BiscuitChallenge. We’ve already seen a few Riveters post their videos. Will you be next?

Almost there....

107ist Admin — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 22:00:00 GMT

With just weeks left before NWSL’s third season begins, players are arriving and plans are being set in motion. Today, we gather at Merlo Field to see our Thorns take on the University of Portland Pilots.

There’s history here. It was home to Portland’s patron saint of soccer, Clive Charles. It’s been the starting point for so many epic soccer careers. It was here that Tiffeny Milbrett scored her 100th international goal.

This field has played host to thousands of players from around the world and will host thousands more in years to come.

Those who know me know I’m a sappy, sentimental sort, but I’m going to say this anyway: if you’re on the fence about going today, get off the fence and go. And, when you get there, pause for a moment. Think about why you’re there. Is it purely for the sport? Is it for the fellowship of other soccer fans and supporters? Is it in support of the dreams of so many kids coming up through the system, that they may someday play on this field, wear these badges, live their dreams? There’s no wrong answer.

***

If you go, go early. Take public transit if you can as parking is limited.

We posted yesterday on the FB and Twitter that we’d be in sections H and I. The Pilots student sections are traditionally J, K and L. But, because this all feels so last-minute, it’s likely that we’ll have folks all over the stadium. We don’t have capos and drums lined up for this one so if you want a chant to get going, you’re going to have to do it yourselves. This is preseason, after all, and we’re just getting our voices back after the long offseason.

See you all on the bluff in a few hours.

Preseason 2015: the wheels are starting to turn

107ist Admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 22:57:39 GMT

The long, dark offseason is nearly over. The schedule is out. Rumors of player departures and acquisitions are popping up in the strangest places. It’s time.

Let’s do this.

One more call for volunteers:

We’re looking for folks to join the travel, tifo, merch and membership committees. Grab an oar, folks, the boat is about to push back from the dock. Click here for links to the Google doc sign-up pages and more info about what it is we’re looking for. Don’t hesitate, the sign-up pages will close February 7. (But you can still email us at info@rosecityriveters.org if you want to volunteer later.)

And a preseason gathering:

Does it feel like forever since you’ve seen your fellow Thorns friends? Or, in social media cases, made or gained new followers and friends, but have never met them in person? It is time for our first Riveters meet-and-tweet. On February 21st, after you spend the morning planting trees, come out to Bazi from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.. We will be reminiscing about seasons past and watching the 2013 NWSL championship game, as well as discussing the upcoming season. There will be merch for sale, food and beer to consume, and new and old friends to hang out with.

(Heads up, a sing-along version of Purple Rain will follow our gathering, but is a separate event. If you want to stay for His Royal Purpleness, you’ll need to make a separate reservation through the Bazi website (bazipdx.com).)

(That was a lot of parentheses. Sorry.)

And some other stuff:

We’re working on info for away travel, not just for Seattle, but for each of the other eight NWSL cities. We’ll shout when that info is ready to release, so hold off on buying game tickets just now.

As far as Portland-based away day viewings, we’ll be looking for places you guys would like to gather to watch together. Bazi Bierbrasserie has been fantastic and will show most, if not all, away matches, but we’re looking to expand our reach. Do you know of a place in your neighborhood that might be willing to screen matches for us? Without knowing the television schedule, venues will need to be capable of streaming (ideally with sound), must be accessible and, ideally, should be all-ages. Extra points awarded for venues on MAX or bus lines for our mass-transity friends.

We’ll be doing some work on the website over the next few weeks to make it more functional. If you’ve got ideas or suggestions about what works and doesn’t work, please pass them along. Again, info@rosecityriveters.org.

I think that’s it for now. Go on about your business.

Ask not what the Riveters can do for you...

107ist Admin — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 22:56:49 GMT

As the new season dawns, we want YOU to help out. A small number of people made magic last year; we are hoping for a larger number of people to help make even more magic this year.

Here’s your chance to get your ideas heard and make a real difference.

We need help on the travel team.

We need help on the merch team.

We need help on the tifo team and flag crew.

We need help on the membership team. (Yes, the page says Timbers Army, but we need help from Riveters folks too.)

Step right up, don’t be shy! Let’s maintain our lead as the finest supporters in the league!

New year, new hat!

107ist Admin — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 22:56:04 GMT

The wheels are starting to turn for the 2015 NWSL season and we’re gearing up with new, well, gear.

It’s red! It’s black! It’s got Polka dots! AND IT’S REVERSIBLE! These festive beanies are up for presale (we expect them to be deliverable in late-January – just in time for Valentine’s Day!). Why not order now and avoid the rush?

As an added incentive, you can get free shipping for these babies (and on all orders over $30) by entering the code GIRLSINRED. Make sure you click the “shipping rate” button after entering the code to confirm the free shipping.

So, head on over to https://pdxrivetgear.com and order a bajillion of them. Preseason is always so cold.

The season is over, but we’re not done yet.

107ist Admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 21:54:45 GMT

A 2-0 loss to FC Kansas City today ended the Thorns season on the road.

This season was a wild ride with ups and downs and twists and turns and, at this point, there’s not much to do but be thankful we have a team that plays in a beautiful stadium, in a gorgeous city, and gives their all for the badge they wear.

Well, there is one more thing.

There’s a long tradition of welcoming home the winners, those who’ve bested their opponents and lifted a trophy. Sadly, the Thorns fell short in their game today. But, being who we are and supporting as we do, we want more than anything to lift them up once more as the season closes.

So, we’re going to the airport again. We don’t expect the response we had last year when quite literally hundreds of folks turned out to greet our championship team. We’re going anyway.

There are two flights coming in, the first at 9:25 a.m., the second at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. For those of you attending the Timbers Cascadia match at 2 p.m., that second flight might be cutting it close for a noon gate time.

If you can make it to greet either or both flights, come on out. I’ll be the one wearing the scarf and waving a cell phone around. I’ll post on the Twitter account (@pdxriveterssg) where to find me tomorrow when I get on site.

As was the case last year, please be aware that not everyone in the airport is there to see the Thorns and act accordingly. Some of these poor folks just want to get home and will be ill-prepared for the likes of us. Apologies in advance for barking at you to clear a path should that be necessary.

I’ll see you lot in the morning.

Art History 101

107ist Admin — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 21:52:36 GMT

Today’s display was a gallery of art for our players. The main banner image was Pablo Picasso’s bouquet of flowers with a quote which means “Everything you can imagine is real.”

The front banner was based on Piet Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie.

And then there were the two-sticks. Riveters painted a custom banner for each player, and we presented them to the players after the match.

Jackie Acevedo was based on Frida Kahlo’s “Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird”.

Nadine Angerer was based on posters from the Bauhaus school, particularly the work of Joost Schmidt.

Michelle Betos was based on Fernand Leger’s “Woman with a Book”.

Vero Boquete was based on a detail from “Las Meninas” by Diego Velázquez.

Amber Brooks was based on Robert Indiana’s“LOVE”.

Steph Catley was based on Aboriginal dot paintings.

Sinead Farrelly was based on “Portrait of Maggie Wilson” by Frank Duveneck.

Tobin Heath was based on the work of Bob Ross.

Sarah Huffman was based on Raymond Kaskey’s Portlandia statue.

Angie Kerr was based on the work of Patrick Nagel.

Allie Long was based on Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroes.

Nikki Marshall was based on M.C. Escher’s “Hand with Reflecting Sphere”.

Emily Menges was based on the work of Keith Haring.

Jessica McDonald was based on Laylah Ali’s Greenheads series.

Alex Morgan was based on Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring”.

Rebecca Moros was based on old Samurai woodblock prints.

Courtney Niemiec was based on the work of Roy Lichtenstein.

Mana Shim was based on Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”.

Christine Sinclair was based on Marcel Duchamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase”.

Kat Tarr was based on Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell.

Hanna Terry was based on “Woman with Braid” by Jacques Lipchitz.

And Rachel Van Hollebeke was based on Sandro Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus”.

We Louvre our Portland Thorns!

What the heck is "BYCAP"?

107ist Admin — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 21:51:12 GMT

The principles that constitute the annual donation drive known as By Your Capo A Pint aren’t exclusive to any one group like the Timbers Army, but they and the 107ist have championed this initiative for the past five seasons with aplomb. So it’s probably safe to presume that you’ve read about its origins involving Tim Burr, a Stuttgart jersey, capos, values, charities, kids, etc.

That also means that you can probably figure out what the Rose City Riveters plan to do in about two weeks’ time on August 17th, yes?

We: The 107ist, Rose City Riveters, Portland, Cascadia, humanity and so on, seek to create a realizable philosophy that actualizes our beliefs into actions.

We, as capos, help people to find their voice during match day.

Buy Your Capo A Pint is a chance for the people in our sections to say, “Thank you” to the conductors of the NWSL’s most insatiable supporters by requesting one more thing of you: Whatever you would consider to be the value of a complimentary beverage for a hard-working capo, instead of buying that beverage put that money into our pickle buckets and we will turn it into tuition for young girls to attend Portland’s own Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls.

The choice to benefit this magnificent group speaks volumes that are arguably equal to those that the RCR doles out on match days for the Thorns.

“Creative voices of girls and women need to be amplified to create social change. Girls need positive role models and support for their creative endeavors. We can build a community where girls support each other rather than tear each other down. We can empower girls to recognize, understand and respond to discrimination. ‘Girls Rock’ is more than just a slogan.”

http://www.girlsrockcamp.org/

August 17th is the last match of the regular season for the Thorns.

August 17th we host our rivals from the north before the post-season begins.

August 17th will require your heart, you extra vocal chords, your passion and your rhythm.

August 17th presents to you the opportunity to help many young girls a chance to become confidant, empowered women who rock.

See you in the stands.

Hey! Ho! Go Thorns!

– The Rose City Riveters Capos, Drums and Trumpets

Congratulations to the 2014 Rose City Riveters Player of the Year

107ist Admin — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 21:50:15 GMT

The results are in and the people have spoken! With 59% of the vote out of almost 500 people voting, the undisputed winner this year is Vero Boquete. ¡¡Felicidades Vero!! We’ll be honoring you at the match this weekend.

Honorable mention goes to runners-up Jess McDonald, Nadine Angerer, and Christine Sinclair.

Keepin' it cool

107ist Admin — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 21:49:25 GMT

The game tomorrow (like the games for the rest of the season) has the potential to be a real scorcher. For the hardy souls who will be in the sun, we have two ideas:

1. Bring a spray bottle to mist yourself and the people around you. Bottles have to be empty when you come in, but can be filled in the bathrooms. Don’t forget to protect your phone from possible misting.

2. We will have buckets of ice water down by the main stage for dunking your scarf, hat, bandanna, etc. Please, no swimming, and don’t drink the water; it’s gonna be funky.

Wear a hat, bring sunscreen, drink water, and remember the players are in the same sun and running for 90 minutes on the scorching turf. The least we can do is bring the noise.

—

EDIT 7/14: Well, we didn’t end up needing it, but we will do this for future sunny hot daytime games. Stay cool.

Here we are again: Dodgy Keeper Edition

107ist Admin — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 21:45:17 GMT

As a few of you may know, we had a few complaints following the Seattle home match a while back. Folks didn’t like that people were swearing. Or booing a Seahawk. Or that they didn’t bow down in reverence of a USWNT player on the opposing team.

Whatever. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone supports in different ways. What matters deep down is that they’re supporting. Complaints are going to come, especially after a contentious match against our closest rival.

So, it came as a bit of a surprise to me to get a complaint email in the middle of yesterday’s match. I wasn’t in the North End yesterday, I was up in my perch in what Heidi calls my “lofty eyrie” that the rest of us call the press box. From up there, I can hear chants pretty clearly. Yesterday, I didn’t hear anything unusual.

But still, the complaint came.

Hello. I am a person who loves the Thorns, my whole family does. We have season tickets, however it is very troubling to us that the Riveter chants that used to be so supportive to our Thorns are now used for making our city look like a bunch of assholes. The game against Seattle fans had disgraceful behavior and today’s game too with chants of lousy keeper? Our team is a good one and we should instead continue to support them as best we can instead of wasting effort abusing the other team. It makes the Thorns, their supporters and the city of Portland look bad. I hope it gets resolved soon.

My immediate reaction to this was, very simply, snotty dismissiveness. I read it on my phone on the elevator down to the post-match presser, and again before the coach and players came in to answer questions, and once more when we found out Karina LeBlanc, last year’s Riveters player of the year and current Chicago Red Stars keeper, would be in to give us a few quotes, too.

One only need be within thirty yards of me when the Timbers play the Galaxy to know of my *ahem* dislike of Robbie Keane. But I don’t think we were anywhere near that with Karina. Karina will always be one of us.

But Karina also gets it. She knows what being a player on an opposing team coming into Providence Park entails. Moreso, she knows what being an opposing keeper coming into Providence Park means.

It means you stand with your back to the loudest, most boisterous group of supporters anywhere in women’s sports for at least 45 minutes. It means you are greeted with the “Dodgy Keeper” chant as all opposing keepers are, regardless of skill or how much we may love them as players or individuals. It’s just part of the game.

So, it should be no surprise that she was asked about it in the post-match presser. And her response should be no surprise, either.

Portland is just a city that I remember being here just playing for the people. They’re great, they’re energetic, they love the game. It was just so nice. I just embraced it and just said this is such a good opportunity to play in front of amazing fans. I didn’t take it as them cheering against me or anything…

They’re fans, they have to cheer for the home team. I didn’t take it personally. Again, when I walked out there, they were on their feet clapping for me. It’s a special feeling. Portland will always have a special feeling in my heart…

When the whistle blows, you just want to play the best soccer and give the best expression of yourself on the field. It’s always special playing here.

As previously stated, KK will always be one of us. She gets us. She played her heart out for us. She may play somewhere else, but she will always be loved in Portland.

And, until such time as she finds herself again wearing a Thorns badge, she will be greeted with “Dodgy Keeper.” And she will laugh and wave and take it as part of the game.

Things you need to know: Independence Day Edition

107ist Admin — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 23:36:13 GMT

It seems the world is colored red, white, and blue this week.

The USMNT made a valiant effort in the knock-out round of the World Cup and Independence Day happens to fall on the same day as our next Thorns home match. And for many of us, it’s a three day weekend. And Tobin Heath is finally here. And Paul Riley says Mana Shim is healthy and will be ready to play by Friday.

So, let’s celebrate ALL THE THINGS with streamers.

Get thee to the nearest Dollar Tree and buy all the red, white, and blue streamers they have. They usually run two rolls for a buck, but if you’re patient and have a little spare time (and/or an electric drill), you can re-roll those two rolls into bunches of mini-rolls to share with the people around you. If you don’t want to share your streamers, at least share this post so folks know to bring their own.

And here’s another thing: Friday, make sure you’re in the stadium early. The Thorns have been kind enough to allow us a few minutes pre-warmups for the promotion ceremony of one of our own. Jaimie Wyckoff is being promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. The tentative time for this is 10:10, just after gates open, so hurry in.

As per usual, we’ll have Fanladen (1633 SW Alder) open pre-match for any of your merch, 107ist membership services, or ticket exchange needs. If you’ve got a spare ticket you won’t be using, you can donate it by transferring it to info@rosecityriveters.org.

Reminders and magic

107ist Admin — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 23:34:42 GMT

Every once in a while, I get a reminder of why we do the things we do. I got another one today.

This has been an up and down season, difficult to navigate, difficult to understand, difficult to stay up for games when the results have been so inconsistent.

For those that don’t know, I’m the one behind the Twitter account. I do my best to answer questions there and give out a bit of info here or there on where away day viewings will be or when we’ll have Fanladen open or when we need help with tifo or whatnot.

I also get to see the other side of it that a lot of you might not see. I see when people click that favorite button.

And I see when players follow the account and when they click favorite on its tweets. And sometimes it makes me cry.

One of the other things I do is write a bit about the Thorns for a soccer website. I’m not very good at it, but I keep doing it anyway in the hope that maybe someday I’ll get better at it. It allows me a little extra access on game days. I get the good stat sheets from the team and I go to the post-match presser and listen to Paul Riley and try to figure out what he’s thinking.

And when I leave the presser, because I’m lazy, I take the elevator up to the concourse to head home. Tonight, one of the Thorns, an injured player who did not play, rode up with a bunch of us.

There was a visiting journalist who’d been asking me about the game and if I enjoyed it.

“Well,” I said. “I enjoy all games in varying degrees.”

“What do you mean?” he asked as we all piled into the elevator.

“I like wins better.” The words were already out before I realized the player was there with us. I felt like an idiot. She doesn’t know me, she doesn’t know the small role I play in the Riveters.

But she smiled and said emphatically.”I do, too!”

I got off the elevator and thought about it all the way home. What a dumb thing for me to say and what a remarkable reaction she had.

For some odd reason, she follows my personal account on Twitter and I sent her a message when I got home to apologize for being snide and to reiterate that we’re not in it just for the wins, but to support the team when they most need us.

She replied almost immediately. “I do know that. Rain or shine, win or lose.”

Those words touched me. Rain or shine, win or lose. That’s the epitome of what it means to be supporters.

And, when I posted those words on the Riveters Twitter account, three of our Thorns hit favorite and I was again reminded that they play for us. All heart, all emotion, they want to win for us but they know that we will be there for them even if they don’t.

There’s some magic in that.

2014: #SpaceNeedleAway

107ist Admin — Mon, 12 May 2014 23:31:44 GMT

Join the Riveters in Seattle on July 27th when the Thorns take on the Reign. In their house.

The Riveters have 2 buses going to the Seattle Center to help the Thorns bring 3 points back to the Rose City. We have 100 tickets to the match, and want to get even more! We won’t do that unless there is demand, though, so please buy your tickets on our bus and in the Riveters section early, so we can plan for the right amount of supporters.

The timeline:

10:30am – Buses will be loaded and we will depart from the north side of the Convention Center (on NE Holladay Street). Please arrive a few minutes early, as we want to leave as soon as everyone is on their bus! ** There will be 1 stop on the way at a rest stop.
2pm – Arrive at the Seattle Center and enter Memorial Stadium.
4pm – Kickoff
6:30pm – Depart for the Rose City. **There will be 1 stop on the way at a rest stop.
11pm – Arrive back at the Convention Center

We have 3 different options for joining the Riveters at the match. Please know that all sales are final.

Bus ticket/match ticket combo – You will be given your ticket as you board the bus at the Convention Center
Match ticket only – Please meet up with the Riveters at Memorial Stadium at 2pm to get your ticket.
Bus ticket only – You may have beat us to the punch and already purchased your ticket. We have a seat on the bus with your name on it.

And, finally, a few notes/rules about Riveters Away Travel:

NO GLASS ALLOWED ON THE BUS. While we are allowed to bring food and drink (adult beverages are way okay), you are not allowed to have glass containers. Please plan accordingly.
NO #2 ON THE BUS!! The bathroom on the bus has a very small storage tank!! We will be stopping at a rest stop about 1/2 way through the drive. Or, about 90 minutes in.
There are no age restrictions in the Riveters or on our buses. If you’re a party of 1, coming with friends, or want to make it a trip for the whole family, please join us!!
Memorial Stadium allows flags, banners and 2-sticks. Please leave all noise makers at home, though. Those will not be allowed into Memorial Stadium.
Bring food and drink. Keep glass at home. Clean up after yourself. Keep an eye on each other. We all want to have fun.

Questions? Ask in a comment! Feedback? Provide it in a comment!

We have 10 weeks until we see them again. Let’s get ready.

#BAONPDX

For the Thorns held fast together.

107ist Admin — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 23:30:16 GMT

The Thorns inaugural season was something of a fairy tale come true: a new team in a new league spurred on by a level of support never before seen in women’s soccer.

The style of play was not great, but our Thorns pulled themselves together and, when push came to shove, won a championship and raised a trophy.

This is the dream of every young athlete, male or female.

For female athletes, it often means working part-time jobs and playing team sports as a hobby as professional opportunities in sport tend to be not in team sports, but as individuals. Golf and tennis are prime examples.

Women’s soccer has struggled. The teams play in less-than-stellar facilities to sparse (and often silent) crowds. With the exception of a few, they’re paid a pittance and many hold down second jobs when they’re not training and traveling with their teams. It isn’t easy, it isn’t pretty, but they play for the love of the game.

They found it impossible, for the Thorns held fast together.

This is where the fairy tale ending happens. This is where women’s soccer is elevated to the point where it sees support as strong as support for men’s soccer.

Last night’s tifo, a story book opening across sections of the Thorns most raucous supporters, came from the story of Little Briar-Rose.

She was her parents’ pride and joy and they invited Wise Women from throughout the kingdom to attend her birthday. Each conveyed on her magical gifts to enrich her life, save one:

When eleven of them had made their promises, suddenly the thirteenth came in. She wished to avenge herself for not having been invited, and without greeting, or even looking at anyone, she cried with a loud voice, “The King’s daughter shall in her fifteenth year prick herself with a spindle, and fall down dead.” And, without saying a word more, she turned round and left the room.

They were all shocked, but the twelfth, whose good wish still remained unspoken, came forward, and as she could not undo the evil sentence, but only soften it, she said, “It shall not be death, but a deep sleep of a hundred years, into which the princess shall fall.”

Eleven Wise Women. And the twelfth stepped forward to save her. I could write a treatise about how supporters (I hate to make a Twelfth Man reference here, but there you go) will be the ones who will save women’s soccer, but it’s been pretty well covered over the last couple weeks.

When Briar-Rose falls into her deep sleep, her entire kingdom does as well and around her castle grows an enormous hedge of thorns to protect her as she sleeps.

In the tifo, the thorns were shown wrapped around the NWSL Championship trophy, protecting it from those who would wish to take it from us.

The league will be more difficult this year. New players, an expansion team, new coaches for a couple teams. The play will be better, the competition stronger. Holding onto that trophy for a second year will be a challenge.

But the Thorns will hold fast together.

Happy New Year! (All the stuff you need to know.)

107ist Admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 23:29:23 GMT

Our fancy new German Ballon d’Or winning keeper Nadine Angerer just finished a Twitter Q&A by asking who would be there Saturday for the Thorns home opener.

Simple answer: we will be.

There’s been a lot of discussion over the last week about support of women’s soccer and what it should look like and whether the league’s marketing efforts are well-placed. Every one of us has an opinion. None of that matters when Saturday dawns.

We stand. We sing. We support. We raise flags and do whatever is within our power to spur our team toward victory. We are at the stadium long before the gates open and we linger after the match until security asks us to leave. We are all ages, all races, all creeds, aligned perfectly for a few hours each week when our team takes the field. This is what support looks like in Portland.

Do you want to be a part of it? As we did last season, the Riveters will be focusing on concentrating support in sections 106-108 of the North End at Providence Park. While the entirety of general admission is set up as standing-singing sections, this is where the loudest of us will be. If you want to sit and watch, you are welcome to do so from elsewhere in the stadium. Flags and banners are welcome here, though if your banner is super huge, you should probably consider hanging it from the front of one of the North End sections. Zip-ties are your friends.

If you’re still looking for a ticket to the match Saturday, please check the Timbers Ticket Exchange page on Facebook. Our friends there have set up event pages for each Thorns match and monitor the page to make sure folks are playing by the rules: face value only. No scalpers.

If you’ve got an extra ticket you can’t use and would like to donate it to the Riveters tifo fund, please email it in pdf form to info@rosecityriveters.org. We will sell these (again: face value) at Fanladen before the match. Fanladen is the home of the 107ist located at 1633 SW Alder, just a few blocks from the stadium.

This year, Fanladen will also be our base for merch sales. If you need a scarf, a patch, a t-shirt or a bandana, you’ll find them here until about 45 minutes before game time and then for a VERY BRIEF time post-match. We’ll open the doors at about 4 p.m. for merch, ticket exchange, and 107ist sign-ups and member services.

Above all else, have fun. Portland is home to a league champion team. We’ve earned this. Let’s enjoy it.

SPEAKING OF CHAMPIONS:

The Riveters will be hosting a photo-opp with the championship trophy and Thorns midfielder Allie Long on Tuesday, April 29. We’ll be set up at Fanladen, and you will need to register in advance. This isn’t a meet-and-greet. There will be limited time to get people through the line for photos so please register ahead of time and be a few minutes early for your time. You can register here.

Scarves up, everyone. It’s time.

Culture Report: Thorns at Sky Blue 4/19/14 (Can You Hear Portland Sing? Noooo, Noooo…)

107ist Admin — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 23:22:57 GMT

So this past week we’ve all been discussing this piece from Juliet Macur in the New York Times and ranting about how badly the author missed the mark. Our type of supporters had been ignored, deemed irrelevant, as if nothing we’d done since the league started to promote our passionate supporter culture had made any impression. Shortly after the NYT piece came out, Texas supporter Dana Crane posted an op-ed piece on The Soccer Desk site, and we nodded our heads furiously, seeing her take on Macur’s assertions one by one and dismantle them with real-life positive counterexamples. Among those examples were us, the Rose City Riveters.

The same Riveters who, in my opinion, just failed to bring it in New Jersey against Sky Blue, despite overwhelming numbers in the stands supporting Portland Thorns FC and not the home team.

So what the hell happened there and what can we learn from it?

This was the local hype leading up to our trip to support the Thorns against Sky Blue in New Jersey. H and I traveled from Portland and brought a couple of local fans in with us. A boatload of other Thorns supporters— some players’ friends and families, but also Paul Riley’s youth soccer club from Long Island—promised “the potential for a loud away crowd.” Families of Thorns players from around the area tailgated in the parking lot and invited us over for food and drinks. Allie Long’s boyfriend grilled burgers. Amber Brooks’s awesome mom fed us sandwiches and beers and cookies and fruit salad. Courtney Niemiec’s people gathered around another vehicle with their own coolers. There weren’t very many Sky Blue fans around. It seemed like maybe we were collectively going to rock the place. Our house, in the middle of Jersey.

Inside, though, that illusion blew apart quickly. Inspirational girl pop played over the PA. The kids of the soccer club had been instructed by email to wear their own club’s jerseys, “does not matter what color or type”; though some of them were in tune enough with the Thorns to have chosen red and white, many hadn’t bothered. Alongside the club kids, the stands were packed from end to end with other young girls and their mostly uninterested parents. At one point before the match, Alex Morgan toured the pitch smiling and waving like a pageant winner. The trio of preteens in the bleachers above ours gushed and fawned when she went by, and I commented how funny it was that they’d brought her here to just walk around even though she won’t be playing probably for months. They looked at me like I had three heads.

Since we weren’t allowed to have poles in the venue, we hung our flags up front. We had a Riveters crest travel banner, Portland city flags, a rainbow Cascadia. Nobody stopped us, but security did come over and make us re-hang them lower on the rails so kids could see over them at autograph time. Nobody asked us what any of it signified. Apart from some of the players, I’m pretty sure no one knew.

We had a travel drum, a cowbell, some claves. Our section and the adjacent one were both full of away fans, so we stood toward the front where we could lead chants and have both the team and people in the bleachers hear us. Bleacher seats were technically assigned, and a whiny mother complained until we moved and made way for her and her kids. Everyone around us sat. The announcer advertised the local Olive Garden.

We sang and raised our scarves during the anthem. People looked at us. We drummed and chanted. People moved away. We looked up pleadingly at our two locals, one of them an old-school Timbers fan, and begged them to make noise and sing with us. They gave us a pained, helpless look and put the claves back in the drum bag. We decided to try just singing without the drum. We sang Onward. No one joined in. Our locals moved into the next section and sat where they could see the game better. We stopped playing and singing and started agonizing about how we were letting the team down, how terribly we were failing the rest of our group watching the live stream. I started live-tweeting miserably. It all seemed wrong. This was *our* crowd. Except it wasn’t.

Rampone scored for Sky Blue. We held our scarves up and sang Rose City Til I Die. A celebratory siren recording played over the PA.

When Long was near us, we sang to her:

Allie Long, I know this game is killing you Oh, Allie Long, your aim is true

Some guy down below us said, “You haven’t used that drum very much.” Yeah, dude, why, you want to chant? “Oh, no, I only know UVA songs.” OK, you teach us yours and we’ll teach you ours. No? Okay, then. So we sang:

We schlepped this drum 3000 miles, we’ll schlep this drum 3000 more Just to be the ones who schlepped this drum 3000 miles and hope they score

At the half I wandered over to Section 9 to find someone to chat with in Cloud9, Sky Blue’s new supporters group. Not many were there and the contact we’d been chatting with online was out of town, but a thirties-ish guy in a Red Bulls jersey recognized the Riveters scarf and shook my hand. We hadn’t heard any drums or singing way over on our end, but John was in fact their drummer, and he’d come over from the Empire Supporters Club to help the new SG. This match, Sky Blue’s home opener, was Cloud9’s first as an official entity. He said what Cloud9 is really hoping for is a double-header in Harrison. Yurcak Field is too far out of the way, too hard to get to by transit, plus ESC has the history and experience supporting a team for the full 90, and C9 could use some of that.

Long converted a PK in the 75th to equalize. She’s been a beast so far this season. We drummed and sang We Root for the Thorns. Others around us barely seemed to have registered that the team scored a goal.

A boy, maybe 10 or 11 years old, came up to us. “Hey, I’ve got one. I Believe!”

Nah, we told him, that’s for the national team. He shrugged and walked away. We wondered whether maybe we should have humored him and just done it. When in Rome and all that. It’d have at least been something.

A group of little girls up above us started doing “Let’s Go Portland, Let’s Go”. Then “De-fense! De-fense!” The announcer called out the winner of some prize, an autographed boot or something like that. A six-year-old girl. The announcer was sure she was very happy.

At 80’ we sang Keep On Lovin’ You. Around 85’, people in our own sections started leaving.

We can see you, we can see you, we can see you sneaking out!

The match ended 1-1. Girls rushed the rails for autographs. Some miniature Fran Drescher sound-alike near us whined for Alex Maaaw-gan. The team came over for a very short time to sign items. H scarfed our fancy new keeper, who didn’t understand at first that the scarf was a gift for her, so now Angerer has a BAON scarf signed by Angerer.

One-T is their assistant coach now. H scarfed him too. I went over afterward and assured him how much better it’s going to be next week. “We’ll take the point,” he said. No, I clarified, you guys were great; I mean *us*.

We cut down our banners and packed up our souvenir Rutgers football soda cup. A few more players walked by including Sinc. We waved and yelled after them: “Next week!” Sinc called back: “We can’t wait! Looking forward to the tifo! There’s tifo… right?”

A little later we were listening to the crowd on the RSL vs. Timbers match stream. Even with the classless YSA and Puto chants, I was jealous. So jealous, and not a little depressed.

Are we doing something that’s worth doing? I wondered. Within the context of this particular league, is this just stupid? Complete overkill?

I thought about moving that paragraph above about Sinc to here and just stopping. It would have been a way for me to conclude that no, it’s not stupid and no way in hell should we do that—we support the team and the team notices. But the larger situation is more nuanced than that. It’s easy for us to look at what we’ve accomplished in the past and say everyone should do it the way Portland does. By that I don’t mean necessarily the scale, but certainly the passion. If Portland has ten people at an away game, men’s or women’s, and they sing the whole time and they’ve painted a banner and they know the players’ names and who on the opposing team to heckle by name, that all very much counts. The Riveters have brought it at other away games and we always do the job on our home ground. But as our whole experience this weekend made clear, hundreds or even thousands of warm bodies stuck in seats without any history, passion, or context just leads to massive total suck. That won’t inspire teams or keep anybody coming back. But I can’t imagine how hard it must be to turn things around if you’re a supporter in a home location where that’s your starting point.

So yeah, Cloud9 has their work cut out for them. The cross-pollination with ESC is likely a good thing, but they’re going to need not only local folks who can make it out to the venue, but WoSo-savvy charismatic leaders or at least self-starters and a bunch of very loud regulars who can get everyone used to having visible and vocal soccer supporters of all ages at these games. And those people need to relentlessly *be* vocal and visible, even if others around really don’t approve or care. There’s no other way to make their presence part of the team’s culture, encourage rival SGs to do better, and attract more supporters who want women’s soccer support to be more like that and are willing to do the hard work required.

In Portland we’re lucky to be building on an established tradition of fanatical and organized soccer support. if it were us in Cloud9’s shoes, surrounded by annoyed non-supporters and doing our thing in a venue that treated matches as children’s events week after week, I think I get now how draining it would be at times to keep doing it. The soul-suckingness of it got to us really hard, being abandoned like that even by our own team’s fans. Maybe they were led by the press to expect a spectacle, instead of understanding they would need to *be* that spectacle. More likely they just didn’t care, or even know it was an option to care.

So since then I’ve been rereading Crane and letting her words reassure me that we’re not completely alone and not completely crazy, and when we get home I’ll be able to summon the energy to help make our home opener something the players will remember for a long time. But I’m also rereading Macur, and I think I understand much better now why she came at it the way she did, although I’m not happy about it. Though I strongly disagree with her proposals for stabilizing the league, I think what she saw in Maryland was in some ways unfortunately spot on. The new coach and players considered this outing a success, but we know from our own experience what success can be like and this wasn’t in any way related. In Portland, the Thorns are a Portland team; we recognize them as professionals without hesitation and we are fiercely proud of them. Elsewhere, they are a women’s soccer team, with all the cultural baggage that carries. And it’s got me looking beyond our own city and wondering where WoSo supporters in this country collectively go from here, and how.

Info round up

107ist Admin — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 23:22:00 GMT

We’re only a few days away from the season opener in Houston. Safe travels to those heading to Texas. If you’re still making plans, be sure to check the forum for info on where folks are staying, when they’re traveling, how you can meet up, etc.

For those not planning to travel (and who are local to Portland), we will be hosting an away match viewing at Blitz 21 (305 NW 21st.) on Saturday. This is also a Timbers home match day, so parking will be at a premium. Take that into account if you plan on joining us. We’ll have merch available until at least the half (at which point some of us will need to scoot to make it to the Timbers Match – Soccer City, and all). If you’re a card-carrying 107ist, you’ll get a discount. If you’re not, you should seriously consider joining (info here).

This viewing will be 21 and over, but Bazi Bierbrasserie will also be screening the match and they welcome all ages. If you plan on going to Bazi, check their website for info on making a reservation in advance. Over the course of the season, we hope to host viewings across the city and plan on having at least a few of them at all-ages venues.

A little bit more about away travel: we’d love to have a presence at every match this year. If you plan on traveling, please let us know and if you’re a Riveter based in another NWSL city, give a shout. We’ve got a couple of banners we’d like to travel and we will happily send them to you to display at the matches. Check the forum for details.

We also have some non-soccer community stuff coming up. In May, we’ll be joining the Timbers Army in supporting the National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI). The combined TA/Riveters group has set a goal to fundraise $5,000 for the NAMI Walk here in Portland May 18. To join the team or to make a donation, you can go here.

And June 15, we’ll be joining the Timbers Army to march in the Portland Pride Parade. The parade starts at 11 a.m., a home Thorns match will follow at 2 p.m. We’ll have information on signing up to march sometime in the near future and will post here when we have it.

Riveters Tifo Fund Raffle: Win tix to Timbers v. Seattle + Thorns Home Opener!

107ist Admin — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 23:20:40 GMT

We’re raffling off match tickets to benefit the Rose City Riveters tifo fund! Drawing will be held Friday, April 4 at 12 noon.

First prize: 2 TA tickets to Timbers v. Seattle 4/5 12pm, plus 2 GA tickets to Thorns v. FCKC 4/26 7pm (home opener)

Second prize: 2 GA tickets to Thorns v. FCKC 4/26

Third prize: 1 GA ticket to Thorns v. FCKC 4/26

(Thorns tickets will be emailed to winners after 4/14 when they become available in our STH accounts.)

[Updated 4/4/14] Congrats to our winners!

First prize: Sam Haffey

Second prize: Dawn Bauman

Third prize: Jay Wuitschick

Thanks again to all who entered for contributing to the Rose City Riveters tifo fund!

Q&A with Paul Riley

107ist Admin — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 23:20:01 GMT

We’re looking forward to another fantastic season and what better way to kick it off than taking some time to get to know our new coach a bit better?

In conjunction with the Thorns front office, the Rose City Riveters are hosting a question and answer session with new head coach Paul Riley on Wednesday, April 2, at the Bitter End (1981 W. Burnside) beginning at 6 p.m.. Coach Riley will be available to answer questions for about an hour. This is an all-ages event.

A native of Liverpool, Coach Riley begain his coaching career in 1986 as an assistant at Long Island University men’s soccer team. Named head coach there in 1990, he amassed an 88-49-13 record over eight seasons and was named the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the year five times. He’s coached numerous clubs over the years and was named Coach of the Year of the Women’s Professional Soccer League for 2010 for his work with the Philadelphia Independence.

The Thorns have set up an event page here.

#BAONPDX

107ist Admin — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 23:18:40 GMT

We’ve been talking about it behind the scenes for a year. Do we? Don’t we? Should we?

We like #BAON. It means something to us. By Any Other Name is the narrative of the Riveters, a nod to the Rose City, and a pledge to the Thorns. Regardless of what we call ourselves, what the club calls itself, what the names of the women who wear our badge are, we will support with all we have.

But what it means to everyone else is bacon.

And the wide variety of lunch food in the Philippines.

And, more recently, Russian porn.

We just want it to be about the soccer. And the Thorns. And Portland.

A hashtag is a great and powerful thing, a thing that binds us, unites us, helps us to suss out information on a specific topic. Search it on Twitter and you can find like-minded people, information about the Thorns, events hosted by the Riveters. It simplifies things as it unites.

So, we’re changing. We’re taking the hashtag we’ve used for the last year and we’re adding to it. Simple enough: we go from #BAON to #BAONPDX.

There. Done.

Preseason Riveters Meet-Up!

107ist Admin — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 00:17:55 GMT

Does it feel like the 2013 Championship was only yesterday? Or perhaps you’re itching for the 2014 season to just get here. Either way, meet up with fellow Riveters on Saturday, February 22nd from 4-8pm!

We will be meeting up at Bazi Bierbrasserie, on SE 32nd just off of Hawthorne. They will have their Thorns-inspired beer “Every Rose has its Thorn” by Lompoc Brewing on tap for us to enjoy. There will also be Riveters merchandise for sale during the meet-up.

Bazi is also going to be the home to some special Thorns memorabilia from the 2013 Championship run. These items will be on display during the meet-up for everyone to enjoy.

Rose City Riveters Donate to FCCO

107ist Admin — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 00:17:05 GMT

Representatives from the Rose City Riveters dropped off a check for $1925.00 to represent the money raised from the sales of our Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon benefit scarf today. We met with FCCO’s Development Coordinator Devon Jahn and Executive Director Karen Kraus at the clinic, while veterinarians and volunteers vaccinated, spayed, and neutered dozens of feral cats. We got a tour of the facility and got to see first-hand the great work they do there. They fixed almost 7300 cats last year, and will do even more this year. That makes a huge difference in the feral cat population!

Although we sold almost all of the scarves before the holidays, we do have a few singles left. Members of the Riveters have generously fronted the donation money for them, so you can buy knowing the donation is included in the amount we gave today. You can get yours at pdxrivetgear.com for $20 shipped, or from us in person at events for $15. Right now we’re also running a combo special on the site that gets you either of our scarves along with an RCR PDX Queens of Cascadia unisex T-shirt for only $20 plus shipping.

The Riveters meet the Rollers

107ist Admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 00:16:19 GMT

Please join the Rose City Riveters at the opening match of the Rose City Rollers’ 2014 campaign Saturday, January 18.

We’ve been able to secure a block of tickets at the ridiculously low price of $7 for general admission. SEVEN DOLLARS.

Here’s the link to order tickets: http://www.rosequarter.com/events/detail/rose-city-rollers-1

When you get there, click PROMO on the right side of the page and enter the code word PANDORA.

You guys, SEVEN DOLLARS. This is INSANE.

Riveters: Vote in the 107ist Board Elections

107ist Admin — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 00:14:05 GMT

The 107ist is holding the annual elections over the next week. There is a candidate forum on Saturday, November 16th from 1-3pm at the Artists Repertory Theater (SW Morrison & 16th).

The Rose City Riveters is a new supporters group. We thought some members might be new to this process and wanted to stress the importance of the support of the 107ist, as well as why it is important to get involved with the decisions made in the organization. To help convey the importance of voting in the current election cycle if you are already a member and joining/renewing with 107ist in 2014, we’ve asked for feedback from three active Rose City Riveters. Their voices are below.

Luke Fritz:

I joined the effort that eventually became known as Rose City Riveters immediately upon Portland being announced as an NWSL team. My roots of support for women’s soccer are personal and local. My friend Ruth used to offer me her player’s allotment tickets for her University of Portland games. This allowed me to realize what outstanding role models and players the Pilots were – it was easy to connect to and cheer on my friend and her teammates.

When the Thorns were announced as a franchise, I also felt a special responsibility to support the team because of my work as a high school teacher. My students frequently tell me about participating in sports. In order for the girls I teach to have a professional soccer career in the US as a legitimate option, this league *must* be successful.

Having been an outsider of any formal soccer supporters groups in Portland until late last year, the experience of finding conduits for supporting the Thorns has been revealing. I learned there was a real groundswell of support for the team before a game had been played, a player announced, or even a name for the team. It took me a while to learn enough about what the 107ist does and how it operates before I committed to joining, but I am glad I did. The work the organization does, entirely on a volunteer basis, is outstanding. The access to ideas, energy, and funding for support is absolutely essential to what the Rose City Riveters aspire to do in supporting the Thorns, our town, and our community. As such, it is critically important that we elect 107ist board members who align with the stated mission to support soccer at all levels in Portland, especially in regards to this wonderful opportunity for growth.

Lexi Stern:

I’ve been volunteering on game day ops for the TA for a few years. This past year I’ve also gotten pretty heavily involved in helping to create the Rose City Riveters game day experience both at home and on the road, helping however I can with drums, chants, tifo, flags, whatever. I can tell you firsthand that virtually none of what we’ve accomplished could have come about without the support of the 107ist and their commitment to growing soccer in this city.

Having a Riveters liaison to the 107ist board gave us a voice: it let us work directly with both the Timbers Army and the Timbers/Thorns FO to take advantage of relationships and processes already in place, and it gave us access to funds to use on our way to becoming self-sustaining. That is how we got flags, drums, and smoke, and permission to store and use them in Jeld-Wen. That is how we got shared space, materials, and additional budget to create tifo for Thorns matches, including the largest tifo display on record for a women’s club team anywhere. That is how we were able to produce scarves, T-shirts, patches, and more. That is how we could afford to print chant and info sheets week after week to get new supporters involved on game day.

All of this is why it’s so important that you, as a Rose City Riveter, familiarize yourself with the current slate of candidates for the 107ist board and cast your vote thoughtfully. If you’re not a member this year, this is why you should join for 2014.

Gabby Rosas:

The Riveters did a great job this year, having only a few months to get organized, determine a game plan, then execute those ideas. But our women’s soccer supporters group had a head start on other groups in the NWSL – we had the 107ist supporting every effort we made. From the bus trips to Tukwila where the 107ist fronted the costs of the buses and tickets, to the Superhero tifo at the final where the 107ist paid for the materials and facility.

The Riveters have a great relationship with the Thorns Front Office because we are a part of the 107ist. When we wanted to present our Rose City Riveters Player of the Year with an award (a vase and base paid for by the 107ist), our relationship with the Front Office allowed us on the field after the match to give that award to Karina.

But I want to do more. We have dreams and goals. We want to grow. And we can grow with continued support.

If you’re a paid member of the 107ist, you’re already supporting the Rose City Riveters and the Thorns. We need your continued support. Make sure you get involved in the candidate forum on Saturday and please vote.

Please share your own reasons for supporting the 107ist in the comments. We want to make sure everyone understands the importance of getting involved.

Riveters Night at Pilots Women vs. Seattle Playoffs Match This Saturday

107ist Admin — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:12:56 GMT

Support the University of Portland Pilots women’s soccer team in their NCAA Playoff Run!

The Portland Pilots have had a wonderful 2013 season. They finished the regular season 16-2-1 and have been selected as a #3 seed in the NCAA College Cup Tournament. The Pilots’ first round kicks off this Saturday, November 16, against Seattle University at 7pm at the University of Portland.

Join the Rose City Riveters at Merlo Field on Saturday night and show your support for the Pilots from General Admission Section I, which is the bleacher section right next to the loud and proud Student Section.

Tickets are $10/GA, $5/children and will be available beginning Wednesday at 11am by visiting/calling the Pilots Box Office at 503-943-7525. Tickets will also be available via Ticketmaster, but the usual fees will apply to tickets not purchased directly from the Pilots Box Office.

The Rose City Riveters are committed to supporting soccer in our community. We all showed strong support for our Thorns this summer, and we want to extend our support to the Pilots as they fight their way through the tournament and get to know some of the next generation of budding stars.

Besides, beating Seattle never gets old!

Feral scarves are in!

107ist Admin — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 23:10:37 GMT

The next places to pick up prepaid sets of RCR/Feral scarves or to buy singles:

107ist candidate forum at Artists Rep Theater Saturday, November 16, 1-3

Prefunk at Twilight Room Saturday, November 16, 4-5ish

Portland Pilots game Saturday, November 16, evening

Match Recap: The End of the Season

107ist Admin — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 23:08:26 GMT

The story begins like so many others by taking a leap out of our comfort zone and initiating a conversation. First, it was a bus travelling on I-5 as the Timbers Army headed north to watch the green and gold take on Seattle. The WPS had fallen apart; and the NWSL was not yet in existence as I started a conversation with a red haired woman on my bus about support, ideals, the women’s game and the USWNT.

As with many things in life, this was something that happened partially by chance and partially by opportunity. With open seats on the bus, my general wandering and my friends reorganizing to speak with each other there was an empty seat behind her, and so we easily struck up a conversation.

She introduced herself as Gabby and we shared a small conversation about a topic on which she was clearly very passionate. We talked about your typical soccer fans, support and passion independent of gender lines. We spoke about flags, tifo, singing and passionate fervor for the women’s game. There was this general idea of creating a chaotic din that represents the city and team that you love. I may not remember the exact particulars of every word but I do remember the love and passion for the beautiful game that resided within my new acquaintance on this bus.

We eventually separated and after departing the bus, we headed our separate ways. This will tend to happen when you have several hundred fans, kegs of beer and weaving lines of fans heading into Century Link.

Over one year later…

A lanky woman in white stands over a ball on a field in Rochester, New York and takes a deep breath before striding up to the ball. She blasts the sphere over the assembled wall and into the back of the net with such force that it energetically rebounds out of the net as though it didn’t belong there. Exaltation, celebration and passionate release in the stands as the camera crew cuts over to the travelling away support for the Thorns. There, in the midst of the chaotic, yelling, screaming masses was Gabby, awash in the moment of watching her team take what seemed like an improbable lead away from home. See, the story isn’t always just about the players, but (as well) about how the players, team, play and results interact with the fans on a visceral and emotional level.

In the end, Gabby travelled over 3,000 miles and watched, celebrated and lived the first professional, major league championship from a Portland team since 1977.

What the Thorns had problem with, even just as recent as four games ago, seemingly vanished as they remained switched on and defensively alert even after going down to 10 women in the second half. Rachel Buehler and Kat Williamson were able to not only stop Abby Wambach but noticeably frustrated her by utilizing all the skills in the “Dark Arts of Football” manual. Certainly Williamson eventually took the hands on clutching and grabbing with Wambach a bit too far getting a second yellow after Wambach went down just outside the 18 yard box. However, by that point in the game Wambach became noticeably perturbed by the tough treatment as she flashed imaginary cards and barked at the referee for calls. When Tina Ellertson came into the game in the second half, after Williamson was sent off, the damage had already been performed on Wambach’s psyche. While Ellertson was still called upon for stops she can thank the tenacious play of Williamson and Buehler for setting the table for success in the second half.

This was a game that fulfilled the tedious saying of “balanced on a knife edge.” There was all to play for as both teams had gilt edged chances to take control of the game. Back and forth with great saves, hard tackles, and (at times) pulsating action the game was many times over what you wish would happen in a final.

With time counting down and the Thorns still hanging on to a one goal advantage, a combination between Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair resulted in the Thorns season being closed out by the Portland captain in style. Sinclair is a true connected Portland legend in every facet from her early viewing s of women’s games while sitting in the North End in 1999, to her records and play for the Portland Pilots to her relationship with the patron saint of Portland soccer, Clive Charles. If there was ever an appropriate way to end the season, this was the way to do it.

“I consider it home…It’s a city that I’ve absolutely fallen in love with.” – Christine Sinclair on Portland

And as the victorious women from the Thorns landed back in Portland International Airport, Sinclair humbly made her statement to the news cameras, soaked up the love, interacted with fans and left the chanting crowds behind… all the more enigmatic for her lack of the love of the spotlight.

Stories like this 2013 season so often end with a whimper rather than a bang. For the other seven teams in the NWSL this is true. Their season ended at the hand of a bad regular season, the Portland Thorns or Western New York Flash. At least 77 other women were unable to find the ultimate goal fulfilled and left the end of the season looking forward to new teams, a new season or perhaps recovering during the offseason. Regardless of the league or situation, a championship win is something that should never be overlooked. These are magical things that happen all too infrequently for most of us. Somewhere in the midst of Alex Morgan’s injury and the Thorns disappointing performances at the end of the year (many of which I ripped apart on the pages of this website) the team finally came together. They gathered a grit and tenacity that ended up coming to the forefront in the Kansas City semi-final that finally reinforced the idea that yes, this Thorns team could indeed go out and win the NWSL championship.

It wasn’t just the inclusion of Heath, the injury that forced Morgan out of the lineup, or the exploding play of Mana Shim in the midfield that may have changed the team. It was all those things and more perhaps including the fact that the Thorns lost the ability to host a playoff game at home. The team was forced out of their comfort zone and away from their bastion of support… and perhaps that was for the best. The fire was back, the focus was back, and the team responded.

Something that I will take from this 2013 season is the ability to not only watch the growth of the team but, as well, the growth of the fan base in Portland. I watched fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, wives, husbands, and every race, creed, and belief system gather together in Jeld-Wen Field. This was Portland at its best represented by the coming together of a city to celebrate, commiserate and react together in good times and bad. Regardless of team or sport, regardless of financial or socioeconomic status the city came together into a mass group of supporters for something real, something tangible and something both painful and beautiful depending on which game was happening.

The previous isn’t to minimize something important though and something I haven’t spoken too much about intentionally. That thing that I haven’t spoken about is the seemingly simple but very complex idea of identity and gender. On this last thought I don’t pretend to offer something profound, merely the description of something that I wasn’t even there to see in person. In the post championship haze of delight I happened on a simple picture of a young girl at the Bagdad showing of the Thorns game.

(For those of you unfamiliar with the setup or who do not know, the Thorns set up a public viewing at the Bagdad theater in Portland. The place was overrun with fans with management eventually posting a sign that indicated that there was standing room only as a mass of people descended on the pub/movie theater.)

This young girl sat on the steps of the main stage with her gaze fixated on the massive screen above. In that one simple framed shot you could see the past, present and possible future of all possibilities in the women’s game. With the flickering scenes of the NWSL championship in her eyes, one could only imagine what could really happen with her life. This little person could become another Sinclair, Morgan, Buehler, Leblanc or Foxhoven. Perhaps she becomes another Pia Sundhage, Brianna Scurry or Julie Foudy. Or perhaps she becomes a Holly Duthie, Kristen Gehrke, or Lexi Stern who were all instrumental in organizing, founding and enabling the Rose City Riveters. Perhaps she becomes a Sunday White, who gave her boundless energy to the crowd over and over again on the main capo stand while simultaneously discovering the ability to BE the person on the main capo stand.

Or perhaps she could be Gabby, with red hair and lungs full of songs, who waited a long time to have this club team to cheer for, and was able to be there the day a team made up of women representing Portland were the best women’s team in the nation.

Congratulations to the Portland Thorns, your 2013 NWSL Champions.

Onward Rose City

Heroes’ Welcome at PDX!

107ist Admin — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 23:07:00 GMT

Welcome your NWSL Champion Thorns back to the Rose City today! The FO says they will arrive at the Portland International Airport around 11:30AM near D-E concourse. Here are the details:

We are allowed to welcome the team—the 10-15 players who are coming back to PDX right away, anyhow—after they get out of the secured area (D/E gates side, which is to the right of the terminal building, on the departure level), but it is SUPER important that everyone fans out, almost like a gauntlet, so there isn’t a crush right at the end there. We’ve been told we can go all the way back to the Beaches store (which is on the corner, after the ticketing counters hallway) and into the hallway if need be.

The Port has also asked that we make sure not to block any entrances/access to stores, the security line, and the kids’ playground in that area. Essentially, they are a little worried about us hindering other passenger traffic, since it is such a busy day (being Labor Day weekend). Everyone at PDX is aware of the planned greet, and we might get some crowd control assistance from Port Police if it becomes an issue.

Hope to see you up there shortly!

Where can I watch the final?

107ist Admin — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 23:05:46 GMT

Okay, this info is spread out all over the internet, so I’m going to make an attempt to put it all in one place.

If you’re planning on watching at home, the match will be on Fox Sports 2. At the moment, this is a channel that’s only available on DirecTV, Dish TV, or on the FoxSoccer2Go site. If you have Comcast, you’ll need to start formulating a plan. (Oh, hai there. I’m told it is now also going to be on Fox Soccer so, Comcast fans, you’re in luck.)

We’ve got a fair number of people heading to Rochester, both from the Rose City and from across the country. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, through the Flash website, or by calling the Flash front office directly. You can call them at (585) 454-5425, ext. 0. We’re suggesting Riveters purchase general admission tickets (a whopping $10 if you make the phone call) so we can all stay together. We’re still working with our front office and theirs to secure a specific location in-stadium to cheer our Thorns to victory. If/when we get that set, we’ll post it on Twitter (@pdxriveterssg) and on the Facebook page. There is also a Facebook event page set up to help people coordinate. It can be found here.

If you’re in Portland, the Thorns FC official viewing party will be at The Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne). There’s seating there for 600, but we’d suggest you get there early. The game is at 5 p.m.. Please plan accordingly. All ages, food and beverages will be available, as will Riveters merch and, if I remember correctly, Thorns FC playoff shirts from the front office. RSVP here.

Other bars/restaurants in Portland that will be showing the match include (but are not limited to): Bazi Bierbrasserie, Beulahland, On Deck, Macadam’s, Paddy’s, The Mad Greek, The Cheerful Bullpen, Dublin Down, Kells, McGillacuddy’s, and The Station. If you have questions about menus, hours, or kid-friendliness, it might be best to call ahead. If there’s somewhere you’re thinking of going to watch that isn’t on this list, they will need to have FoxSports2 (which is only available on DirecTV) or Fox Soccer. Again: call ahead.

If you’re in the Seattle area, the Timbers Army Covert Ops group has put together a viewing at The Ballard Loft (5105 Ballard Ave. NW). RSVP here. Kid friendly, but limited space so be sure you let them know you’re coming so they can save you a place to sit. You can’t very well jump out of your chair when we win if you don’t have a chair to begin with.

If you’re in Eugene, the Timbers Army Echo Squadron is hosting a viewing party at Doc’s Pad (710 Willamette). RSVP here. All ages until 8 p.m. If enough people RSVP to this one, they’ll be able to get a separate room just for the match viewing.

If you’re in Cannon Beach, we’re told The Lumberyard Grill (264 3rd St.) gets FoxSports2, but the TVs are first-come, first-served. Be there early if you want to watch the match. Their menu offers a No Pity burger, so we know they’re soccer-friendly.

If you’re in Salem, we know The Ram (515 12th St.) has FoxSports2 but there is not an event set up for there. You might want to call ahead on this one if you’re planning on going.

I think that’s all for now. I’ll update as I hear more. Cheers!

Cat lovers! Cat haters! Thorns fans! It’s a Benefit Scarf!

107ist Admin — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 23:03:45 GMT

***UPDATE: Scarves are due to arrive in Portland on October 1! ***

The Rose City Riveters have teamed up with the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon and we’re selling a scarf to benefit them. Every cent of profit will go to FCCO.

FCCO is a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program for feral and stray cats living in Oregon. They have spayed/neutered and vaccinated over 62,000 feral cats, including the feral colony that lives in Jeld-Wen Field. They do all these things for low cost or free. Our donation will help FCCO keep our feral cat population healthy and their numbers under control.

We are taking preorders now, in sets of five for $75. Single scarves will be available for $15 each once the boxes of scarves arrive, if all the sets haven’t been sold already. There is an active scarf-trading Facebook group if you have extra scarves in your set and want to sell them or trade for other scarves. Or just get a group of friends together and go in on a set. We expect the scarves to come in by October, in plenty of time for your holiday gift-giving needs. We will have an event once they come in, and will make ourselves as available as possible until all the sets have gotten to their rightful owners.

To order a set, use PayPal to send $75.00 to holly@rosecityriveters.org using the “Transfer” option to send money to family or friends, not the “Buy” option. There are no fees that way. If you use the “pay for goods or services” option or pay with a credit card, you will need to send $77.54 to cover the fees.

I will update this post as sets are paid for and will answer any questions you may have.

On Location: Rochester Away

107ist Admin — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 22:59:39 GMT

This is the motto that provided the motivation for a friend and me to take a road trip from Toronto down to Rochester to watch Canadian soccer royalty as Christine Sinclair and Karina LeBlanc were bringing their Portland Thorns into Western New York to battle Abby Wambach’s Flash for second place and home field advantage in the semi’s!

The importance of this match couldn’t be understated at all! To have the honor of hosting a semi-final game in the inaugural NWSL season was something that both teams would battle hard for. I was convinced that Sahlen’s Stadium would be rocking with energy and excitement! Arriving an hour before the 7:35 pm EST kickoff, there was a line of cars waiting to park – a very good sign! I was also expecting to see a large contingent of Canadians because as I said, this was as close as Sinclair and LeBlanc would be to the Canadian border in the east. Sporting our Canadian gear and proudly wearing the flag, we entered the stadium and made our way around the venue to our seats.

The pre-game warm-ups are always a great indication of how the teams will perform and both teams looked focused and ready to go. As you can see, the sun was shining brightly as the Thorns warmed up, which would definitely be a factor in the first half for whichever team was facing it. My Canadian brethren did not disappoint either as there were many in the rows around me (I just wish they would have sported the red & white a little more prominently)! Also surprising to me was the fact that there were a LOT of Thorns fans who were there to specifically see Tobin Heath … almost everywhere I looked I saw Heath jerseys or signs!

Sinclair and Angie Kerr going back into the locker room to prepare for the game. This was Kerr’s first game since July, a tough test to come back into the midfield and having to face not just Wambach, but Carli Lloyd as well.

Both teams coming out for opening kickoff; to a polite round of applause from the Flash faithful – nowhere near the energy I was anticipating. Maybe watching Thorns games online (and hearing the sheer noise that goes along with being at JELD-WEN Field) has skewed my opinion, but for a game this important – everything just seemed too quiet!

The venue has a seating capacity of 13,768, but as you can see as the Thorns have lined up for kickoff, many empty seats! The Flash are a tremendous team and I was disappointed to see a turnout of 7, 606 (even though it the highest attendance for a game this season).

LeBlanc directing traffic after an unfortunate miscue between her and her defense – no harm came of it though – thank goodness!

Getting ready for the start of the second half and there was still no scoring! Thorns had only fired three shots at Franch during the first half – much more would be needed for a positive result.

It was an absolutely beautiful night for soccer. When all was said and done, both keepers kept clean sheets, and LeBlanc had her highest save total for any game this season. A 0-0 draw was the result as the Thorns are adjusting to life without Alex Morgan for now.

After the game, the announcer made it very clear that autographs were to be signed in “Autograph Alley.” About ten minutes before the final whistle, the barriers were already packed with youngsters waiting to get a glimpse of their heroes! Despite the fact that autographs were only to be had in the ‘Alley’ many of the Thorns players went over the sidelines to sign for people (very classy). In particular, Sinclair and LeBlanc went up into the crowd of Canadians who were behind the bench to sign paraphernalia. I was totally on the wrong side of the field so watched with envy (hence the blurry shot … but you can see Leblanc in yellow and Sinclair is on the field making her way up)!

All in all it was a fabulous experience and one that I will repeat again next year (that’s me in the red)!!! I have also added a trip to Portland, and JELD-WEN Field in particular, to my bucket list for next summer!!!

That's a wrap!

Match Recap: Portland Thorns v FC Kansas City

107ist Admin — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 23:59:37 GMT

So we know what we know, now. Alex Morgan is injured and potentially out til the playoffs. The Thorns managed to clinch a playoff spot despite another loss with the help of an abandoned game. We also know that the ability to have a playoff game at Jeld-Wen Field is looking a bit tenuous right now.

However.

Why are we here again? Why are the Thorns having problems? Well, prepare thyself. We go to the tape, err, freeze-framed shots.

Let me state something here first: DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. Now this defense can be an offense based defense in which the team keeps possession of the ball and prevents the other team from having scoring chances. It can be the strong play of center backs in tandem with their midfield. It can be an electric keeper and 10 people in the 18 yard box hoofing the ball out. However you split it, defense wins championships.

So why is the Thorns defense (and thus their playoff-hosting hope and win/loss record) struggling so badly? In essence, it is poor player marking, poor decisions, and poor tactics. Make no bones, these mistakes aren’t just the provenance of the Thorns. However, as we will see, Portland have become decidedly worse.

First, let’s take a look at something. How have the other teams caught up to the Thorns long ball tactics? Well, pretty easily.

Here we have a shot of Christine Sinclair after receiving a long ball from the back and having to settle and cut back the ball without taking it in stride.

As we can see, two FC Kansas City players have tracked back and her marker is goal side of the player. Because the long ball has left the Thorns supporting players in the dust, Sinclair has no option but to attempt to “go it on her own” so she faces her player and attempts to create.

At this point we can see that the defensive support for FCKC has collapsed back and it is two Thorns players (with Alex Morgan making a far post run) against four FCKC defenders. Kansas City has numbers and there is still no support for Sinclair. By the time she tries to fire in a pass/shot that is deflected…

There are six FCKC players defending and four Thorns players. This is, in essence, why the Thorns long ball tactics have started to fail as they depend on the absolutely perfect over the top ball to get the player running in stride at the goal and beating two or more defensive players while leaving the Thorns midfield attempting to follow up with the Thorns forwards either not having the time to wait for support or the inclination/instruction to do so.

Now we go to the first FCKC goal.

It starts out here in the center of the pitch with the Thorns retreating back, but in position with numbers. We have the back four players for the Thorns with Dougherty extremely narrow in the middle of the field marking the slashing FKCK player at the bottom/mid-left of the screen. All players are goal side while Williamson is dragging the line back with her positioning.

As the play progresses we see that Dougherty is still tracking in the bottom left, and there is an overlap happening on the right side of the field. This is the danger spot as Niki Marshall is pinched in and seemingly covering the FCKC runner with her back to the wide FCKC player.

We see in the next frame that the ball is now finally played out wide and Marshall realizes that the run is behind her. The two players for FCKC are being marked in the box by Williamson and Dougherty. Allie Long jogs into the frame in the lower center of the frame.

The ball is played in as Marshall does not/can not close out the service and is stranded in between the play. FCKC players are still marked but there is a huge avenue in the middle of the box in which to pass.

Inexplicably, Williamson leaves her marked player to stab at the pass as it is sent through the box. This player is now wide open as Williamson’s gamble fails and FKCK goes up 1-0

Note that, in the previous, Long is still coming back into the frame and a number of Thorns players are ball watching. Thorns player’s ball watching, playing narrow and caught out of position is something that happens repeatedly in this game.

Now this ball watching isn’t just reserved for the Thorns defense as we can see here that FCKC gets caught watching as the ball settles in the box for the pass (indicated by the arrow) that supplied the Thorns equalizer in the second half.

But of course a perfect example of the problem with organization and the Thorns is exemplified on the second goal. Here we see the start of the play as Dougherty has been beaten, Williamson steps out to confront the ball carrier with Buehler marking her player through the zone. We see here at the bottom of the screen how narrow Marshall is playing on the left. The Thorns still have containment as it is two against three with two players (Dougherty and Long) chasing back in support.

However, Williamson’s challenge fails as the ball slips through two Thorns defenders (Williamson and Dougherty) and FCKC retains possession. The next shot illustrates that despite this, the Thorns still have numbers as Portland still have 4 players against three attacking FC Kansas City players.

However a slick interplay and passing sequence and poor challenges again from the Thorns allow FC Kansas City to slip through the Thorns defensive position, allowing Lauren Holliday to get in on goal.

So the Thorns are caught up field with players chasing the play and Kansas City slots another shot home. This is the repeating message as poorly timed challenges, marking and collapsing defensive responsibility doom the Thorns.

Even on the third goal for FCKC we see that the Thorns players crowd the player WITH the ball leaving both runs outside and inside available as somehow Mewis for Kansas City manages to get a shot off with FOUR Thorns players around her, practically watching her tee up a shot.

Now granted that Karina Leblanc probably should have done better with this shot but the fact is that Leblanc had a back line/midfield combination that seemed to panic, play narrow, leave their marked players alone and ball watch letting her try to clean up the mess behind them.

This “Hodge-podge” thorns defense seems to happen at many different positions on the field as we can see a freeze frame of a FCKC attempted possession.

If the FCKC player was able to pass (indicated by the blue arrow) out of the position she was in to the KC player calling for the ball (indicated in the green circle) she would have the entirety of the field on that side to run with as there is no Thorns player ready to pressure the ball in that area of the field. Fortunately for Portland the Kansas City player doesn’t see how open that side of the field is and plays the ball back instead of out to the wing. With Foxhoven tucked way inside most of the game and Tobin Heath essentially playing as an alternative central attacking midfielder in the middle of the field with Mana Shim, the Thorns played so narrow as to afford Kansas City an enormous amount of room on the wings. There was (at times) zero defense on the right side of the field in front of Marion Dougherty. This really happened on both sides of the field but was extremely noticeable on the Thorns right.

It is no surprise then that two of the three goals for FC Kansas City originated from the right side of the Thorns defense.

It really comes back down positioning, marking players on the field appropriately, having a semblance of defensive responsibilities and playing as a team. These are all things that FC Kansas City were able to cobble together and things that the Thorns have been struggling with for some time.

Congratulations to the Portland Thorns for making it to the NWSL playoffs, but unless these defensive issues get fixed, they are going to have a very difficult time advancing.

Rose City Riveters Player of the Year: Karina LeBlanc

107ist Admin — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 23:58:21 GMT

By an overwhelming margin, the Rose City Riveters have chosen Thorns goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc as their Player of the Year.

With 70 saves over 1,620 minutes in goal, Karina leads the league as its winningest goalkeeper.

But it’s been more than just her skill and her stats that have endeared her to supporters in Portland. Her personality, her joie de vivre, has been infectious. When Karina smiles, we smile with her. When she dances, we dance with her. When she colors her hair Rose City Red, well, we do that, too.

So, with this, we thank you, Karina.
***

It should be noted that several Thorns made notable showings in the Player of the Year poll. Congrats to Meleana Shim, Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair, each of whom garnered a significant number of votes.

So where did that tifo come from?

107ist Admin — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 23:53:13 GMT

The 107ist provided the space, the cloth, the paint, and the rigging. It would have been rather more difficult to pull off without these things.

On the (wo)manpower side, Cory, Holly, and Lexi came up with the idea.
Cory designed it and drew all the players. Holly put the drawings into a computer and pushed the pixels around. Lexi and Mike got everything organized and arranged for the space and for people to help. (60.5 hours)

On July 22, Cory, Holly, Chrissie, Igor, and Michelle spent a night tracing the first half of the image onto cloth. Then, on July 25, Holly, Chrissie, Michelle, Rachel, and Nichol spent another night tracing the second half. (43.5 hours)

July 27 was the big day. Holly, Chrissie, Igor, Michelle, Rachel, Lexi, Richard, Patch, Kevin, Sara, Joshua, Chuckles, Sato, Miranda, Richard, Brittney, Justin, Jade, Luke, John, Marcello, Julie, Todd, Vanessa, Warren, Paul, Kristin, Mo, Kim, Marnie, Syd, Janet, Patrick, Megan, Thomas, Isabella, Teresa, Heather, and Gabby spent a beautiful afternoon indoors and painted the whole thing including the explosion two-sticks. Straight From New York donated a whole pile of delicious pizzas at the painting party. They are Thorns fans and we love them. (186.25 hours)

On July 30, Cory, Holly, Chrissie, and Rachel went back for another night to do touchups and repaint the green grass which had originally been painted an unfortunate wan shade of guacamole. (22 hours)

Then, on August 1, Cory, Holly, Chrissie, Michelle, Rachel, Lexi, Richard, Patch, Luke, Todd, Paul, Kristin, Kim, Marnie, Gabby, Nissa, and Kristen rolled streamers, taped instruction sheets to them, and did some last touchups on the paint and spent some time finalizing the Cindy Parlow Cone element. (42 hours)

Game day was August 4. Cory, Holly, Chrissie, Igor, Michelle, Lexi, Patch, Chuckles, Sato, Todd, Vanessa, Paul, Kristin, Kim, Marnie, Janet, Teresa, Gabby, Nick, Alex, Kris, Heidi, John, Lane, Jonanna, Todd, Mike, Ryan, Rhonda, Doug, Sara, Dennis, Sunday, Lora, and a ton of wonderful volunteers pulled ropes, lifted heavy things, distributed streamers and flags, and generally pitched in to make the whole thing happen on game day. (20.5+ hours)

So, 60+ people (374.75+ person-hours) and a staggering amount of donated material. That’s where it came from.

Please support the 107ist. We would absolutely not have been able to do any of this without them. This organization is a major part of what makes us the best supporters in the league. You can support by joining them or by buying Riveters or Timbers Army merchandise.

Thank you all so much for everything you did to make this happen. Here’s hoping we need another one for the playoffs. Stay tuned.

A PSA Re: a Beloved Player’s Nickname

107ist Admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 23:51:56 GMT

Christine Sinclair. There’s really no ambiguity about how to say that. That’s pretty clearly a hard /k/ sound in her last name.

Some people call her Sinc. Same consonant sound. No problem.

Now here’s where things get confusing, because there’s no good way to spell her other nickname. The way it usually appears in print preserves the spelling of her name, but violates the rules of English pronunciation. The alternative, using an actual k, looks stupid. Sinky?

But the thing is, that’s more like how you actually say “Sincy”. Not like this:

Course, people started saying it with the /s/ sound around here, and then other people heard that and started saying it too. I think we should stop and fix it.

It’s easy. Just remember, more like this:

And less like this:

Maybe we could even come up with another chant...

All the Things You Need to Know

107ist Admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 23:49:43 GMT

Well, probably not all the things. Just whichever ones I remember to write here.

Okay. Sunday is match day. This is the last guaranteed home match this season. As of right this second, the Thorns hold second place in the standings and, if that holds, they will host a semifinal playoff match. If they slip to third place, they’ll travel. We’ve officially entered ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN territory here.

The forecast for Sunday shows temperatures in the low 90s, but your Thorns need you to bring it. They need you loud and proud. They also need you to bring sunscreen and drink lots of water. Hydrate, people. Don’t let them down because you wilted. You know that brand new scarf you just got from the fine folks at the merch Rav4? Even 90 degrees isn’t too hot to wear it – just go soak it in water first. Trust me on this one.

So, let’s talk a little about location. Ideally, we want everyone on their feet in 106-108. Sing your hearts out, brothers and sisters. If you want to sit and spectate, please to be moving elsewhere. While all of the North End is considered standing/singing/etc., there are some perfectly lovely pockets of 109/110/204/205 that are less active and more appropriate for those who really enjoy the feel of a hard plastic chair or wooden bleacher on their behind.

As some of you may have heard, we had a little confusion over two-sticks last Sunday. All is well. Bring your two-sticks, but there are two things to remember about this. Please be respectful of those around you and don’t put your two-stick up during the run of play. Secondly, if your two-stick requires twenty-seven interlocking pieces of pvc and six bungee cords to hold it together, it’s best that you just build that particular (peculiar?) fort in your back yard and don’t bring it to JWF. Okay, I guess there’s a third thing: if your two-stick is big enough to drape an aircraft carrier, it might be best displayed hanging from the rail at the front of the 100s. Holly usually has some zip ties. (Someone please remind me to mention to her that I’ve now announced on the internet that she might have spare zip ties to share.)

Merch! The merch Rav4 will be in the Koi Fusion lot at 20th & Burnside pre- and post-match. It’ll be stocked with scarves, buttons and t-shirts, photos of which can be seen on Twitter (@pdxriveterssg) or on the Facebook page. Please to be buying all the things. Scarves are $15. Buttons are $1. T-shirts are assorted sizes, $15 each, $17 for extended sizes. We’re working toward an online purchase option, but we’re not quite there.

Tickets! If you’ve got extra when gameday rolls around, please consider dropping them off with the merch crew. They’ll get them into the hands of folks who need them and any donations will go to the 107ist. Oh, do you still need tickets? Go here: https://www.facebook.com/events/180844102067573/.

Freeway! So, because ODOT hates the east side of Portland, they’ve chosen to close I-84 westbound from 11 p.m. Saturday night through 5 a.m. Monday morning. Please plan accordingly. Ride MAX. Timbers match Saturday night? Get a hotel room and just stay downtown all weekend. It’s kind of like a staycation but with turndown service and three footy matches in 24 hours.

So, that’s all the Sunday stuff, I think. Here comes All The Other Stuff.

The Riveters are hosting next Wednesday’s away viewing at On Deck in the Pearl (910 NW 14th). Match starts at 4 p.m. and they’ll also show the Timbers/RSL USOC match following the Thorns/Breakers match. Happy hour until 6 p.m. Kids welcome. Wifi available. Please RSVP here so we know you’re coming.

Playoff tickets! Season ticket holders should have gotten an email about deposits for playoff tickets. To secure your seats, you need to respond by August 9th. Do this. Deposit is $2. TWO DOLLARS. The balance of the ticket price will be charged later. It’s all in the email. If you didn’t get the email, please call your ticket rep.

Tukwila Away! We’re making another trip north to see the Thorns take on the Reign in lovely Tukwila. Get on the bus. Tickets are available here. Please don’t wait until the last minute. We don’t want you to miss out. Our first trip up was amazing. You don’t want to miss this. Seriously.

And here’s the thing I’ve saved for last. There’s a pretty epic thing that’s going to happen Sunday. Lots of folks put a lot of hard work into it but, without the help of the 107ist, it wouldn’t be happening on this scale. If you haven’t already, please consider joining the 107ist. Membership is $25 per person and nets you a ton of discounts for area businesses in addition to supporting both the Timbers Army and the Rose City Riveters. Click here to join and tell them we sent you.

Did I miss anything?

Portland Thorns v Chicago Red Stars: Disappointment Springs Eternal

107ist Admin — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 23:45:19 GMT

If you put a lobster in water and turn up the temperature, they will stay. If you try to put them right into boiling water they will try to escape.

This latest game against Chicago Red Stars was the equivalent of turning up the heat slowly on the fans. At first you get comfortable with the idea that the Thorns have a 3-1 lead, and then suddenly you are bubbling and steaming with anger as three points slip away and a precarious standings situation becomes even more dangerous.

When the Portland Thorns were winning games earlier in the inaugural NWSL season, they didn’t do this just by scoring more goals than the other team, they did this with a stingy defense that was (at one point) one of the best in the NWSL. As the season has progressed and the teams in the NWSL have gelled offensively they have started coming at the problems that exist within the Thorns defense and have managed to find the spots to attack the back four while the Thorns went through an offensive slump.

The insertion of Tobin Heath into the Thorns lineup was supposed to fix some of these problems but at one point I pondered what she would fix and what would happen with her addition to the lineup. The issue here, in the end, is that YES, the Thorns offensive lineup needed fixing as the endless long-ball tactics were grating even the most loyal Thorns enthusiast. However, the Thorns back line is also in some difficulty and the way in which the Thorns give up the ball in the midfield, while improved, still places additional stress on a back line that isn’t currently seeing their best days.

As the game progressed in the second half the Thorns reverted to sending passes further and further up the field and the frustration started to show on the players. Alex Morgan received a yellow card after petulantly flipping a ball over the end line sign board in the 70th minute. Meanwhile the Thorns began to give up possession cheaply in the midfield as Parlow Cone subbed Emily O’Neil in for Nikki Marshall and then a few minutes later Alex Morgan was subbed off for Tiffany Weimer.

The difference between the organization and positioning of the team in the first half and the organization of the team in the second half is noticeable. As the game progressed the initiation of contact zone retreated and the amount of involvement of the fullbacks (something that traditionally hasn’t been a huge part of the Thorns arsenal) reduced even further. At the beginning of the game the Thorns were playing a diamond 4-4-2 with Morgan and Sinclair up top, Foxhoven at RMF, Shim at CAM, Tobin Heath on the Left and Allie Long playing DCM. Interestingly enough, when Portland would exercise a throw in, Heath would usually receive the ball (which is how Heath ended up on the right center of the field ready to take the free kick that resulted in the first Thorns goal). In the second half however, the Thorns started getting stretched and didn’t seem to consistently find that 4-4-2 diamond formation that they had been running in the first half. Whether due to people jogging back into position, the heat on the field, or/and the information passed on by the coaching staff, most of the team seemed to drop the intensity at 74:00 into the game. Almost immediately after 74:00, Chicago scored a header which really was the result of poor defensive marking, the Thorns defense not closing down the player with the ball, and poor positional awareness.

There is almost no excusable reason as to why the tying goal for the Red Stars happened. The ball comes in from a throw-in for Chicago, is played through the middle of the field, the Thorns defense separates and Buehler is left to clean up the ball for another throw. The throw comes in and is headed out for another throw from Leon for Chicago. The throw is headed up and then kicked into the box to a group of Thorns and Chicago players. At this time there are two Thorns players marking two Chicago players and the ball comes into a patch of sun remaining on the field and seems to get lost to the group of four, it pops up in the air and Rachel Buehler comes in to attempt to clean up the ball. She attempts to head it out but it pops right down to Tobin Heath who loses position and gets muscled out-of-the-way by a charging Sitch who smacks a very nice shot in for the tying goal. The Thorns, during the play, had seven outfield players in the 18 yard box and Karina Leblanc while Chicago had five. Whether due to communication problems, a lack of focus, endurance, tactics…. The Thorns simply capitulated as Julianne Sitch swept Heath aside for the goal.

As was happening earlier in the year, the separation between the back line and the midfield grew, the line of initiation changed, and the team, at times, looked like they hadn’t played together. There were times where the Thorns looked like traffic cones as Chicago pressed up on the ball carrier, pressured them to make the pass, and then attempted to break when they got the chance. So many times there were passes to nowhere, to players that didn’t make a run, to locations where no one was.

Chicago, in the end, simply outworked Portland. They pressured, kept their self-belief, and took the opportunities that the Thorns midfield handed them. The Thorns three goals were indicative of the way in which they tend to try to score goals (they try to play with skill over brute force even if this means bypassing the midfield to get to the skill). Chicago’s goals were scored because the skill of the Chicago players and the Thorns lack the ability to possess the ball in the midfield and close out games. Simply, there is no reason for a championship caliber team to lose a two goal lead on their home turf, unless that team has some very exploitable flaws in either plan or personnel.

The main thing that concerns me is that it seems that the Thorns just don’t have seem to have the plan to stop the other team from shutting down the ball carrier, disrupting the attack and then pressuring the Thorns into retreating. Yes, it is early days for the Thorns if we look at this season being the inaugural step in a long journey. However, there are only three home games left and only five games left on the season. If there was a time for the Thorns to have an identity it seems like it should be starting to be decipherable by now.

Certainly the more that the Thorns play together and bond together they will develop an innate chemistry. With that chemistry you hope that the right plan is in place to utilize the players and the bonds they form. With only 5 games left in the season and 2 games in the post season…. They better hope they effect that chemistry and plan really soon.

Despite the disappointment there ARE good things at which to look. The Thorns played better for 74 minutes, scored 3 goals and seemed to be doing a better job at trying to have a consistent formation and style of play. However, if they are unable to have the ability to respond to the other team efficiently in the moment of play and dictate the game on their own terms they will have a very short end to the year for such an incredibly talented team.

Four Quick Notes:

#1 The 41st minute collision between Long and Mautz was as awful in the stadium as it was on the television later. Mautz came in late on Long without a real chance of winning the ball and left herself open to the judgment of the referee who awarded a yellow card.

#2 The 14th minute challenge by Tobin Heath on Chalupny was one that I have seen given a red card. It was exactly the kind of challenge that MLS has been cracking down on after injuries to Javi Morales, and it injured Chalupny to the point where the Chicago captain had to be removed from the game. Fortunately for Heath she, just like Mautz, only received a yellow card on the play.

#3 Mana Shim has really begun to express herself in recent weeks, especially in goal scoring form, if we are looking for things positive to take away from this match.

#4 The goal by Weimer was correctly called back due to her straying offside.

CHANT: Come On You Girls in Red

107ist Admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 23:44:18 GMT

We did this one for the first time at the last match. We’re gonna do it again this weekend. Couldn’t be simpler:

(To the tune of “Those Were The Days”… no, not the Edith Bunker one)

Come on you girls in red, come on you girls in red
Come on you girls, come on you girls in red
Come on you girls in red, come on you girls in red
Come on you girls, come on you girls in red

Invading Tukwila

107ist Admin — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 23:42:38 GMT

The last game of this Inaugural NWSL season is nearly upon us. Fortunately, we can attend this game and cheer our Thorns on to victory over the Seattle Reign!

We’ve chartered a bus to take the loud and proud Rose City Riveters north for what could be one of the most exciting and important games of the season. The way this season is shaping up, we could be playing for home-field advantage in the playoff match!!

We have space for 50 supporters on the bus and each seat comes with a ticket to the game ($52 for the combo). Plus, we’ve acquired 10 extra tickets at the group ticket rate ($16/ticket) which saves you a few bucks off of the regular price . If you buy the ticket to the match and are not planning on riding the bus, your ticket will be with the bus, so just hang out at Starfire until we get there.

The bus will be departing from the Oregon Convention Center on NE Holladay between 3:30-4pm on Saturday, August 17th. The itinerary is as follows:

3pm-4pm – Load up the bus, depart for Tukwila (we will have a stop along the way at the rest area just outside of Centralia, WA)
6:30-7pm – Arrive at Starfire Sports Complex
8pm – Thorns v Reign kickoff
10:15 – Load up the bus to head home (we will be stopping at a rest area on the way home)
1:00am – 2:00am – Arrive back at the Oregon Convention Center

The bus/ticket combos can be purchased at: rcraway.eventbrite.com

Personal food and beverage is permitted on the bus. We will not be providing a keg on this trip, though adult beverages are permitted as long as they are not in glass bottles. No glass is allowed on the bus.

Road Report: Boston Away, #1

107ist Admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 23:42:03 GMT

Hi, I’m Luke and I had the privilege of attending the Thorns away match in Boston on July 21. It has been a whirlwind last two months, as I was on the road in Europe (check out a collage of photos with my By Any Other Name scarf around famous stadiums), but I wanted to make sure my return to the US coincided with a Thorns away match, and this one worked out perfectly.

To begin, I should say that my college roommate Max and I were guests of Boston Breakers General Manager Lee Billiard, who is a friend of a friend. We originally had General Admission seats, but ended up sitting on the row right next to the field. Thank you so much, Lee! It was a wonderful day.

The Breakers play at Dilboy Stadium (a multipurpose venue that has room for about 3,000 spectators), which is in Somerville, Massachusetts. A venue in a city outside of the namesake of the team usually prompts transportation worry for supporters. Fear not with the Breakers, because the stadium is easy to reach via public transport (a train, then bus, then five minute walk) and is about 7 miles from Boston city center.

Max and I drove to the site and arrived around 3:00 PM, which was when gates were scheduled to open. We immediately noticed the positive sign that the parking lot was already entirely full (kickoff was an hour away). Outside the entrance to the stadium, multiple sales tents were set up:

Once we came through the gates, we were greeted by another good sign: Ocean Spray (the primary kit sponsor for the Breakers) had a table and was giving out free packets of Craisins. I mean, how can you pass that up?

We met Lee and were escorted across the track and the field seats. The stadium behind us filled up quickly, especially once the players jogged on the field.

I know there was a lot of talk about the $4.99 livestream cost. It did look like a fairly professional production from being right next to the cameras and hosts.

As the national anthem track was being pumped in over the loudspeakers (why not have former Thorn Jazmyne Avant sing?), I noticed a few other PTFC scarves waving around in the stands. It was quite hot in the Boston area over the weekend, so we were a bit worried about sitting directly in the sun to begin the match. Fortunately, the sun went behind the clouds for most of the match and I could see the entire field without shading my eyes.

I would be hopeless at game analysis, so I will not try, but I did have a few observations that I picked up from sitting right next to the field that I otherwise would not have:

In the first half, it was very cool to hear Karina LeBlanc organize her defense. She does a lot of talking: “Right shoulder, Rach!” “Let’s go get another one!” (after the first goal)

Kat Williamson was basically slow dancing with Sydney Leroux all game.

Everyone calls Tobin Heath “Tobs” on the field.
No real chants to speak of from the stands, though there was a very fired up woman behind us with a Timbers Army scarf that was obviously quite into the match. Lots of youth soccer teams were announced, as well as a few birthdays.

At the half, the Thorns did not go back to the visitor’s locker room – they stayed on the far side of the field and found a place behind their bench to sit on the ground and talk. For the halftime entertainment, a youth soccer team tried to kick balls as close as possible to the center of the pitch, while the Breakers guest drumline (they were great!) kept the crowd into it.

In the second half, the elements became a much bigger factor. It seemed to me like both teams were pressing and it started raining fairly hard. Of course, this was interspliced with the sun breaking through the clouds, which definitely reminded me of home in Portland. Mana Shim scored in the 86th minute – one of those shots that went off the inside wheel, so it was initially difficult to tell if it had gone in at field level – and prompted a euphoric reaction from the Thorns supporters in the crowd (there were quite a few wearing Portland gear).

The Thorns held on for the win and then I stuck around on the field to clap both teams off. Alex Morgan ran off right after doing a few interviews (she tweeted that she had to catch a flight). My ultimate PTFC highlight was seeing Christine Sinclair and Dani Foxhoven walk off the field together and thanking the University of Portland duo. I became a fan of women’s soccer after my friend Ruth was a goalkeeper on the 2005 National Championship team – she would give me her player’s allotment tickets frequently, so I saw Christine all the time. Being able to meet her in person was such a pleasure. She could not have been more gracious – came over, shook my hand, asked my name, and beamed when I talked about watching her at UP.

I was quite fortunate with meeting players and coaches, but I know almost nobody wants to see loads of pictures (if you do, they are on my twitter). I will say that in particular, it was amazing to finally meet Joanna Lohman in person. Joanna wrote this absolutely must-read article in the prelude to the NWSL, which delves into how to grow and sustain a professional women’s soccer league – Joanna Lohman: How to market our new women’s professional league.

It was this article that had me fired up from the very beginning about Portland having a NWSL franchise, due to everything Joanna wrote about as being necessary to grow the league. I felt confident that Soccer City, USA would rise to meet the challenge and I was inspired to help in every way that I could. This is especially important for me, because, as a high school teacher, I have students write to me all the time about wanting to follow their dreams and play sports professionally. In order for that to be a possibility for many, this league HAS to be successful. Thus, meeting Joanna and her family after the game was an incredible treat.

The Breakers have a place called “Autograph Alley” (which was announced multiple times during the run of play – I found this to be off-putting and slightly disrespectful, but I know that the current audience for much of the league is quite young) where players go after the game to sign autographs and take pictures. Max and I were standing in the area between the alley and the locker room, watching players get besieged with requests. Every single one that was asked for something in the area obliged, from what I could see. All the players I talked to could not have been nicer.

All in all, it was a fantastic experience, especially coming away with a sorely needed win. It has been so much fun to follow this team and help create support along with so many others. Hopefully, the ride continues all the way to the inaugural NWSL championship!

Call for Thorns Tifo Volunteers on Saturday 7/27

107ist Admin — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 23:39:27 GMT

The last regular season home game vs. FCKC is on Sunday, 8/4. We’ve got exciting things planned. Want to be a part of it? Here’s your chance to get stuck in!

We need painters all day on Saturday, July 27. If we’re still at it by the time Timbers vs. SJ airs, we’ll stream the match.

If you’re interested in participating, send an email to twoflagladies@gmail.com with your availability, and we’ll be in touch about location and start time and all that.

If you’re good at detail work and are available on any evenings before or after the 27th, please let us know that too.

A tiny match recap and a long look forward – Boston Breakers v Portland Thorns

107ist Admin — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 23:36:52 GMT

There are four home games left in the season.

There are eight games left in total.

And the Portland Thorns have seemingly fallen apart.

Goal Sidney Leroux, Goal Sidney Leroux and a second loss in a row. The most in-form striker in the league hit twice against a Thorns side that barely looked to threaten at home.

The previously decent defense has started letting in goals. The offense is non-existent even with the superstars on the field and even the marquee players are second guessing themselves. What then can happen at this point in the system?

Enter Tobin Heath.

Well, let’s look at this without Tobin for a second.

Yes, the Thorns are still in second place. Yes, the top four teams in the NWSL go the playoffs. YES, the Thorns have only played 14 games to Sky Blue FC’s 15 and FCKC’s 15. They also still have some fantastic players. However, that is just about as many positives as can be mustered right now given the current state of play on the season. Now, let’s notice something here. The previous statement made by me says “On The Season.” The Thorns’ struggles in midfield are nothing new, they have just recently finally had the poor results to go along with the poor play in midfield. As was stated before, “I have intentionally avoided trying to make comparisons between the Thorns and the Timbers as I think it behooves us to have the Thorns stand on their own. However, I think it is very helpful now for us to compare the tenure of John Spencer to Cindy Parlow Cone in terms of play style.“

Well, not much has changed and there have been some recent writings on the long ball futility problem that illuminate the similarities. I forgot something important in the comparison between the 2012 Timbers and the 2013 Thorns. Rather, I forgot something in terms of players. Basically the only way to compare the 2012 Timbers and the 2013 Thorns is if somehow you transported Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi onto the 2012 Timbers and then watched them struggle to get goals and chase down hopeless balls launched up field from Lovel Palmer. Whether you place them #1 and #2 or whether you just place them in the top 5, not many would argue against Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair being two of the best female players on the planet.

On this team they are merely the #8 (Morgan) and #10 (Sinclair tied) goal scorers in the NWSL. Neither of the two players are in the top 9 of assist makers in the NWSL. There are actually no Thorns players in the top nine players for assists in the NWSL. Morgan is tied for 10th with three on the year. These goal numbers just show how stranded the players have been for service up on the front line. In the case of Sinclair, the player has been played out of position almost the entirety of this year. In the case of Morgan, what was originally a punt and score offense has slowly been shackled as the defenses have caught up with the Thorns. Morgan has looked increasingly tentative and clearly was out of sorts as she passed up a golden scoring opportunity late in the second half of the Boston Breakers game in a moment of pure “lack of confidence” that echoed throughout the stands.

As close as the Thorns are to first place (four points) they are also that close to being out of the playoffs (four points). Given that the current schedule has the Thorns playing Western New York Flash (4th), Chicago Red Star and Sky Blue FC (1st) in the next few weeks, this time is starting to edge towards crunch time. The Thorns simply need to find a way to pick up wins against the better teams in NWSL. It would be very difficult to imagine the Thorns actually being out of the NWSL playoffs, but, given their current form and playing style, it is also becoming difficult to imagine their fortunes hanging on the acquisition of one player.

Yet, that is really where Portland is right now. They are tied for the least goals allowed in NWSL but they also have only scored 18 goals, which gets them right at 5th in the league. For a team that acquired some of the best offensive talent in the league they are in desperate need of someone in the midfield who can set up the ball.

And….Now…..?? Enter Tobin Heath?

As bad as it seems to pin the entire hopes of a fanbase on one player to revamp the style of a team has been playing long ball for an entire season, that’s where Thorns fans are at this point. If anything, this stretch of play has proven that you can’t simply play well in the NWSL by lining up two world-class players and telling them to run at competent defenses over and over again. Will Tobin Heath be able to impact the Thorns positively? Well, that is the three-point question. The idea of freeing Christine Sinclair to play forward next to Alex Morgan with Tobin Heath feeding them the ball sounds something out of a dream. Yet, given the amount of talent already on the Thorns, the question that hovers around Cindy Parlow Cone will always exist until the team shows that they have a different tactical style than those espoused by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Stoke City.

Watching the Boston Breakers versus Portland Thorns game, I was convinced at the end that Cone had reached her “Dreaded Vote of Confidence” moment, but with the arrival of Tobin Heath, the steady attendance of 12,000 fans and the Thorns stuck at #2 in the standings, I would hazard a guess that the fans will see a few more attempts at what Cindy Parlow Cone can do with a team. A fan for the Thorns can hope it is four points north in the standings rather than four points south.

The new Riveters badge

107ist Admin — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 23:34:58 GMT

Drawing inspiration from the Portland skyline, our crest was created by local designer Matt Leamy.

Thanks, Matt, for the work you’ve put into this. As promised, I owe you a beer.

Thorns v. FCKC viewing party info…and a little something extra.

107ist Admin — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 23:33:24 GMT

The Cheerful Bullpen will be hosting the Riveters as we watch our Thorns take on FC Kansas City!

Drink specials will be posted soon on the Facebook event page. As always, there will be special discounts for 107ist members.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for….

This will also be the first opportunity to purchase Rose City Riveters scarves at noon before the match. They will be $15 each; cash only. See you there!

Match Recap – Portland Thorns v FC Kansas City

107ist Admin — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:32:52 GMT

Coming off a lackluster performance against Chicago Red Star, the Thorns looked to turn around and win against FC Kansas City. Now that the perfunctory initial sentence is out of the way, lets get to the point. If the Chicago performance was akin to the offense wandering around the Sahara, then the FC Kansas City game was the attacking equivalent of hitting the lottery.

With Kansas City coming into the game with one of the best defenses in the NWSL, the game seemed like it had the potential of turning into a test to see if the returning national team players could break the defensive solidarity in the middle of the field. Instead, the game changed quickly 12 minutes in with a FC Kansas City defensive mistake as Becky Sauerbraun failed to collect the ball, fell down and Alex Morgan rifled a shot past the outstretched hands of Barnhart. Has to be said that Barnhart awkwardly reached over her body with her right hand instead of trying to use her left. While the goal was a shot with a ton of pace on it and perhaps unstoppable, certainly it seems that a left hand in that particular situation would have allowed her a chance to deflect the shot.

This series of events was then quickly followed up seven minutes later by a Dougherty to Wetzel combination that was finished off with aplomb into the lower right corner of the net. Wetzel has definitely been playing herself into the lineup with solid performances, assists and now goals. Down 2-0, Kansas City couldn’t rely on staying defensively compact and hoping to bury the game in a quagmire, they had to attack and so happened an enthralling back and forth affair between Portland and Kansas City that wasn’t over ’til the final whistle blew.

While the statistics prove that a 2-0 lead is an extremely advantageous position to be in for the team up two goals, Kansas City decided to test the theorem that there is always a chance. Attacking down the right side of the field, Kansas City began creating chances and seemingly had one penalty shout denied that appeared from the stands (at least) to not be an overt foul in the box. KC kept coming at the Thorns defense as both teams traded blows. Then, Rachel Buehler made what was very poor challenge from behind on inaugural NWSL goal scorer Ranae Cuellar giving away an absolute stonewall penalty. Buehler stood up and walked away without complaint knowing full well that a penalty kick was coming. Lauren Cheney converted the chance from the spot and Kansas City pulled back a goal and the score was 2-1 Portland with only 33 minutes having gone by. Cuellar, incidentally, was worked on behind the Thorns goal for a number of minutes before finally being loaded into a wheel chair and taken off the pitch. The report on her, currently, is that X-Rays were negative and her injury is believed to be an ankle sprain.

The half came and on the restart the two teams were back at it again. With not even two minutes gone on the clock, Morgan sent in a beautifully weighted pass into substitute Danielle Foxhoven who converted and the Thorns were back up by two goals.

Kansas City and Portland then traded possession as the two teams seamed to believe they could score at almost any time.

Less than ten minutes after the goal by Foxhoven, Kansas City came down the right side of the Thorns defense and another beautiful ball sent into Lauren Cheney resulted in a goal for Kansas City. Suddenly it was 3-2 and once again Kansas city and Portland swarmed forward looking for another goal.

Ten minutes later, at 65 minutes into the game, Christine Sinclair sent in a cross that was collected by Morgan who rounded the Kansas City defense and sent in a shot that deflected off Allie Long and in for a Thorns goal putting Portland up 4-2.

Yet… The game was STILL not done with twists and turns.

At the 80th minute contact resulted in Alex Morgan being on the ground next to the corner flag of the North End. While the trainer came out to investigate her, even making the sub sign with her hands, the referee would have nothing of it and motioned to Morgan to get up. When Morgan did not get up immediately the referee brandished a yellow card, which was either a card for diving or a card for time wasting. Either way, Morgan jumped up and ran back onto the field smiling at the referee.

A few seconds later, Kansas City came backdown the field and scored again off a slow bending ball that beat Karina Leblanc into the far corner of the goal sending the game to its eventual 4-3 conclusion.

A wild game was over and Portland certainly showed that it could keep up offensively to both score goals and win the game. While the statistics show that Kansas City had more shots, less fouls and more corner kicks on the night, they lacked the ability to finish the shots when needed.

Between this game and the last I had the privilege of speaking to a number of people about the Thorns, their style of play and building something from the ground up. There are a lot of stylistic differences between this team and the one that shares the space in which they play, and we should not use these to compare as the play, the movement, the style and the players are different. What we can use are our eyes, the history of the game, tactics, and the players available to determine what could be happening. In order to do that though we must also look at the way in which the players respond to a coach and the way in which they respond to the other team on the field. The Thorns showed, in this particular game, the ability to respond to what the other team was giving them (at least offensively, defensively was an entirely different proposition). This was not something that they were able to do against Chicago for a full 90 minutes. If we look at the differences between how the team played and who was available for Chicago, versus who how they played and who was available against Kansas City we get at the heart of the matter.

Simply, talented players matter in the system that Cone wants to use. This isn’t something that she should necessarily be blamed for as the acquisition and deployment of top talent successfully is not something to overlook. Yet the ability to generate offense and have a team come together without the star players allows the entirety of the team to feel their own value and contribute. In my opinion, having a dangerous team from position 1 to position 22 will lend itself to not just wins, but the building of a dominant team in the league. As the number of international departures over the course of the season will prove, the ability of Cone to generate success from the role players on the Thorns will dictate the level of success from the team this season.

Onward.

Match Recap – Portland Thorns v Chicago Red Stars III

107ist Admin — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 23:29:28 GMT

The result says it all. The women left the field having lost 2-0 to Chicago and the frustrations in the North End were palpable. Yet, why was there a loss and where do the Thorns live? That, as always, is in the eye of the beholder.

With international absences due to friendlies, the Thorns lineup was shuffled. Having lost Leblanc, Buehler, Sinclair and Morgan to call ups, this game was going to be a very interesting barometer as to where the Thorns were without the star players that have really powered their record.

Here’s the thing: for the first 30 minutes of the game, the Thorns looked a different team than we have seen all season. Without Morgan and Sinclair working up top, the team attempted (both successfully and unsuccessfully) to play the ball on the ground hitting combinations and simultaneously pinging some awful passes for turnovers. You could see that the loss of the dynamism of the top two caused a bit of a problem in terms of “who gets the ball?”, but even so there was a great interplay that resulted in a Mana Shim shot and a few scintillating plays from Angie Kerr. There were also some passes that were hit directly to Chicago players and utterly rubbish turnovers that certainly seemed the result of a lack of familiarity between players. (Which, given the stage of the season, is really an invalid excuse.)

The dynamic of play shifted as the clock turned over into the mid 30s and Chicago started pressing, passing and attempting to disrupt the play of the Thorns. In this, the Thorns helped as they started to punt the ball back up top.

Finally, Chicago picked up a handball call, the following play ended up generating a corner and the Red Stars player Zakiya Bywaters found herself utterly unmarked in the box firing home a header from close range. Suddenly it was 1-0 to Chicago and the game was downhill from there for the Portland Thorns. The thing that had been the reason for the Thorns record this year, the defense, fell apart, and certainly one could look and question whether an absent Rachel Buehler would have covered that ball. Unfortunately, it was more than one Thorns player who fell asleep on the play as two Red Stars players were wide open.

Even after the goal, Portland tried to come back up the field, but the problem that would haunt them the whole game started to bite. As soon as they entered the Chicago end of the field, the ability to find someone to play a dangerous ball dried up. Frequently the Thorns would turn over the ball, hit the wrong pass, foul a player to try to recover the ball, or get into a decent position but not have any support.

So much of the game was a frequent reminder of the 2011 and 2012 season for the Portland Timbers that I think more than a few people had a bit of deja vu. More on this later.

Chicago had a sequence in the second half where they easily could have scored another goal as the Thorns lacked the ability to clear the ball from repeated corner kicks. Any sign of the “gameplan” from the first half vanished as the Thorns method of play devolved into 11 players behind the play aimlessly clearing the ball in any general direction that would work. The sequence at 53:00 is a perfect example of the frustration in the second half as the Thorns broke on the counter, passed a great ball out to Dougherty and the resulting cross was too high and too long.

Time over time over time Portland would try to break out offensively only to miss the final pass, sky the final shot, or turn over the ball. Meanwhile, Chicago took advantage of poor marking again and had a brilliant ball result in another goal. This was due to (once again) absolutely abysmal player marking and more Red Stars players getting goalside of the Thorns defenders.

In the 64th minute the Thorns had a rare chance at goal from a corner kick and the ball predictably rebounded off the post.

Immediately, Chicago came back up the field and the Thorns defensive/midfield issues reared their heads again. Edwards was now playing so far back that she was playing as a de facto sweeper in front of the center backs, and yet still the Red Stars had another great opportunity in the 18 yard box that rebounded off the outside of the post denying them a third goal on the day.

This sequence of play resulted in a very odd scene as Zakiya Bywaters (the goal scorer from earlier) had an apparent knee injury and was CARRIED off the field by Ella Masar. Yes, she was physically CARRIED off the field by Ella Masar. How on earth this was allowed to happen is beyond me. Was she too quick for the stretcher? Was there no Red Stars/Thorns stretcher available? I do know that the Red Stars absolutely and legitimately could have had more time come off the clock and they didn’t do this. Whatever you want to say about sportsmanship in the game, the sight of Masar carrying Bywaters off the pitch is both touching and simultaneously worrisome.

The final 22 minutes of the game filled out in the same fashion that the second half had been conducted. The Thorns couldn’t find each other offensively and when they did they couldn’t hit a shot on goal. Meanwhile, Chicago was solid defensively; and the crowd became more and more frustrated.

Every through ball for the Thorns was too long, every touch was a bit too hard, every shot was too high and too wide making the loss seem more inevitable as time ticked off the clock.

Then at 76:20 Cindy Parlow Cone and assistant coach John Galas had a few words for the referee and the fourth official on the sideline. Galas was tossed from the game and this really riled up the crowd. Now here’s a quick word about the referee on the night: I think it is the prerogative of a home crowd to be passionately defensive of their own team and to chant and cheer and goad the referee into feeling like she needs to make calls. However, on this particular night, the referee wasn’t really egregiously biased against either team. Certainly she didn’t call some of the physical play, but this went for both teams. While this inability to card the right player at the right time encouraged physical play leading to some very cheap fouls, none of what she called made the Thorns fall asleep defensively on set pieces… THAT is on the players and the coach.

Either way, the game time ran out and what we are left with is… what happened?

Simply? Defensive lapses, and no real adjustment in the second half. While the first 30 minutes of the game offered a glimpse at something different, in the end, the Thorns showed their heavy reliance on the otherworldly talents of their missing players. I have intentionally avoided trying to make comparisons between the Thorns and the Timbers as I think it behooves us to have the Thorns stand on their own. However, I think it is very helpful now for us to compare the tenure of John Spencer to Cindy Parlow Cone in terms of play style. While the Thorns “style” has been more effective, that is really due to the fact that the Thorns possess some of the most talented players in the league. Frequently, a Spencer coached team would look like it ran out of ideas, the subs typically didn’t make enough of an impact, and they would just repeatedly try the same thing over and over and over again. This comparison hits a bit too close to home for those of us that have watched the Thorns over the course of the season.

When we discussed the counter attack style, in an earlier recap, I remarked that the absence of the international players would test whether this style would work without the players the Thorns lucked into receiving. In this game, it didn’t.

Almost Going All the Way to Seattle

107ist Admin — Thu, 30 May 2013 23:27:20 GMT

Another away game, another blog post. Everyone ready? Ok!

On Saturday morning, 50 of us loud and proud Thorns supporters, otherwise known as the Rose City Riveters, got together on the north side of the Convention Center. We had it all. Pickle buckets. Booze. Food. Tickets. A bus. A driver. Flags. Flags? Flags! I was supposed to remember the flags. Whoopsie! Thank goodness Lexi let me ride the bus up to Seattle after she quickly solved the problem. It’s hard out here for a first time Away Day coordinator!

Everyone was where they needed to be early, so while I introduced myself to Randy, our trusty bus driver, folks were pregaming to get all the booze to fit in the plastic containers, because NO GLASS ON THE BUS. This was one of only a few rules for the day. I forgot to review the rules with folks as we departed, so I was glad when chants started about the SECOND most important rule on a three hour bus ride (no #2s on the bus).

The ride up north was rather uneventful. For me anyway, as I was sitting up in the front seat where the Bus Monitor sits. The most excitement I saw was when Randy would ask me to lay down his law: no standing and drinking booze at the same time or no banging on the overhead compartments in place of a drum beat. I think those were the only two rules we didn’t follow too closely.

Unlike the Timbers Army buses as of late, we didn’t have a keg to tap, but rather had a BYOB policy on the bus. In addition to beer and whiskey, there were also Mimosas, Fireballs, and even a Bloody Mary bar! Everyone was sharing, because we’re really just one big happy family.

There was a pit stop just after Centralia. And not a moment too soon, from what I heard. Something about the mimosa bar folks really really needing the stop for fear that one of the cardinal rules would be violated. This stop was a whole lot different than the stops made with the Timbers Army over the last couple of years. There wasn’t a massive rush to the restroom. We didn’t have to worry about folks sneaking onto our bus to steal our beer because they ran out on the way down. Having just one bus to keep an eye on and 50 people to do their business on the stop made it actually real fast.

Once we got up to Burien, we camped out at the Elliott Bay Brewing Co for a few hours to watch the Timbers take on DC. We got there early enough to get acquainted with the staff, and get in a few rounds of shuffleboard. Little did we know we had a tiny puck assassin among us. Let’s just say that someone had the run of the board for an hour. Much to the entertainment of almost everyone else around.

The restaurant was a good setup for us, but could have been better with the sound in the restaurant being turned on for the game. Quite a few people joined the viewing party, which was hosted by Covert Ops, the TA branch up in Seattle. Quite a few people joined in on the fun, cheering for the boys in green. All in all, I think we were all able to drink up, eat up, and watch the boys get three more points on the road. That feeling will never get old.

As the Bus Monitor, I only asked that everyone be ready to head over to Starfire as soon as the match was over. It seemed like everything worked out really well. I headed over to Starfire a little early to get our extra tickets from will call as well as meet Chad, who set us up for the day. When the bus arrived, everyone got their flags and came marching toward the gates. It was quite a sight to see.

I think the stadium staff were as ready for us as they could be. As we could see, the Reign’s supporters group, the Royal Guard, has a smaller number of folks involved at this point. We were directed to the far end of the bleachers, where they used caution tape to mark off our area. I think we filled the space quite well and a lot of the other spectators on the benches moved away from us, so we must have been loud. With our flags waving and our pickle buckets as drums, we stayed standing the whole match. Which is saying something because in Seattle, you sit nice and comfortably under an overhang, watching soccer like it is a tennis match.

Chad had asked us to stick around for a while after the match so they could get a majority of the people out of the stadium before they escorted us to the bus. I told him it wouldn’t be a problem to keep people there after the final whistle, as we would be cheering our players and coaches for a while after the victory. I was surprised to see so many people leaving the stadium early, like, 85th minute early. Guess that goal by Sinc was all they were there to see.

Eventually it got a little awkward when we rolled up all the flags and put them in our makeshift pickle buckets and the team was still 15 feet away. We made the best of it by serenading them with such hits as REO Speedwagon’s “Keep on Loving You” (*thanks Mike*). Eventually, it was apparent they wanted us out so their kids could clean up our streamers and other messy bits from the match. We had one last stop at the indoor toilets before being herded back to Randy and our trusty bus for the trip back to Portland.

Now, I’m not sure what shenanigans occurred on the way back, as I was the lone wolf left in Seattle for the weekend. Maybe that mystery can be solved in the comments…

Match Recap – Portland Thorns versus that Fishing Village to the North… Part 2

107ist Admin — Mon, 27 May 2013 23:25:31 GMT

When the allocation was finished for the NWSL teams, the prognosticators and talking heads seemed to have a general consensus. That common thought was that the Portland Thorns received a bevy of attacking talent and with both Sinclair and Morgan, would be an attacking force.

However, something that has become very clear eight games into the season is that the entirety of the success for the Portland Thorns this season has come from the back four and goalkeeper Karina Leblanc who have provided the reliable base that the Thorns have all too often relied upon.

When writing recaps and stories on the Thorns, it is very easy to fall into the trap of talking about Sinclair and Morgan, but the reality is that while they have been (at times) very good this season that, with the problems the Thorns have had possessing the ball, they would be in very bad shape without the alert playing of Buehler, Williamson, Dougherty, Marshall, and Leblanc.

In the recent Reign v. Thorns game, this defense was primarily why the Thorns weren’t down a goal within the first 20 minutes of the game as the Reign had multiple chances which were either snuffed out and stopped by Leblanc or stopped by Buehler and company. The Thorns vacillated between link up play followed by a dangerous shot to can’t-get-out-of-each-others-way to turnover and break on goal.

As frustrating as it can be to watch a team that features Christine Sinclair, Alex Morgan, Allie Long and Becky Edwards aimlessly spray the ball around the field, we must look at why this would be the case. The Reign consistently pressured up through the middle of the field thinking (correctly it would seem) that Portland were jittery connecting passes from the defensive midfielder position and forcing them to make what were often the wrong decision. Many of the dangerous pickups and attempts came from Rachel Buehler challenging for the ball and picking a good pass from the back to put Morgan into a good position as is what happened in the 26th minute.

As bad as the Thorns were at connecting in the first half, they were almost that much better at the beginning of the second. Cone seemed to ask the fullbacks to push up a bit more especially on the right side providing width to a very narrow Thorns attack. This pulled some of the Reign players outside and expanded the amount of room they had to cover to press and try to recapture the ball.

Many of the issues that the Thorns have had come from the lack of width in their formation set up. With the fullbacks staying further back, the narrowness of the midfield makes it so that there isn’t a lot of room with which to operate their passing game. As we discussed last week this could be by design. A quick note on Mana Shim: the first year player had an up and down game showing some good interplay but also some not so great touches. While she is a promising player who is getting on the ball, she will go through some different phases in her rookie year.

Now to speak to the first penalty shot controversy. In the 67th minute, Morgan and Sinclair combined with Sinclair chipping a pass that very clearly (to my own eyes) ricocheted off Winters arm and out for an awarded corner. This was as blatant a handball as you are going to see but the ref waived the handball shout off and Portland found their complaints gone.

Then at 82:20 Becky Edwards tackled the ball away from Jess Fishlock, the Thorns came back at the Reign defense and the referee called a penalty. The incident was not seemingly clear-cut, the replay seemed to show, at most, a very small moment of obstruction. Of course given the incident missed above there is a decent chance that this call was a make up call. Either way, Winters and Solo argued with the referee and Sinclair dispatched the ball into the corner of the net for a 1-0 Thorns lead.

The Reign had a few more half-chances but the writing was on the wall and the Thorns defense managed to record another clean-sheet on the year. A win kept the Thorns tied up at the top of the league with Sky Blue FC. While the play was very disjointed in the first half, the adjustments made by Portland in the second half and the interplay of Marion Daugherty with the midfield allowed the Thorns to reverse the momentum of the game ultimately giving them dangerous chances and the ability to press, which in turn created situations in which a referee has to make a call. While the refereeing on the evening was not something to hang ones hat upon, the Thorns were able to battle through this and came out on top. Coming up next will be a very large test of the depth and system of the Thorns as they will lose a virtual raft of first team players to international games. The called up will be Leblanc, Morgan, Sinclair, Buehler. I suspect that the biggest area of concern for the Thorns will be who steps in to fill the solid and dynamic shoes of Rachel Buehler at center back and who will be tasked as a creative midfielder with Sinclair gone. This will prove a very illuminating and interesting time to those fans who want to see what the Thorns can do when they no longer can rely upon the other-worldly offensive talents of their two forwards.

Match Recap – Portland Thorns versus Washington Spirit

107ist Admin — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:24:08 GMT

There isn’t very much of an argument that the Thorns were tired on Sunday. They looked tired, played in that fashion and even coach Cindy Parlow Cone admitted as much during the post game interview. The long ball tactics seen during the game were placed at the feet of exhausted players and this could certainly be true, to a certain extent.

However, accepting this idea overlooks that which is also true, that Cone has set up the Thorns in a fashion that may be a different system than others would have expected given the talent at her disposal.

So while this will be a small game recap, I will also attempt to explain my opinion on the ideals behind what we are watching on the field.

#1 We must remember to look at the entirety of the work, and not just accept what we have seen in the last game to give us an indication of the current setup of the Thorns.

and

#2 We must not look at win in an askance fashion because we may dislike the way it is accomplished.

Starting with the last item, we must note that the Thorns won on Sunday. They managed to overpower the Spirit, at home, on goals from Christine Sinclair and Alex Morgan. They kept pace with Sky Blue FC with 5 wins on the year, one loss and one draw. It is important to note that this record is fantastic, and that for all the criticism of the tactics on the year that the Thorns are producing and producing well in terms of win/loss record.

During the Spirit game the Thorns tried to link up outside and tried to find that pass into space where players like Shim, Sinclair, Morgan and Washington can play with the ball at their feet. At this place on the field, the Thorns would try to find that pass inside, or at times cut the ball back to play into the midfield.

It behooves us to talk about the systems that have frustrated Portland this year, FC Kansas City and Sky Blue FC. Both teams are defensively responsible, stout teams that are difficult to break down and less prone to defensive lapses than other teams in the NWSL. While perhaps not offensively endowed as the Thorns, Sky Blue only needed to capitalize on one goal and then their defense shut down the Thorns in an impressive fashion.

This ability of highly organized and effective defenses to create problems for the Thorns can be exacerbated when the Thorns play with long ball tactics that tend to rely on the talent of the player rather than the effectiveness of the team. This brings us to another point, that is that the Thorns are one of the, if not THE most offensively talented team in the league.

However, they are not a pass and move, total football team. They are, in tactics, the LA Galaxy of the NWSL.

Cindy Parlow Cone has set up the team to play in a counter attacking fashion where they rely on the ability of a hyper talented forward (Alex Morgan) to stretch the field like Robbie Keane did, at times, last season. She does this by trying to stay on the back shoulder of the defense and creating space while sometimes having to check back and hold up the ball and bring the midfield into the attack.

Cone has tasked Christine Sinclair (who we should all remember is one of the best forwards in the world) to play attacking midfielder and link the play up top to Morgan. Both Mana Shim and Angie Kerr are given stretches as another forward/link up player that the team uses to draw defenders away from Morgan and provide avenues for play in the wide positions and (as well) midfield help.

The play of the Thorns is frequently “get the ball to the most talented players and make things happen”. This is not necessarily a problem in terms of effectiveness, as one can see that the Thorns have been winning. However, in terms of aesthetics, this is perhaps not a philosophy that produces the most glowing style of football. Many times the combinations are team to Alex Morgan or team to Sinclair to Alex Morgan and this comes back to the lack of a dynamic midfielder and the usage of players out of their natural positions. With Sinclair and Morgan already playing together before the Thorns, Sinclair frequently looks for Morgan even if the opportunity presents itself for other players to be involved (well, that and the fact that Morgan is one of the best players in the world). Once again, we must come back to the fact that the attacking midfielder for the Thorns is playing out of position and the other forward for the Thorns is typically playing out of position.

This, of course, assumes that Cone wants to play in a passing football style and that is where we must step back and question.

While Cone certainly wants to cut down on the portions of long ball play from the Spirit game, if we look at the method in which the team has been placed this year we see an approach more in line with Bruce Arena or Bob Bradley than the tactics of Joegi Low. Specifically, it seems that Cone seeks to keep the midfield narrow, seeks to create defensive stability by sacrificing the constant pressure in the offensive end, and asks the team to immediately attempt to push the ball up the field to generate offense. This can lead to a bypass of the midfield as the team attempts to pressure through the forward position and generate scoring chances by either capitalizing on defensive mistakes or holding up the ball and bringing the midfield into the game.

So when analyzing the team it is important to not place the perspectives of other teams on the one currently performing. While the last two games have not necessarily seen the best of the Portland Thorns, they do possess the ability to continue melding together and synchronizing in a more harmonious fashion. However, based on current games we must expect that the Thorns will be more counter attack than pass and move.

Using this method to analyze the Thorns, it makes sense that they would struggle against teams that are stout defensively. Players like Christine Rampone have the ability to shut Alex Morgan down and, if she is stopped as a distribution end point for the Thorns, the attack is pushed back to a midfield that does not always possess the ability to connect efficiently and create chances. Part of this could be that this team is still finding each other having had a short pre-season together with all the national team players gone for much of the pre-season team building. As Cone noted in her post game comments, she started to see the interplay between Sinclair and Shim more-so than happened before.

Of course, this begs the question of the fact that Shim is a center midfielder traditionally and as Cone said “one of the best passers of the ball on the team” and playing up top as a forward and Sinclair is a forward and one of the best strikers of the ball in the world and playing in the midfield. This is a bit odd when written out.

Certainly the big test will come when the Thorns lose many of their international players to scheduled national team games. Cone will have to deal with the loss of her star players in the current star player, counter attack, beat you with quality approach with which the team has been playing.

In the end, the Thorns were victorious on Sunday and push on. Up next is a trip to the north, prepare thyself accordingly.

Match Recap – Sky Blue FC

107ist Admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:21:48 GMT

At some point, it was going to happen. The Thorns were living on their luck for the last week and while a 2-0 win over Chicago seemingly papered over the cracks, the team had been playing on talent rather than cohesiveness for the last few weeks. The empty bucket midfield and the lack of the ability to posses the ball would cause issues eventually with the midfield unable to find the cohesion.

Then at the 80th minute Taylor Lytle struck and the winning streak was over as the Thorns seemingly couldn’t get out of their own way to effectively create a dangerous chance in the final third. Really it was the tale of a vast majority of their game and a worrying concern for the fans of the Portland Thorns. While the team is exceptionally talented and has won games on talent alone, far too often they concede possession in the midfield and lack the ability to create dangerous chances. Too often this season they have relied on that switch, that one long ball, that one connection that allows Morgan, Sinclair or Foxhoven to find a dangerous channel and pounce. However, with Sky Blue FC playing stout defense, closing down passing lanes, and generally out working the Thorns, the time on the undefeated season ticked down to a close.

Certainly in an undefeated season (like Arsenal, Juventus, or the U-23 Portland Timbers), you need hard work, determination and a fair amount of luck. The team has to find a presence that allows them to believe, work and be able to find that extra gear even when they are tired. However talented this Thorns team is, and they undoubtedly are very talented, they lacked the ability to work tonight against Sky Blue FC. Perhaps it was the weeks on the road, perhaps it was the attention of a very disciplined team, but the Thorns ran out of answers tonight and resorted to long ball play and bypassed the midfield.

Cindy Parlow Cone ran out another lineup featuring Meleana Shim and Alex Morgan working up top and she tasked the rest of the team to somehow make the connections with a dropping into midfield Christine Sinclair. Far too often though the ball would be lofted up top to nowhere or given away in the midfield to a pressing Sky Blue FC who managed to find the soft underbelly of the Thorns. Basically the Thorns are playing a bizzaro 4-4-2, in which they almost want to play a diamond formation midfield but they don’t have a true attacking midfielder who can’t collect and distribute the ball into dangerous situations. In this particular case they task Sinclair (as we have spoken about) to try to create. However, this robs Sinclair of her true strength of going at goal and being a dangerous presence challenging the back line. The problem for Cone is that she currently doesn’t seem to have a player who fits this characteristic of a player who can create until Tobin Heath is available for potential selection this summer. Sinclair is a stop-gap at best and the play between the midfield and the forwards has created a gap that results in long lofted balls into nowhere.

However, having spent these last few hundred words describing why you watched a loss, let me now describe why you should (as well) be happy about this.

See, this team isn’t talented beyond the rest of the league, it doesn’t possess that ability to run the table in the NWSL. In the end this is a mortal team of talented players who haven’t entirely found their way. This is a good thing, as we want to see growth and we want to see the team come together. In the end, the journey of the team will be the story to watch and how they fit in the players going forward. Hopefully, as the season progresses, we can see Sinclair return to more of her rightful role challenging the back line and linking up with Alex Morgan rather than having to drop deep to pick up the play. At some point, the team needs to figure out a formation (whether a 4-3-3 with Foxhoven up top and Sinclair/Morgan linking off of her or a 4-4-2 with Tobin Heath in the midfield) that will allow them to retain a bit more possession without having to resort to long ball route 1 tactics.

That is something worth looking forward to as the team turns around quickly for another dangerous game against the Washington Spirit. Hopefully the passion, the pressure and the ability to control the ball is something that the common Portland Thorns fan will watch return, and with that the return to wins and goals.

Onward, Rose City.

Invade Seattle

107ist Admin — Sat, 11 May 2013 23:20:04 GMT

Our Thorns are taking on the Seattle Reign on Saturday, May 25th, and we want to make sure we show Starfire what support looks and sounds like, so we’re chartering a bus up north for the day.

Our bus is wheelchair accessible with a lift and will have space for 50 loud and proud Riveters!! If you need tickets to the match and also want to ride the bus, we have 20 of those tickets available at $50 each. If you have already purchased your match ticket and are just looking for a fun and exciting day with us, those tickets are $32 ($30 bus ride + $2 in site fees). Please use the link below to purchase the appropriate tickets. (Please read to the end of this post before attempting to purchase tickets through Eventbrite.)

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/6656585025

We have a pretty full day planned, as there is also a Timbers match in DC. We didn’t want to be on a bus while the boys played, so we included a viewing party into the bus trip! The bus of Rose City Riveters will be joining up with the Timbers Army Seattle crew TA Covert Ops at the Elliott Bay Brewing Co in Burien, WA for the Timbers’ 4 p.m. kickoff. Food and beverage at Elliott Bay are not included in the price of the trip.

After the Timbers match, we will make the 10 minute drive over to Starfire Sports Complex. The Thorns kickoff at 7 p.m. against the Hope-less Reign!!

A full event itinerary is below:

11:30 a.m. – Board bus at the Convention Center (NE Holladay St)

12 – 12:15 p.m. – Depart Portland

3:30 p.m. – Arrive at Elliott Bay Brewing Co to watch the Timbers v United match

6:00 p.m. – Depart for Starfire Sports Complex

7:00 p.m. – Thorns v Reign kickoff

9:15 p.m. – Depart Starfire Sports Complex

12 a.m. – Arrive back in Portland

Some smaller details – Personal food and beverage is permitted on the bus. We will not be providing a keg on this trip, though adult beverages are permitted as long as they are not in glass bottles. No glass is allowed on the bus.

Please note: bus tickets/combos will be available through Eventbrite starting at 8 a.m. Sunday, May 12. Please plan accordingly.

Match Recap – Portland Thorns versus Washington Spirit

107ist Admin — Mon, 06 May 2013 00:52:33 GMT

Coming into the game versus the Washington Spirit, I thought we could potentially see a lineup change for the Portland Thorns. Angie Kerr had been not been linking up well in the midfield, the large gaps in the interior between offense and defense, the narrowness of the Thorns formation in the first place and the play of Danielle Foxhoven had me believing that perhaps Cindy Parlow Cone would trot out a 4-3-3 formation that would put Foxhoven at the tip of the attack and allow Morgan and Sinclair to create for her.

However, the move at this time was the aforementioned removal of Kerr for the 22-year-old Meleana Shim who filled the position that Kerr had previously held, namely rotating between playing up top with Alex Morgan and dropping back to provide support to Christine Sinclair.

It has to be said that we have reached a point where we can admit that contributions of certain players in the Thorns system and Portland as a whole would be lost without the contributions of Christine Sinclair and Rachel Buehler. Sinclair has given up the ability to play simply as a forward and has been the person creating the offense for the Thorns in the midfield. With Tobin Heath not yet an option for the Thorns (and who knows if she will be), Sinclair has attempted to pick up the slack in the midfield and provide the cutting through balls and link up play that needs to happen. Meanwhile, Buehler has been the rock in the back four who has actually cleaned up quite a few of the mistakes that the Thorns have let happen whether through positioning, give aways, early season miscommunication, or just fine passes from the opposing team over the top. Even when it seems like the Thorns are going to be in trouble from a dangerous situation, Buehler seems to ghost in and pick the pocket or pass out for a throw and break up the attack.

In the 12th minute Morgan settled a long pass over the top, turned her defender into an awkward position and looked to be brought down with a tangle of legs after which a penalty was called. Morgan strode to the spot and dispatched the penalty calmly to the left side of the net to a good-sized cheer from the crowd. This “good-sized cheer” rather irritated the Washington Spirit goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris who made some remarks later on twitter

Of course the response from many fans in the stands indicated that perhaps Harris is just not used to there being travelling fans as a small group of the Rose City Riveters were there as well as a contingent of fans from the East Coast Platoon of the Timbers Army. There were, as well, a group of Thorns fans right behind the goal (according to reports from twitter). Either way, the Alex Morgan circus continues unabated and Morgan almost scored again as she pressed up against the Spirit defense, picked off nervous defender and fired a shot that just ricocheted off the post.

The Spirit came right back and created a dangerous chance down the left side of Portland’s defense before Sinclair cleared the ball out and the Thorns blocked the ensuing shot from that.

A perfect example of the play of Sinclair in the midfield is around the 22nd minute in which she wins a ball in the midfield, and while doing this the ball gets passed off to Dougherty, who passes off to Edwards to Sinclair to Dougherty who plays a ball to Morgan to Sinclair who tried to loft a ball to Shim. She generates that connection that certainly one would hope to see from your attacking midfielder, a position that the Thorns are still in desperate need.

Even when the Spirit were able to break in the first half, Rachel Buehler was there patrolling the field and punting the kicks downfield for Karina Leblanc. This was a continuation from the second half of the Red Stars game in which Buehler started coming back to kick the ball back into play for Leblanc. While Leblanc hasn’t had the need for too many acrobatic saves this year it is worth watching to see if she has any issues pushing off when going to punch the ball or making a diving save, or if this is just a temporary strain/fatigue issue with Leblanc.

Now I’ve written a fair few game recaps this season, and I’ve oft belaboured the issues with the midfield, the open space and the (at times) cheap giveaways (those giveaways that somehow Buehler seems to clean up) but it has to be said that so far the Thorns haven’t been challenged yet by that dynamic presence on the field that could take the game to them from the forward position. The game that gave them the biggest problem so far was the first game against FC Kansas City in which Kansas City was aggressive, well-organized and defensively compact enough to shut down the talented players of the Thorns.

In the first half, Washington had a number of interesting opportunities on the counter attack but were unable to find the connection from the forward position often stranding players up top and seemingly trying to earn corners. Many times the Spirit kept 8 players behind the ball seemingly intent on stopping Portland first and then generating an attack.

A quick word about Alex Morgan and the “jawing at the referee” that happened in the first half. Interesting to me that somehow we equate this as a special advantage for Morgan when this “leeway” seems to happen to every superstar player whether male or female. There was a decent chance she could have received a yellow card for what happened but, at the same time, it’s a part of the game that exists when you are a considered a “prestige player.” Yes, it might be annoying if you are the opposing team, but from Kobe Bryant to Abby Wambach to Michael Jordan to David Beckham, this tends to happen quite a bit.

As the second half started it remained to be seen if Washington could generate enough offense to actually make the game… a game. Interestingly enough, they managed to find a dangerous counter within the first five minutes as the shot of the Spirit was only stopped by the thigh of Karina Leblanc.

Minutes later, though it was the truly hard working Nikki Washington who pounced on what can only be deemed a truly AWFUL pass by Ali Kreiger and struck in a gorgeous curling shot from distance. Nine times out of ten that shot is booted well wide, well over, or struck out for a goal kick but in two consecutive weeks we have seen a Thorns player (Sinclair and Washington) strike home a beauty of a curling goal.

After the goal, Portland began trying to attack down the right side of their offense while Washington tried to play down their right, but ultimately seemed to end up with a few long hopeless balls that were collected by Karina Leblanc.

There was a bit of back and forth with Portland having the better of the chances until Nikki Marshall went in for a tackle on the field and came up injured. She limped off the field and was replaced by the multi-talented Jazmyne Avant. Avant was thrown into the fire immediately as the Spirit, already playing down Avant’s side of the field, started making an empahsis of coming down the left side of the Thorns defense. At the other end of the field Sinclair hit an absolutely filthy shot from roughly 20 yards away that Ashlyn Harris palmed over the top.

Allie Long decided to jump into the yellow card lottery as she was cautioned in the 70th minute and the Spirit attempted a long ball into the box from the restart that ended up with a wide ball into the arms of Karina Leblanc.

With a substitution and a positional shift, the Spirit went with a three woman back line and tried to overwhelm the Thorns midfield with numbers. The ability of the Thorns to hold the ball and reduce their giveaways allowed them to break away from the pressure and keep possession in the Spirits half for the first 5 minutes of the positional shift as the Thorns do have quite a few very talented players with the ball at their feet.

Courtney Wetzel came on for Allie Long covering any issues with Long’s yellow card as Becky Edwards received a yellow card just previous to the substitution.

The Spirit kept up with their tactic of long set piece attempts from deep that were cleared by Thorns players. Even with all the long ball attempts, one of the better tries for the Spirit came from rarely seen (in this game) combination play from forward position as the resultant long distance shot was off target.

Suddenly the Thorns started giving up cheap possession, the Spirit switched the field and worked on Avant who was beaten by Mccarty who passed to Matheson who Avant probably thought was going to be covered by Rachel Buehler who (uncharacteristically for her recent play for the Thorns) seemingly deadlegged herself and fell down. This cavalcade of errors resulted in Matheson getting taken down in the box for a penalty. Matheson dispatched the shot and the Spirit got a goal to send the game to an exciting finish.

This exciting finish was helped by the on-screen clock not counting anymore and the ping-pong frenetic play that resulted in the Spirit looking fresher and more threatening than they had for most of the game.

BLARING CAR ADVERTISEMENT

Still the Thorns defense stood up and managed to keep the game 2-1 for another road win and another massive statement in the NWSL.

MOAR BLARING ANNOYING CAR ADVERTISEMENT

It has to be said that while the Spirit threatened at the end of the game that at times in this game, it seemed like the Thorns’ biggest enemy is themselves. If they continue to play switched on and engaged they have the talent to overcome quite a few mistakes and the lack of a true attacking midfielder to win on the road against a number of talented teams.

EVEN MOAR BLARING CAR ADVERTISEMENT AND MY C@R WAS BIT BY A M00SE 0NC3

Oh wait… no… let’s not do that kind of intrusive stupid advertising, for that would be silly and would probably make everyone hate the car company that did that. My apologies for the people who did that above as they have been sacked.

BLARING LLAMA CAR ADVERTISEMENT AGAIN

Oh, indeed (llama) that is just very silly…

See you back in Chicago for “Portland versus the Red Stars Redux“, or “Can Chicago learn how to Stop the Thorns” or… “how I learned to to love the Galumpki at a Polish food festival“.

Match Recap – Portland Thorns versus Chicago Red Stars

107ist Admin — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:51:34 GMT

If one looks at the tape of the Portland Thorns versus Chicago Red Stars, one could be confused into thinking that there was no viewer left side of the field and that the right back and attacking left midfielder just disappeared into a black hole as the video for the NWSL game was shot on what appeared to be a tripod through a window.

Such is life for the fan of the NWSL in the early days of the league as Portland took on Chicago at the Benedictine University Sports Complex April 27th. Beggars cannot be choosers though, and the ability to stream the feed is far better than not being able to watch the games. I can only hope that this league performs well enough that all fans of women’s soccer in North America can eventually make light of the field conditions and the video from the early games of the NWSL as they do now with the older days of MLS.

Coming off an inspired win against the Reign, Portland looked to ride the momentum from the brief home stand into three additional points away from home. The Thorns continued their experimentation into the weird world of narrow formations as they focused their attack through the center of midfield. Seemingly giving up the outside while keeping their fullbacks back, the Thorns showed their impetus in combination play, groupings, and attempted one touch passing. They also have been dangerous from set pieces as a “How on earth did that not go in?” header attempt by Alex Morgan in the 13th minute was palmed away by goalkeeper Erin McLeod.

Despite the Thorns’ good forward play and great results (so far), there is still an issue in the midfield as several times Chicago was able to pick up second chance balls and counter attack out to the wings to generate chances in the box.

Let’s just have a chat about the field for a second as the “primary use for American football gridiron line and bouncy castle surface” jumped the ball up in the air like a basketball on a hardwood floor. At one point I thought Karina Leblanc would pull a Brittney Griner and slam the ball down for an “and-one” jam. Both teams decided to play soccer instead and pushed ahead as the Red Stars tried to pressure the ball when it was played into the Thorns players.

As we are now into game three for the Thorns, we have started to see the pattern of play for the team. The fullbacks typically advance when the opportunity presents itself to advance but as a general rule they play defensively. Becky Edwards and Allie Long see-saw in the midfield to attempt to win the ball back (with Edwards staying relatively deep) and Nikki Washington and Angie Kerr both pinch in and play combinations up to Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair (that is, when Kerr isn’t playing up top next to Morgan and Sinclair isn’t in the midfield but more on that twist later).

On the whole, the Thorns play a very narrow formation, even when they have the ball out on the wing the play collapses to that side leaving vast tracts of field open for the switch. With this available space, Chicago was able to intercept and push the ball up but was lacking the ability to find a final ball and this manifested itself in goal kicks and skipping through balls picked up by Karina Leblanc.

While the Thorns had some very dangerous chances (and one fantastic save kept the game even) they certainly didn’t have much sustained pressure in the Chicago end. Head coach Cindy Parlow Cone, over the course of the first half, moved Christine Sinclair back into the midfield in an attempt to fix the issues with the connection in midfield/service and as the second half started, the Thorns had Angie Kerr further up the field playing as a second forward with Alex Morgan.

With the Thorns still playing quite narrow, and pushing players up to the top of the field, there was still a sizable gap in the midfield that Chicago was able to exploit as they had two good chances in the second half that the Red Stars were unable to capitalize upon. As the game moved towards the 60th minute, the balance of a win, loss, or draw appeared to up for grabs, that is until the substitution of Danielle Foxhoven for Angie Kerr. With the dangerous Foxhoven playing up top, the Thorns went back to the effective and morphing 4-4-2/4-3-2-1 with Foxhoven up top playing off of and in front of Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair. This move began to reap dividends as the Thorns started to get on the front foot and nearly capitalized off a set piece header down for a one time strike at the 62nd minute that was hit off target.

As the announcers for Chicago gently mocked the Chicago Red Star supporters group “The Core”, the Thorns took a corner kick that resulted in a mad scramble and another shot hit wide of goal. With the pressure mounting, the Thorns finally capitalized after a uncharacteristically bad pass from Chicago Red Stars back line. Morgan intercepted the aforementioned pass, fired at the keeper who deflected the ball into Danielle Foxhoven’s path and Foxhoven struck the ball home for the opening goal. After that, the Red Stars began pushing every available player into the attack presenting an opportunity for the Thorns forwards and attacking players to go directly at the back line of Chicago. That approach ended up costing Chicago a second goal as a beautiful counter attack by the Thorns ended up with Christine Sinclair hitting a hooked ball into the corner of the net from roughly 19 yards out. The goal surely would have been replayed quite a bit on Ye-Ole-Internets had the game not been streamed through a 1998 JVC Hi-8 video camera.

Finally Chicago ran out of steam and the game was over with an important Thorns win 2-0. While Chicago certainly had their chances, the insertion of Danielle Foxhoven into the lineup and the progression of the lineup to allow Morgan and Sinclair to play off of the former Pilot gave a spark to the team. It has to be said that Foxhoven has been fantastic when given the opportunity to play and it might be only a matter of time before she starts a regular season Thorns game.

The Thorns next game is on the road against the Washington Spirit at the Maryland SoccerPlex May 4th. With the Spirit coming off a 2-1 loss to Sky Blue FC, they will be gunning for a home win and it will be important to see how the Thorns lineup progresses with the play of Foxhoven at the forward position.

Match Recap – Portland Thorns versus that Fishing Village to the North

107ist Admin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:50:09 GMT

The tone of the game was set via Nikki Washington, who charged a lost cause ball down to the corner and pressured the Reign defense into caroming the ball off her back and out for a throw. With less than a minute in the game Portland was showing the pressuring, showing the instinct, and showing idea of a game plan that was missing from the very first game against FC Kansas city. This was followed up by Angie Kerr, Christine Sinclair and Nikki Washington combining for a ball knocked out for a corner, and the Thorns were on the front foot less than 2 minutes into the game.

There was a subtle tweak in formation as the Thorns came out in quasi-4-4-1-1 with Sinclair tasked to link up with the midfield behind Alex Morgan. This move paid dividends as, while it removed Sinclair from the continued threat of taking on the back line, it allowed her to get on the ball and start that partnership that she had with Alex Morgan at Western New York Flash.

With Hope Solo out with a long-term injury that will keep her out til late in summer and Megan Rapinoe strategically hanging out with the fine folks in Lyon, the Reign started Michelle Betos in goal and Jessica “I’m trying to fill Levesque’s boots” Fishlock from Wales, who did absolutely nothing in the game to endear her to the Portland crowd. More on that later.

Cindy Parlow kept Nikki Washington out on the right who consistently made early deep runs in the first half pulling players with her. She also had Angie Kerr threatening who frequently tried to push up the field and combine with Washington, Sinclair, and Morgan while Allie Long played the pivot and create role in the midfield.

Speaking of which, congratulations are in order to Allie long who pulled in the first yellow card in Thorns history at Jeld-Wen Field on a play where she came through the back of Kaylyn Kyle and promptly received a card, popped up and ran back into position.

The Reign attempted to threaten on set pieces in the first half but never really could get a rhythm through the active Thorns defense who frequently broke up the attacks towards them and then speedily transitioned to offense. Often time these attacks by the Thorns offense transitioned a bit too quickly and passes would be misplaced into the feet of a dense crowd of players.

Of course 13 minutes in brings us BIZARRO RAPINOE as Jessica Fishlock put an arm through the back of Becky Edwards, a trend that would be continued as Fishlock was the heart and passion of the Reign for most of the night. Fishlock was the majority of the Reigns thrust on the night providing a holding presence in midfield, an attacking presence and the only goal for the Reign.
When the Thorns started to drop into gear they became more and more threatening. Offensively the team transitioned between a 4-3-3, a 4-4-1-1 and a 4-3-2-1, depending on the positioning and the situation. At times (on resets) you could see Nikki Washington pushing up top next to Alex Morgan and playing as a RMF , other times she would drop back and you would have Sinclair playing behind Morgan with Kerr next to her. The only issue that happened (at times) in this game was that the Thorns collapsed into narrowness and lacked the ability to spread the ball out wide.

In this particular game (in the first half at the very least), the fullbacks for the Thorns stayed back and kept defensive integrity rather than bombing up the field. At the 28th minute, off a Thorns corner kick, Portland had their first chance as a rocket Becky Edwards header from a Nikki Washington corner cannoned towards the far post only to be plucked from the air by Betos for a very nice save.

Even with the positive Portland play, the Thorns still had issues with the connection between midfield and the forward position. Both Morgan and Sinclair were required to drift back to the center of midfield to pick up the ball and knock it back to either Becky Edwards or Allie Long. However, as the game transitioned into the 30th minute, Portland started playing with their heads up and moved their lines further up the field. Dougherty (at right fullback) moved up the field establishing the line of contact at the half way line and preventing much of the attempted break out play of the Reign in the later stages of the first half.

Then at the 44th minute, another great delivery from Nikki Washington cruised into Marian Dougherty who hit a glancing header through a crowd of players and past Betos for the first Thorns goal at home. The crowd erupted and the Thorns had their impetus for the second.

From the very first kick of the second half the Thorns were all over the Reign, playing with confidence, and disrupting the passing lanes. Allie Long, Angie Kerr, Alex Morgan all combined with a final shot coming from Nikki Washington and out for another Thorns corner. Fueled by the goal, the Thorns played combinations, triangles, and one touch passing soccer.

However, this wasn’t the reason for the second Thorns goal as that was the result of a turnover by the Reign and Christine Sinclair hustling into position to deliver a killer ball into a streaking Morgan who slotted it home past the keeper. This play devolved the Thorns attack a bit as they then attempted to play the “get the ball into empty space quickly” routine a bit too often after the goal which allowed the Reign (through Jessica Fishlock) back into the game as the Thorns stopped pressing the back line engagement zone up to the halfway line. Fishlock fouled, passed, and made a nuisance of herself until it all paid off in the 73rd minute as she one-timed a misplayed ball past Karina Leblanc for a goal. She then proceeded to pound the Reign badge, celebrate and overjoy herself a might much for many of the fans in Portland.

I would be remiss to point out a few items as well including the thunderous applause for Danielle Foxhoven as the Portland Pilot replaced the other Portland Pilot, Angie Kerr, in the 77th minute. This Thorns crowd knew their history and showed their appreciation for the local talent that many watched play just a few miles up the road.

The game was over, the team saluted the fans, the fans saluted the team and the joy was palpable in the stands. Everything went according to plan, from the fantastic tifo to the beginning of the chants to a Thorns FC 2-1 win. This was the beginning of something new, something amazing, fantastic and, despite all the prognostications and naysayers, it was something organic and authentic.

Certainly a few songs were something you might hear at a Timbers match, just like many of the songs you would hear at a Timbers match you might hear at a Livorno or Chelsea match. However, the passion, creativity and love shown to the team were authentically Portland.

A good day for one and all who came together to root on their city and their team. Next up, the Thorns take on Chicago Red Stars in Chicago. The next home game is May 16th and I hope to see you there.

Artistes! It is not too late!

107ist Admin — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:48:57 GMT

Were you distracted by all the festivities this week? Did you miss the deadline for the logo contest? Well, today’s your lucky day. We heard about some good designs out there, and we don’t want to miss them. So we are extending the contest until Thursday, April 25, at noon.

Vector files are best, but a raster file will be okay if it’s at least 12 x 12 inches at 300 dpi. I can answer questions about file types if you have them.

Email your entry to rosecityriveters@gmail.com before noon on Thursday.

So. That was fun, wasn't it?

107ist Admin — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:25:03 GMT

I’m tired. I’m very tired. But every minute has been absolutely worth it. Thank you all.

It hasn’t all been easy. At every turn, there were naysayers. “Let it grow organically.” “Don’t force it.” “Don’t try so hard.” “You’re taking this too seriously.”

Yes. We did take it seriously. And the work put in by dozens of volunteers resulted in what we saw this afternoon.

We are, as promised, setting the standard for the support of women’s soccer in North America.

I just got home and received the following email. It is posted here with the author’s permission. And I offer him my sincere thanks.

Anyone that felt the Portland Thorns FC supporters group was going to be forced from the beginning, rather than growing organically, would be very pleased by what happened today. This afternoon, we were able to see the fruits of a few dozen people’s labors. It was imperfect. It was awkward. It was committed. It was awesome.
A true test of the quality of support came early for the Rose City Riveters, as a few members were forced to ask the folks in the 200s – opened up last minute by the Thorns FO – if they would come down for a few minutes to help with the home opener tifo. As it turns out, it’s much easier for 40 people to cut a thousand seats worth of table roll than it is to fill those thousand seats. The Thorns version of the North End is going to take time to figure itself out. But when people are willing to do the prep work for the tifo, and brave enough to ask for help when the GA section is roomier than anticipated, the opportunity for a new supporters group to succeed is great.
Despite weeks of snarky comments on Twitter and elsewhere, the chants developed for the first printing of Riveters chant sheets were pretty good. No, not all were stellar, but they were fun and new, and – thankfully – not re-workings of old Timbers chants. Yes, there were PTFC chants and Rose City chants that were used word for word, but no chants featuring the word “Timbers” were used at all. This was a huge relief. We were even able to use a couple of anti-Seattle chants in the first home match. That was a nice touch.
Bottom line, we all have given the Rose City Riveters and its organizers a hard time throughout this endeavor. Turns out they were up to the task, and appear poised to move forward in a positive – and big – way as the main supporters group for the Thorns. Patch and Sunday were the only capos the entire match, and should be commended for reigning in ten sections of fans to the best of their ability. The tifo crew did a fantastic job of planning the display, getting the player two-sticks designed and painted, then presenting them to our newest athletes upon completion of the match. It was nice to be excited and enthused over something that, more often than not, was the butt of so many jokes leading up to the home opener. Yes, there will be snark in the future, as there is with anything related to Portland soccer. But if this group of supporters continues on in the same way it began, I have no doubt Jeld-Wen Field will be home to the two greatest groups of football supporters the world has ever seen.

Caterjunes

A quick trip to KC

107ist Admin — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 00:24:02 GMT

I went to the inaugural NWSL match in Kansas City this past weekend. I was one of 6,784 people to see two squads battle it out on a high school football field. I saw Christine Sinclair battle her Canadian National Teammate Desiree Scott for 90 frustrating minutes, I cheered on Dani Foxhoven when she came on in the second, and applauded the team at the final whistle. It was great fun. But it was also a very different experience than what will be happening at JELD-WEN on Sunday so I thought I would share a different perspective in the new National Women’s Soccer League.

I wanted to go to support the new league and it just happened that this first match was a Thorns FC game. From my perspective, everything was lining up so well. I have been traveling to watch the US Women’s National Team play in various US cities for the past year so I’ve made friends with other women’s soccer supporters and 5 of us met up in KC for this match. I was the only one going for the Thorns, though. Fortunately, the Rose City Riveters family is already large and I was able to meet Patricia, Tara, Colby, and Robby from Champaign, IL (a 6 hour drive) and Luke Howitt from Long Beach, CA. Together, the six of us cheered on the Thorns that night.

I knew there was a tailgate. It was stocked with sandwiches, chips, dips, soda and water. They had music blaring from a couple of cars and cornhole all set up, decked out in “Blue Crew” fashion. It was more than I was expecting for a first ever tailgate, but I was in. I got to know the founders of this supporters group, which got started almost as soon as FCKC was announced.

The tailgate didn’t have a ton of people attend or stick around, but it was a great way to network fans into something larger. Blue Crew shirts were on sale as a fundraiser so they can start to do more and they were able to sell quite a few from what I saw. People were mingling and talking about women’s soccer and it was all a very good vibe.

Getting there so early, I was able to see a lot of the set-up for the game. There was a slick Mexican food truck that ended up being one of the concession stands, a band started playing cover songs (and drowning out the tailgate music), Jimmy Johns had a tent and was giving out samples. ESPN had a reporter and a photographer there who interviewed the Blue Crew.

At one point we even started seeing the teams driving around trying to figure out where they were supposed to be.

About 2 hours before kickoff, a line at the gate started to grow. By the time they let people in, I’d estimate there were near 300 people waiting to get in. Mostly families of players, hoping to get front row seats. The seating at the Shawnee Mission Stadium is by section, so it was first come, first serve for bleacher seats. I went in and headed toward the top section, as we had a 2 stick that we wanted to keep up the whole game. That and I didn’t see many flags in the crowd so knew we could wave them proudly at the top and not interfere with anyone else’s gameday experience.

Before the match, as the stands started to fill, the six of us were joined at the top by a couple of youth clubs. These kids were cute, the younger ones interested in our swag (scarves, hats, flags) and the older ones trying to talk smack about the Thorns or talk up KC. It was adorable. We let them wave the flags, we told them about the Rose City Riveters, and we even tried to get them to participate in PT-FC, at least until the older kids realized we were converting them. During the game, the kids went and sat by their parents and we were closed in on by more fans and families.

When the teams came out for the first time, the Blue Crew got loud. They were having a blast. They even had a Rosie two-stick, though I don’t know what it said. I don’t think it was a slight in our direction, as we had just announced our SG name that week.

I won’t write much about the game, as I’m not an analyst, but I will say that our players looked tired. The crowd seemed into it, from what we could tell. Again, we were at the top of the bleachers, but we heard the Blue Crew horns and drums for most of the game. A lot of the same songs were played on repeat, and we would interject “Thorns” in where we could to sing along. We weren’t prepared with many chants or all that organized, but we stood and had fun the whole game.

At half they played a couple of audience participation games and had a couple of mascots come out and interact with the crowd. A lot like what I’ve seen at Pilots games over the years.

The second half it started to cool down a bit (it had been about 70 degrees at kickoff, cooled down to maybe 50 degrees) and around the 75th minute I noticed that the crowd was thinning out a bit. We started chanting “Game’s not over!!” as it looked like the majority of people leaving were across the stadium, then the people in front of us left. I wouldn’t say it was a mass exodus, as a majority of people stayed until the end, but I was surprised by how many people left before the final whistle.

After the final whistle, the teams made the rounds to thanks the crowd, as expected. We waved our flags as the Thorns came over. It was a nice moment.

Then there were The Autographs. A phenomenon I’ve only seen in women’s soccer. Crowds of fans waiting for players to acknowledge them. A lot of FCKC fans looking to get Morgan’s autograph were a little distraught that she was whisked off to the side right away. We didn’t stick around to get any autographs, but it took us a little while to take down our 2 stick that was zip-tied to the top of the bleachers so we saw a lot of the hub-bub.

We stopped by the merch table on the way out to see if they had any “Inaugural Match” gear but it was all FCKC gear. Some different stuff I haven’t seen from the Thorns yet, like stadium seats, mini soccer balls, lapel pins, and the more basic stuff like kits, hats, tees.

All in all, I had a great time at the game, wished our team did better but it felt good to get the first match out of the way. Also, we met up with some KC supporters at the local pub, Sully’s and had some good talks about women’s soccer and our new markets. Everything I could ask for from 31 hours in Kansas City, really.

All the f-words

107ist Admin — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:19:32 GMT

Let me just start by saying that I was hesitant to post this here. I was considering posting my views on this particular subject on my personal blog because I don’t want the group to have to deal with any backlash it might cause.

But the backlash began long before I started writing so here we are anyway.

We, your faithful steering committee, have gotten a couple of inquiries as to whether or not the Rose City Riveters will be more “family friendly” than the Timbers Army.

If it were entirely left up to me, my stock answer would be,”Well, that’s going to depend on your family.”

Sports fans – and soccer fans in particular – tend to be a tad saltier than the general populace. We yell louder, we sing louder, we live louder and, yes, sometimes we might swear. In public. Where people might hear us.

And, for those who harbor ill feelings toward the Timbers Army because of its choice not to police (aside from instances of racism or homophobia) the language of supporters in the North End of Jeld-Wen, I’ll happily point out the 5,000+ volunteer hours the TA has performed in the community over the last year.

I’ll also point out dozens of kids who have grown up in the atmosphere surrounding the Timbers Army. They’re good kids. Smart kids. Kids whose parents have explained to them the difference between regular, everyday language and stadium language. Their parents consider this a learning opportunity, a chance to learn about loyalty, community pride, and about how people sometimes have differing opinions.

So, there it is. Taking a cue, as we so often already have, from our brothers and sisters in the Timbers Army, we will be on the lookout for racism and homophobia, but we’re not going to tell you not to drop an occasional frustrated f-bomb.

For those who believe the potential for questionable language will damage the future of our team and/or its league, I humbly suggest you click here for a little insight.

Match Recap – Portland Thorns versus FC Kansas City

107ist Admin — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:18:24 GMT

Two minutes and seventeen seconds after the ball was put into play in the inaugural game of the National Women’s Soccer League, the players for FC Kansas city celebrated together just outside the 18 yard box. Two minutes and seventeen seconds into their first game and the Portland Thorns nose was bloodied.

Coming into the first game of the year many pundits declared the Thorns championship contenders, but all it took was a ball played into a dangerous area, Rachel Buehler making a mistake and suddenly Renae Cuellar slotted the ball past Karina Leblanc for the first goal in NWSL history.

Suddenly all the prognostications, ideals and guesses went out the window and the Portland Thorns reached that point of realization that they were indeed playing competitive soccer against a very good team and they indeed had to work at this. However, the reality is that this is a team (right now) in name only.

This Thorns 2013 season will be a work in progress as evidenced by the issues with passing, connection and positioning on the field. During the first half, possession was squandered repeatedly with long hopeful balls up the field as the Thorns seemingly intended to bypass their midfield and get the ball into the feet of their two most dangerous players, Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair.

When they did have the ball in the midfield, several times Allie Long and Angie Kerr had problems linking up and finding the ability to switch the field to open up the play.

Certainly one must give credit to FC Kansas city as they pressed through the midfield with the wind of a opening game, a sold out crowd, and the intent of disrupting the time that the Thorns had on the ball. The tactic worked as frequently the Thorns were turned back at connecting through the midfield or launched hopeless balls up-field Seemingly the Thorns were trying to “get up” at FC Kansas City quickly through the air, but the back two pairing for Kansas City were able to blanket and neutralize Sinclair and Morgan leaving them isolated up top.

However, at the start of the second half, the Thorns started showing their qualities with better link up play and better pressing. While still missing that complete telepathic connection necessary to really be able to play with trust, the Thorns started connecting passes through the midfield a bit more than they had in the first half.

The introduction of Danielle Foxhoven at the 64th minute and the small shift of the Thorns to a quasi 4-3-2-1 with Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair (at times) settling in behind Foxhoven seemed to provide a better attacking formation that allowed the Thorns to begin testing the FC Kansas City back line. Foxhoven became the tip of the spear and the move paid off almost immediately as Foxhoven was bundled over by Lauren Sesselmann in the box and the Thorns were awarded a penalty kick. Now this wasn’t the most stonewall penalty that you are going to see, but the intent of Foxhoven and the pass from Allie Long forced Kari Seitz to make a call and make a call she did. Thorns captain Christine Sinclair stepped up to the ball and dispatched the very first goal in Thorns NWSL history.

There were times in both the second and first half where the brilliance would shine, the Thorns would keep position, they would pass, move, connect and threaten, but this style was few and far between and the ability of FC Kansas City to press, recover and hit on the counter attack disrupted the flow of the Thorns. Truth be told, the play was very scrappy at times for both teams as they looked like two groups that were still feeling out how to play with their new teammates. Given the high number of international players on both teams, the plain fact is that many of the players (like Morgan, Sinclair, Leblanc, Cuellar, Cheney) were playing with their National Teams these past few weeks rather than solely working on the bond with their new club teammates. I would posit that the real shape of both Portland and Kansas City will not be known until much farther along in the season.

Going forward into the home opener against that fishing village to the north, the Thorns will hopefully be able to use the next week to work on the communication, spacing and positioning issues with the back four and the midfield. Given that the full team only had roughly two full games together in the pre-season (minus of course the absent-til-summer Tobin Heath), it makes sense that the Thorns would look choppy. Fans can look forward to the gelling of the starting 11 and a better representation of the Thorns playing style in the future. Next week at Jeld Wen Field I expect a raucous crowd of (potentially) over 15,000 pushing the Thorns on to a great performance.

24 Hours to Go...

107ist Admin — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 00:14:16 GMT

Good day, gentle people of Portland, I greet you from a new location (the By Any Other Name Blog) roughly 24 hours from the very first kick of the National Women’s Soccer League.

I’ll be writing recaps of games and general analysis here, and I do hope that you will join me after the games to talk Thorns.

Having said that… what do we talk about right now?

We talk about Portland and the Portland Thorns.

Now there has been hubub about everything in regards to the Thorns, the NWSL, the league structure, players (Oh HAI Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan), supporters group names, scarves and even what t-shirt that the common supporter should wear to the game.

What can be lost in all this drama is the reason we support.

The Portland Thorns are new, yes. However the history of women’s soccer that exists in Portland is long and its legacy great. In my mind, the reason to support the Thorns has very little to do with simply “needing to support the NWSL” but rather everything to do with Team and Town. Now, you may notice that in the equation we don’t have the “RCR”. That’s because the foundation of that organization in every form is being built NOW. Right now, the plans are being laid in place for the shape of the support for the Thorns. If you have ever wanted to paint new flags, create new traditions, sing new songs that show your love of town and team, now is your opportunity. The slate for the Thorns is clean, but backed up by the experience and wealth of knowledge brought to a bubble by the 100+ year history of the game in Portland, and (for many) the years of experience within the construct of the Timbers Army. The demand for and love of soccer in this city is such that fans can’t wait for even the first kick to show their love of this city and the women that play for it.

And that brings us to the crux of this matter:

This city and the women that play for it. There is history here with this squad. This isn’t just some loose organization of player with no tie to the area. Rather there are players here who truly love this special place.

“They (the NWSL) asked for four cities and my four cities were Portland, Portland, Portland, and Portland” – Christine Sinclair – Extra Time Radio Interview

Christine Sinclair arrived for college in Portland in 2001. She did just about everything possible that could be done on a collegiate level for the Portland Pilots. She was Freshman of the Year, won two national championships, won the Hermann Trophy (top women’s soccer player of the year in college) TWICE, won the award for college woman athlete of the year, and set the all time division 1 goal scoring record. For some she is the best player in the world (although many could point to the OTHER forward for the Thorns, Alex Morgan). The ties between Sinclair, the Portland Timbers, and local Portland soccer extend as the coach for Sinclair at the University of Portland was the irreplaceable Clive Charles. Charles passed away of prostate cancer the year after Sinclair and the Pilots women won the 2002 NCAA National Championship.

This was no small incident of one man having a small impact on someones life though as Sinclair indicated in an interview on the Portland Thorns website.

“Being recruited by many schools, he was the only coach that seemed to care about you as a person first and an athlete, second or third. My parents used to rent a house from him up in Burnaby well before I was even born. It’s just a small world. I have known Clive for my whole life, not very well at first, but when he came up to recruit me, he wanted to go hang out with my grandparents. It’s just weird how it all happened.

“The first thing that crosses my mind always is winning Clive that National Championship. It being the last game he ever coached and just seeing him hugging the trophy after they presented it to our team,”

Read the full interview here on the Portland Thorns website

You can see the love that Sinclair has for Charles, and for Portland when she talks. To me, it isn’t just talk as she showed when she was back in Portland for training.

Christine Sinclair visits Clive Charles grave

This is the continued legacy that we ask for, the connection the Portland fans demand from the players: an understanding of the town, of the people who shaped soccer in the area, and a love of the things that make Portland a tremendous place to live.

It isn’t just Sinclair but players like Danielle Foxhoven and Angie Kerr (both Portland alumni) who bring that connection of Town and Team. It is up to the fans to reinforce the triangle and bring the connection of all three ideals of supporting the Thorns, Portland and the Rose City Riveters to light as we all gather to watch the Thorns play their first few games.

There will be bumps in the road, both in terms of team and support. However, the unifying tie of Portland, the love of the beautiful game, and the bonds of friendship that this close community will create are what bring us together in the stands.

This isn’t just a women’s team, or a men’s team. This is a team that represents Portland. It may be new, but it is ours.

New isn’t a dirty word, it isn’t a word indicative of something bad, it is a word that means “Not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time.”

Whilst the Thorns may not yet be entrenched in your heart, that is because this is a first date. Some of us will fall in love at first sight, some of us will fall in love when we learn the personality and character of our date; and some of us might swoon at the play. To grow in love is to experience life together, to share in that common bond of highs, lows and to understand those items that not only are positive, but (as well) negative.

As Joe Strummer once said “The Future is Unwritten.”

We are creating this future, one brick at a time, one email at a time, one player at a time and it is on the backs of the fans that this team will grow.

Now, let us gather once more to root on Portland, to sing for our city and our team as we have before.

Onward.

John Nyen

A call to arms...err, artists.

107ist Admin — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:13:10 GMT

Hey, artsy types. We need your help.

Now that we’ve settled on a name, we’re going to need a badge. We need something that represents us, that tells our story, that helps people understand all of the things we stand for.

Here come those words again: dedication, strength, perseverance, loyalty, community.

You can do this.

Please send your designs to rosecityriveters@gmail.com by noon April 21st. We’ll pick the top four or five to present to the world and the winning design will eventually be used, well, EVERYWHERE. For your trouble, we’ll set you up with the new scarf when it comes out as well as copies of whatever items your crest appears on this season. In addition, you will receive FAME and GLORY. And, if you’re of age, someone somewhere will probably buy you a beer, though that’s not guaranteed.*

Here’s the fine print: any and all submissions become the property of Rose City Riveters and may be reproduced in the future at the discretion of RCR.

*Okay, if you win, I’ll buy you a beer. But I’ll need to see your ID first if you look like you might be under 30.

By any other name...

107ist Admin — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:12:19 GMT

We united under the Thorns Alliance banner for one purpose: to support Portland Thorns FC.

Forty-five of us gathered in a house in Northeast Portland on a cold January night. We laughed, we argued, we brainstormed ideas. How do we go about this whole thing? What needs to be done? Flags and tifo, chants and drums, a social media presence. What else?

An identity.

Dedication. Strength. Perseverance.

Loyalty. Community.

How do you convey all of this?

Well, I think we’ve managed to do that with the name we’ve chosen.

The poll went up four nights ago. Voting was close and, at the end of the day, the name chosen is Rose City Riveters.

We’re all familiar with the image of Rosie the Riveter. She was a composite of many different “Rosies,” women who went to work in the defense industry in the ’40s. In Seattle, Rosies went to work for Boeing. In Detroit, they built automobiles. In Portland, they worked for the Kaiser shipyards. At one point in those war years, two-thirds of Portland’s workforce worked for Kaiser, many of them women who had never before worked outside the home.

It was a time in our history when many people were called to serve their country in many ways. It was a time that required that everyone do their part.

In Portland, it was a time of change. In addition to Portland’s Rosies, people came from across the country to work for Kaiser, many purely out of a sense of duty. When affordable housing was scarce, Kaiser lobbied the federal government to build Vanport. And when soldiers began returning from the war and required retraining to enter the workforce, the Vanport Extension Center was opened. After the Vanport Flood of 1948, VEC moved into downtown Portland and became what we now know as Portland State University.

So, there’s your bit of Portland history. Now, about those rivets.

In the simplest of terms, rivets are the things that hold stuff together.

Recognizing that two professional women’s soccer leagues have failed in recent history, we believe that now more than ever, it is the responsibility of supporters and supporters groups to be the rivets that hold this new league together. Owners and players can only give so much. If we don’t show up to support – and show up en masse – the league will crumble as those that came before.

And more than that, because of where we are, here in Soccer City, USA, the bar is set pretty high. We will set the standard for the support of women’s professional soccer in the United States.

Get ready.

Rose City Riveters

By Any Other Name

Looking toward the future

107ist Admin — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:11:48 GMT

A post went up on the Facebook page last night offering options for the renaming of what is now the Thorns Alliance and asking people to carefully consider and vote for the one that best represents this group.

While we would love to be able to hold tight to the Thorns Alliance name, we would also like to avoid any sort of trademark issues like the ones the 107ist has been dealing with over the last year, most recently the dispute with MLS over the rights to the Cascadia Cup. The 107ist has been incredibly helpful to us and the last thing we want to do is add an undue burden to their already heavy workload.

Thanks to all who have participated in the process thus far. The poll will be up until Sunday at 5 p.m.

So, tell me about that Thorns Alliance scarf I’ve been seeing…

107ist Admin — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:10:14 GMT

If you were at the friendly at Merlo yesterday, or if you’ve been on the Facebook page, you’ve probably seen The Scarf.

It’s pretty simple, a red and black bar scarf with red and green fringe. “Thorns Alliance” appears in white on one side and, on the other, the words “BY ANY OTHER NAME.” It’s a pretty sharp-looking piece and, suddenly, everyone wants one.

But here’s the problem: they were done in a very limited run by an individual, not the group. If you’re lucky enough to have one in your possession, treasure it. It is unlikely that another run will be produced without some significant changes.

We’re hopeful that, sometime in the future, we will grow to be a large enough group that a scarf run will be possible, but it will be different than the scarf that has already been produced.

In the meantime, your best bet is joining the Facebook group and checking the discussion there to see if anyone has an extra they’d like to sell or trade.

Thorns Supporters Game Day FAQ

107ist Admin — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:08:54 GMT

Q. I want to stand, chant, and wave flags during matches. Where in the stadium should I go?
A. General Admission at Thorns matches is Sections 101-110. The supporters group will stand in Section 107 and will spread out to Sections 106-108 as 107 fills up. You should expect your views in the supporters section to be obscured with waving flags, and your ears to be filled with chants which may get salty. We also stand all game long. If you’re in the supporters section, you’re expected to participate! It is up to us to make all that joyous noise to propel our team to victory. If someone urges you to sing, don’t get mad, get LOUD.

Q. What is everybody singing? I want to sing but I don’t know the words.
A. Look around for someone giving out red and yellow cards. No, no, not the ref. Someone in the stands. Those cards have the lyrics to the current group of chants on them.

You may also see people who don’t seem to be watching the game. They are focused on singing. They face the crowd, not the game, and they mouth the words very carefully. These people are called capos* and are there to help you learn the words. They are also important in large crowds since they keep us all singing the same verse at the same time so songs don’t turn into rounds. Watch them closely and follow their lead.

Q. Oh! I see the capos! They’re on that cool stage in front of 107! Can I go on it? Can I let my kids climb into the smaller capo nests? Can me and my buddies go up and hang out in the flag cage?
A. No.

Q. I want to spend the whole game sitting down quietly and looking at my phone/video game. Where should I go?
A. I think you know the answer to that.

Q. The flags are awesome. Where did they come from?
A. The flags belong to the 107ist, a non-profit organization that you should join today. Members of the supporters group decorated some of the flags—you can get involved doing this too! If there’s a flag at your seat, you should wave it! Try to be considerate of the people around you and the flow of the game.

THE FLAGS ARE NOT GIFTS.

LEAVE THEM IN THE STADIUM AFTER THE MATCH.

If you see someone stealing a flag, alert someone official. The flag budget is limited, and the ones we have need to last all season.
If you want to help out by rolling your flag back up after the game, gathering flags, or bringing them back up to the top of the stairs, you are warmly invited to do so and it will be very much appreciated.

Q. How do you come up with chants?
A. Different members of the supporters group suggest chants and we try them out. The best ones take off! To take part in our chant discussions, join the forums on this site and post your ideas!

Q. What if I come up with a great chant idea at the game?
A. Try it out! If there’s not another chant going on, just yell it out. Teach it to the people around you; chants have a better chance of catching on if a few people are singing them.

Q. I have a great idea for a two-stick banner. What should I do?
A. Make it! Here’s a very helpful forum post with instructions from our own JNyen. Here are some handy tips from the Timbers Army. There are a few conventions you’ll want to keep in mind when creating your own flags and banners.

Q. What was that spectacular thing that happened right after the National Anthem?
A. For some games, there are coordinated displays. They are called tifo. Sometimes a tifo display involves the participation of some or all of the supporters, so if you get to your seat and there are instructions there, please read them and be sure the people around you do the same and follow them carefully. The creation of larger tifo displays often requires a lot of people to help in the weeks and days before a match.

Q. I totally want to get involved with creating tifo! I want to play drums! I want to be a capo! I want to help in some other way!
A. Those aren’t questions, but your enthusiasm is admirable. Just join the forums on this site and participate in discussions in the Volunteer Opportunities forum. This is currently where we issue calls for help with tifo painting and setup. You can also ask around at games to find members of the game day crew.

*Note to the writer of the linked article: Of course there are female capos out there, silly boy.

Almost there...

107ist Admin — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:08:02 GMT

Every passing day brings us a little closer to seeing our Thorns on the pitch at Jeld-Wen for the first time in competition in the NWSL.

Tifo plans are underway, chants are being fine-tuned. We’re. Almost. There.

Now’s the time to get involved. Now’s the time to get stuck in.

107 Independent Supporters Trust Riveters Blog

Home Opener Display - Further Reading

Commerce, Clima te, and Community: A History of Portland and its People

Dear Providence Park...

Today and Always: Trans People Belong

2025 Player Gift

2025 Supporters Player of the Year Winner: Olivia Moultrie

Painting Thoughts

2024 Player Gift

Hina Sugita - 2024 Rose City Riveters’ Supporters’ Player of the Year

A Thorns Game Is More Than Just Soccer: The Rose City Riveters

A Chance to Get Stuck In!

There Is No Pride in Freedom Without Freedom From Genocide

Riveters' Prideraiser 2024 Campaign: Outside In

Rose City Riveters Membership Survey - Reflections

The Riveters Steering Committee Meets with the Bhathals

Riveters Steering Committee & Thorns Ownership Meeting

Portland Thorns FC SOLD - Riveters’ Statement

Thorns Player Gifts, pt 11: The Bon Bon Box

Morgan Weaver - 2023 Rose City Riveters’ Supporters’ Player of the Year

Kling x RivetGear x Stand Together Collab!

Tell us about all the 2023 World Cup Watch Parties!

Riveters' Prideraiser 2023 Campaign Benefits New Avenues for Youth / SMYRC

Dear Providence Park...

Celebrating Three Stars - Merch Design Contest

Submission Guidelines and How to Enter:

Design Guidelines and Parameters:

Reflections on Joy and Community

Thorns Player Gifts — Year 10

Call for Messages of Support

An open letter to my fellow supporters of the Portland Thorns

Dear Players of the Portland Thorns

Sophia Smith - 2022 Rose City Riveters’ Player of the Year

2022 Riveters Supporters' Player of the Year Voting Open!

What's Next?

What's In A Name?

Statement on the Hiring of Karina LeBlanc as Thorns GM

Angela Salem - 2021 Rose City Riveters Player of the Year

The Protest Continues...

Statement from the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee

I don’t think we are alone in the North End anymore

Orlando Away Travel - Protect Trans Kids, Let Them Play!

Capos Return With Inclusive Chants

Reforming the Riveters, Remembering our Roots, and Recognizing our Obligations

Guest Blog from Rachel Greenough

Dear Christine!

Dear Becky!

Pleasurable labors: activist fandom, sport communities, and the performance of place

Christmas Day Mobility With Capo Sato!

Card Campaign- from a fellow Riveter

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BYCAP 2020

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Guest Blog: A Portland Thorns Primer

ACTS: Activating Communities Through Support — An NWSL Supporters Initiative

Thank You for Volunteering!

Donation Drive for Urban League of Portland

Now is the Time

Face Masks for the Community and Opportunities

From the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee

Community Outreach in the Time of Pandemic

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Commerce, Clima
te, and Community: A History of Portland and its People

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