Hello!

First of all sorry if my english is not that great. Its not my native language.

My name is Peter, I am 34 years old and I am from germany. Since a few years I am following north american soccer.

I am fan of a german club since I was a young child and my father took me to the matches. Even though the team lost all the matches i saw with my father and in that year we were relegated from the Bundesliga to the second devision I became a enthusiastic fan.

I cant tell when and why it began but maybe 6 or 7 years ago i started to notice about soccer in north america. And my interest has grown from "reading some scores" into watching some matches regulary.

So because all the franchises (its a really interesting story about the different culture between north american franchises system and the german organisation as "clubs". But nowadays because of the big money you can say more and more german soccer clubs are something like franchises you know from North American Sports.) ...were was I? So because all the franchises in the MLS were unfamiliar to me I followed some franchises which have a great athmosphere/fans/stadium.

And oh man you Portland Timbers Fans are so great! What an audience in every match. Way louder and more creative Chants then many german Bundesliga clubs and all clubs of the second division. And for me having great fans/a terrific athmosphere is more or at least as important then having the greatest soccer players/playing the greatest soccer in the world. Thats why I am not thaaaaaaaaat interested in the british premier league for example.

At least Portland Timbers and some others don't have to hide from european soccer culture and I can imagine that you Timbers fans are very proud of your athmosphere and spirit! I got infected by that and I am a fan of your Team since then.

The great thing for me (and of cause all interested german/european soccer fans) is that Eurosport (THE european sport Channel) got the rights (?) to broadcast MLS full live Matches since this season and for at least the next 5 years.

So especially in germany several MLS Matches are broadcasted in national german television (eurosport is a "free tv" channel in germany)every week. And now in the playoffs EVERY match was/will be live broadcasted. The only bad thing is that its late at night here when the matches starts.

Sorry if I am using so many words. I just want to express from a german point of view how fantastic North American soccer culture has evolved in the last years.

And last night was so great. I watched the match live at 3 o clock in the morning (i didnt care) and i was so engrossed in the match and rooting for your timbers. Equalizing the game in extra time at such a late point gave me so many goosebumps (especially because it reminds me of a similar goal for my club. We once shot the equalizer in the 120th minute in the roung of 16 in the german cup). And then the penalty shootout. Never seen so much drama in a penalty shootout before. In germany there is famous phrase called "Geschichten die nur der Fußball schreibt" (Only soccer can write such stories).

That was definitely Fußballgeschichte!

Since months I was thinking about making a post like this to tell your timbers fans that you have a huge fan from germany cheering for your franchise and North american soccer in general. I keep my fingers crossed that MLS will keep on getting more and more significance in the world soccer culture!

One question: Portland Timbers doesnt have a discussion forum? In germany every soccer club has one or several big discussion forums.

I wish you best of luck for the rest of the playoffs and of cause in the finals then! :)

I dont have any Portland Timber merchandise but on sunday at 11 p.m. german time i will sit again in my unicolored green shirt and "Drücke die daumen" / keep fingers crossed!

Best regards

Peter