No Pity City

Maybe it is the players on the field, but the Timbers Army seems to be having quite an affect on games this season at Jeld-Wen Field.

In three games, the Portland Timbers have scored six goals, with all of them into the North goal - the net directy in front of the Timbers Army.

It's not a situation for coach John Spencer or other older players such as team captain Jack Jewsbury, who view it as a coincidence, but younger players such as Darlington Nagbe, who's scored twice in that direction, and Jean Andrew-Baptiste, who's scored once, have noticed it.

"Yes, some of us have noticed it," Nagbe said after the Timbers lost 2-1 to Chivas USA Saturday. "It seems like there's more energy going that way and that plays a role in the game."

The Army seems to have had an affect on opposing teams, too, as both goals Chivas USA scored were into the North net.

Of the 12 goals scored this season in three games at Jeld-Wen, nine have been to the North.

Portland's role on the field got an answer Monday as the Timbers brought in defender Brett Evans for a trial after back Lovel Palmer got outpaced for a pair of crosses that turned into assists Saturday.

The Army and Palmer will be key points of discussion tonight during the weekly episode of No Pity City, which begins live on oregonsports.com at 8:30 p.m. from the Bulldog Tavern in Southwest Portland. The episode can be viewed on this page with viewers able to chat live with hosts Cliff Pfenning and Mike Donovan.

Live video from your Android device on Ustream

So, just what impact does Portland have on the soccer world outside of Portland?

At oregonsports.com, we're working to promote the passion of the local community across the world with the web series No Pity City, which is scheduled to be broadcast every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m.

Portland might be Soccer City, USA, and have the best fans in the world, but that's only known throughout the Northwest, south of Seattle. The World Wide Web is about to change that.

And, not it a polite way. Which is how Portland rolls.

Portland's professional soccer community fanbase, anyway.

Most of the world sees Portland as a community of pleasant, biking, multicultural vegans who enjoy a pint or two at a local microbrewery. When their Nike overseers allow.

The Rose City is a pretty isolated pro sports community. The Timbers can only alter that through championship-level play.

At oregonsports.com, we're undertaking the challenge of promoting Portland's soccer passion to the world through No Pity City, our web series devoted to showcasing Soccer in Portland, starting with the Timbers, and unshowcasing the challenges the Timbers face each week.

We'll be covering much more than the Timbers, but it starts there, especially the No Pity portion.

"There's no pity in the Rose City" has been a comfortably chant at Timbers games for years, but it's headed for the world on oregonsports.com, every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m.

Publisher Cliff Pfenning and beat reporter Mike Donovan and a weekly guest delve into the game and its impact on the community and world, with contributions from fans across the world via the NPC Chat Room.