Though the Portland Timbers did not have any representatives playing for the
MLS All-Stars in their 2-1 win Wednesday night over the English Premier League's Tottenham Hotspur
, there was definitely a strong Soccer City, USA presence in Colorado.
On Tuesday, during Tottenham's open training session, a Timbers fan managed to offer a Timbers Army scarf to former Seattle Sounders defender DeAndre Yedlin. Yedlin, a 2014 MLS All-Star and U.S. international who now plays for Tottenham, took the autograph request in stride and in good humor.
Photo: Chrisfarlow on Reddit
While there was much discussion all week about a return to a West vs. East match-up for the MLS All-Star Game
, there was a game that did feature two teams from the West and East of MLS.
Also on Tuesday, MLS and Special Olympics North America hosted a special 7v7 Unified Sports short-sided West vs. East game. Featuring players with and without intellectual disabilities, the West team won 3-2.
Travis Koski and Omar Perez Lopez, the two Portland representatives, were busy all week as they played in the game, participated in the MLS WORKS Day of Service and Koski was interviewed on the Dick's Sporting Goods Field pitch at halftime of the MLS All-Star Game Wednesday night.
Timbers fans work in the community was recognized as well as Karen Wright, director of Yamhill Carlton Soccer Club, was named the MLS Community MVP. Wright, who started and runs the youth soccer club in Carlton, Ore., beat out 19 other finalists--one representative from each MLS team--and was awarded a $10,000 check to be used for her organization.
Of course, it wouldn't be an MLS All-Star Game without some Timbers fans in the audience, either.
