October 14, Portland, Oregon: Portland Thorns fans at Bazi Bierbrasserie enjoy the national championship game. The Portland Thorns won the National Women’s Soccer League Championship, defeating the North Carolina Courage 1-0 on a Lindsey Horan goal at the 50th minute.
By 10:30 am, three hours before the 2017 NWSL Final would kick off, fans stood in line outside Bazi Bierbrasserie waiting for it it to open. The Portland Thorns were about to face the North Carolina Courage in the championship, the same team that knocked them out of the finals last year. In fact with no stadium to gather in, fans all around the city of Portland began to descend on soccer bars, along with a few non-soccer bars coaxed into flipping on the Lifetime channel, hours before the game would start to ensure they’d have a spot to watch.
October 14, Portland, Oregon: Portland Thorns fans celebrate Lindsey Horan’s game winning goal (Photo by John Rudoff).
Once the Lifetime movie had ended and coverage of the championship came on, the crowd began to settle. When Meghan Klingenberg appeared on the screen there was an obvious hush as she talked about last year’s semi-final loss to the then Western New York Flash, “Last year it was devastating losing in front of our home fans, in front of all of these people that have given us so much support throughout the season.” Fans in the bar could be seen nodding along as she spoke, thinking back to the hurt from last season. It was a hard fought game and a tough loss.
Klingenberg continued, “We want to be able to pay that back. We want to win not only for us but for our city.” The crowds began to clap, tap their drinks against the tables and nod even more emphatically. There is a mutual respect between fans and athletes in any city. A deep sense of support that can be felt across any number of miles and at that moment the city of Portland was sending their love to the Thorns.
Throughout the match each run, each hit was met with a guttural reaction from the crowd. Hands flew in the air, frowns contorted into smiles, tension eased into sighs of relief. Attempts were made to will the ball into the back of the net through curses and shouts. This city was ready for another championship and with a tap of Lindsey Horan’s cleat, it was won.
For the next 45 minutes the intensity increased as Thorns’ fans became even more vocal, nervously watching the clock. As the last gasps from the Courage were deterred one run after the other, the whistle was finally blown. The roar from the crowd reverberated down the street. Relief and joy rippled through the fans as they watched the Portland Thorns celebrating on the field. Then one after another glasses were raised toward the TV screens, a toast to the champions – from Portland with love.
October 14, Portland, Oregon: A toast to the NWSL champs (Photo by John Rudoff).
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