Seeking the green for MLS

We didn’t actually count the kelly-green high-tops, jerseys, scarves, etc., at the Portland Building on Tuesday. Which is too bad.

Clearly, though, the Portland Timbers-infused crowd was going for an understated look — flashes and touches of green rather than full-on, head-to-toe immersion. Still, you knew a coup d’etat had taken place.

A bedraggled platoon, the Timbers Army, had pretty much taken over the hearing room.

The fans were there to urge the city’s Major League Soccer Task Force to help bring a team to town. (And “fan,” by the way, might be too cool and remote a term to describe true Timbers devotion.) Even if you’ve never attended a soccer match, though, you could see why they’re excited.

Next week, the MLS task force will make a recommendation on Timbers’ owner Merritt Paulson’s proposal to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to town. To have an owner of Paulson’s caliber swooping in and offering to buy a team is a rare opportunity, one that the City Council shouldn’t squander.

– Excerpt from The Oregonian Editorial, February 26, 2009