Timbers Army comes out in full force to support a youngster and his dream; soccer players are smart; Brazil's World Cup organizers are dumb; a look at early-season MLS attendance.
BY
Noah Davis
Posted
May 02, 2013
8:40 AM
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The city of Portland gets a lot of grief (deservedly so, we might argue), but man, it really turned out in full force on Wednesday. Atticus Lane-Dupre, an eight-year-old boy diagnosed with cancer, made a wish that he and his Green Machine could take on the Timbers at JELD-WEN Field and the organizations that be made it happen. Lane-Dupre scored four goals, including the game-winner, in a 10-9 victory. More than 3,000 fans showed up to support the squads, which: Wow. Watch this and tell us if you don't cry. Well done, Portland. Well done.
Major League Soccer attendance is down around eight percent, but there are mitigating factors including an earlier season start (cold weather!), the lack of expansion teams, and fewer games in big venues. All in all, not something Commissioner Garber needs to concern himself with too much.
The Brasilia police cancelled an order for 17,000 raincoats because next summer's World Cup will be played during the dry season. The jackets would have cost $2.66 million, which works out to $156.47 per garment. May we suggest ponchos?
You know why Mr. Kljestan can have deep thoughts? Because soccer players are super smart. According to a new study, "when professional soccer players were tested on 'executive function'—a key aspect in memory, multitasking, and creativity—they scored significantly higher than the general population." We can think of more than a few examples that directly contradict that report, but whatever.
