The photo was sent to me by Juliet Dwyer, the daughter of Steve Pataki, who's the white-shirted gent in the front row. Juliet will be getting back to me with more information about her dad, SC Germania and amateur soccer in Portland in the 70s.
I had my first experience watching soccer played as it was supposed to be played in 1975 at Civic Stadium when the Timbers franchise launched. I'd had a rough introduction to the idea of the game in 1969 as a PE class at Portland State--an elective. The first class was held in the mud at Duniway Park where scores of college students with no idea of the game squared off in two teams and began chasing the ball. The instructor, who was the football coach, was out there running around with us. I ended up taking a direct hit to my upper calf in a challenge for the ball and was carried back to campus with my leg hemorrhaging
subdural blood. I never got another crack at the class as I was purple from the knee down for weeks. These experiences led to my signing up for a PP&R summer recreational program in 1977 and the beginning of my own soccer career.
I look forward to discovering more about Steve Pitaki and his teammates in future posts. These players were the torchbearers of the game for many years. Germania, in particular, was notable because they had existed before the war but understandably were not active during the war years. After the war, Germania returned under the auspices of the Germania Sports Club and continued to be a powerhouse into the 80s and beyond.
