There's no question that on a given day and a given pitch, football is a game that can provide surprises. And that was the emotion I felt on logging on to the international friendly between Spain and Argentina and discovering that Spain, with fifteen minutes left, was down 3-0. I watched with puzzlement, particularly as the Spaniards seemed to be playing with their typical measured pace and, as I watched, scored a nice goal. So there was a sense of the surreal. I guessed that the Argentines, stinging after South Africa, felt they had something to prove in front of their home fans. I guessed as well that Spain rested some of their best players and perhaps arrived somewhat complacently. And then, as I continued to watch, the South Americans scored yet another goal making the final score 4-1. Regardless of the reasons, it is a stinging slap to Spain which has lost only two matches in recent years.
Last evening I also saw that our crew, the Timbers, have clinched a playoff spot in USL. I've heard that playoff matches are likely to be held in Hillsboro Stadium. If so, that's going to be an interesting logistics challenge. The team's been pulling nearly 16,000 fans a game. And the stadium only holds 7,000. Maybe a few more with temporary seating. But it will still be a challenge. Perhaps they can put up big screen televisions downtown and let people watch as they did for the MLS unveiling during World Cup. I plan on being at the games myself.
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