An Unparalleled Atmosphere
To many fans throughout the United States, Jeld-Wen field has become the definition of the burgeoning passion for soccer in the United States.
Located in the heart of Soccercity, USA (aka Portland, Oregon), the atmosphere that Jeld-Wen field creates game-in and game-out has made Portland a destination for those seeking a magical atmosphere both in the stands and on the pitch.
Once known as Multnomah, Jeld-Wen Field has come a very long ways ever since it was first built for $500,000 in 1926.
Originally designed as a multi-function stadium that included sports such as baseball and football, this historic stadium has already gone through four different names: Multnomah field (the original name), Civic Stadium, PGE Park, and finally Jeld-Wen Field.
Though all of the stadiums had their own special aura, Jeld-wen, more than any other, seems to have a certain magic behind it that makes it stand out above the rest.
Two occupants currently call Jeld-Wen Field home: The MLS affiliated Portland Timbers and the Portland State University Viking football team, though it is really the first that creates the atmosphere Jeld-Wen has become world-renowned for.
The Setting
With an intimate setting (able to host a capacity of 22,000 people) filled with a booming Timber’s army, Jeld-Wen field exemplifies the fact that sometimes, size does not matter.
As stated above Jeld-Wen Field is able to host an expanded capacity crowd of 22,000 people, and that is often compared to the record-setting MLS crowds their hated rival, the Seattle Sounders have been able to draw.
Playing in Century Link Stadium (which is also host to the Seattle Seahawks), the Seattle Sounders have averaged over 36,000 fans per game in each of their MLS season, something Sounders fans love to boast about when talking with their rivals from 3 hours South.
The noise from the Timbers Army seems to resonate from game start to game end.
However, one thing that Century Link Stadium lacks in comparison to Jeld-Wen is that intimate feeling that is made, thus producing an acoustic pleasure as thousands of fans chant and cheer for their beloved Rose City warriors.
While there are plenty of boisterous fans at Sounders games (Gorilla FC), their noise sometimes evaporates into the 67,000 capacity Century Link Stadium.
In Jeld-Wen, the noise from Timber’s Army seems to resonate from game-start to game-end, piercing at the ears of opponents while fostering an atmosphere of encouragement for their home team.
The Army
In fact, the Timber’s Army recently received high accolades for the aura of Jeld-Wen, earning a place on KickTV’s Jimmy Conrad’s top 5 fan-bases in the world.
Stating that “nothing compares to Portland on the day of a game”, Conrad later jokes that this is mainly because “they have a guy who cuts wood with a chainsaw.”
While that last quote may be more of a joke, Conrad really does distinguish Portland from the rest. The connection that each and every fan feels with the soccer team is unparalleled and ensures an experience for both fans and players that is unique and uplifting.
Yet, it is not only the roaring Timber’s Army that makes Jeld-Wen field one of the best experiences in the northwest United States.
Much of the passion and drive that Timbers fans exhume becomes channeled through the Timbers players, which then creates a mass of emotion that pulsates through the entire stadium.
The Effects on the players
Players play harder, faster, and with more finesse as they attempt to satisfy the drive of their fan base.
And with every thunderous goal, the roaring sounds of a chainsaw is heard in the foreground, chopping off yet another piece of wood as the Timbers rush towards another victory.
Win or lose, Timber’s Army and the Timber’s soccer team create an unparalleled atmosphere at Jeld-Wen Field.
Once the home for various sporting events and teams, Jeld-Wen has been transformed into the premiere destination for soccer in the United States.
The Timbers and Timber’s army have laid claim to this plot of land, giving it a mystique unlike any other team has.
Whether it is the Rose City reputation, the natural soccer fan base in the northwest, or the delicious local beers flowing through the veins of each fan, everybody attending a match makes Jeld-Wen the most exciting place in the nation when the Portland Timbers take the pitch.
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