SAN SALVADOR – The Portland Timbers’ important 2-1 win over C.D. Dragón in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Tuesday night came via a unique environment at the Estadio Cuscatlán. Due to CONCACAF stadium requirements, Dragón was playing some 85 miles west of their regular home field in San Miguel.
As such, the crowd was light and the sound somewhat quiet.
But in a slice of the western side of the stadium, a small but loud group of new Timbers fans were busy blowing vuvuzelas, slapping noisemakers and cheering for the visitors. Made up almost exclusively of the children and families who had visited with the team the day before as part of a special community outreach program with the club’s Stand Together platform and local literacy group Contextos, the kids were clad in their red jerseys from their Soyapango club soccer team to match the Rose City Red kits of the Timbers as well as many wearing donated Timbers green shirts.