You can catch Jack Jewsbury and the Portland Timbers live on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm. The game is being broadcast by NBC.
The team is 3rd in the Western Conference one spot ahead of the Galaxy. The difference between home playoff games and road playoff games will turn on this match. For more on the Timbers, check out this interview with Head Coach Caleb Porter. Or catch this interview with Jackie on their preparations.
For more on Jackie, check out this great video of the former Kickapoo Chief star discussing his early days as a 4 yo soccer player and his route to the pro’s that have led him to be “Captain Jack” for the Timbers.
Before you enjoy the video, I want to introduce you to Ryan Allison aka @KrazyKrusty, he’s got a story to share of his own on Jackie:
In Portland, the Timbers play to the support of thousands of fans each home game. Even when they play far away from Jeld-Wen Field, there are members of the Timbers Army that travel and cheer on their team. When Jack Jewsbury was brought over from Sporting KC, the Timbers had another reason to cheer.
As a Portland native, my first impression of Jewsbury was that he was a decent midfielder, good defender, and when given the chance, could send a strike as hard as anyone else. But after moving to Springfield, I quickly found out that Jewsbury was more than a professional soccer player.
Hailing from Kickapoo High School, Jewsbury went on to play for Saint Louis University and got drafted by the Kansas City Wizards. His hometown, high school, and especially those who play soccer in the area, look to him as an inspiration.
Soccer can connect people in strange ways. For me, I went from cheering for Jewsbury as a Timber, to moving to his hometown, to connecting with the local soccer followers in Springfield, to hearing a recent interview with Jack about his path to the pros. Sometimes we live in a small world but it’s a world full of soccer, fun, inspiration, and hope.
As Ryan notes, you’re likely to find him on a pitch locally (like here) or enjoying a game at Farmer’s Gastropub or the re-incarnated Trolley’s with the American Outlaws. Be sure and say hi!