When they take the field tonight for their second Leagues Cup match-up, the **Portland Timbers** will be hoping to fell **Club Tigres** and seal their spot in the playoff stages of the competition.
Fans tuning in to the Oregon outfit’s opening 2-0 win against the **San Jose Earthquakes** last Saturday may have noticed a peculiar sound coming from the stands of Providence Park after both of the home side’s strikes.
That thundering blast is that of another slab being sawed off the trademark victory log by the team’s mascot. The tradition dates back to the 1970s, having been introduced by the team’s first mascot, Jim Serrill, before Joey Webber - better known as Timber Joey - took up the mantle in 2008.
The log - which is adorned with club scarves and blessed by the fans themselves - is either picked up from the woodlands outside the city or cut down by Timber Joey himself, from trees that would need removing in any case due to safety reasons.
Once a piece of the lumber is sawed off, Timber Joey will theatrically hold it aloft before the fans, before the slab is given out to the goalscorers. The players either keep them as trophies, or donate an autographed slab to be auctioned off, with the proceeds going to the team’s Stand Together charitable programs.
On matchdays, the raucous chanting of the Providence Park faithful and the deafening roar of the chainsaw - along with Timber Joey’s own showmanship - make for one of the most unique stadium atmospheres in North American soccer.
The victory log has seen relatively little action so far this season - the Portland Timbers are one of the MLS Western Conference’s lowest scorers this campaign, with just 26 strikes. They’ll be hoping to continue making a dent in the victory log at Leagues Cup, as they slice through opponents and carve out a spot in the knockout stages.
