No Love Lost: Timbers Fans Taunt Ex-Star on His Return
Portland doesn’t do quiet homecomings. When a former fan favorite returned to Providence Park in new colors, the Timbers Army had its say — loudly. A custom chant rolled down from the North End in the warm-up, setting a tone that didn’t lift all night.
The Welcome (Not) Mat
From the first jog toward the corner flag, the away player was met with a pointed sing-song refrain that left little doubt about how supporters felt about his offseason exit. It was catchy, simple, and built to loop:
We sing your name? — No way!
Portland ’til we die — you chose to go away!”
Within minutes, clips of the chant hit social feeds. Threads on r/Timbers, r/MLS, and match discussions at supporter blog Stumptown Footy filled with debate: fair game or too personal?
A Spicy Back-and-Forth
The script got juicier when the returning player buried a long-range strike, cupped his ear to the North End, and flashed a wry smile. That only turned the volume up. The Army answered with a wall of boos — and then pivoted to a classic:
We can’t hear you!”
By the 70th minute, the evening had fully transformed into call-and-response theatre. Portland built pressure, Cincinnati time-managed, and the stands kept their own tempo. For neutrals, it was peak MLS: high-stakes, high-noise, and just enough pettiness to make it memorable.
Why It Stuck
- Local lore: Exits always hit harder in Portland. The city’s soccer identity is inseparable from its supporters; a perceived slight becomes terrace fuel.
- Chant craft: Short lines, clear clap-beats, and an easy melody made the new song travel quickly through the section.
- Viral hooks: Ear-cup celebration + instant fan response = highlight-reel fodder. The clips spread fast on Twitter/X and Instagram.
What the Forums Argued About
On the Timbers subreddit, the top comments split along familiar lines: “It’s football — if you dish it, expect it back” vs “Save it for the ninety, not the warm-up.” Over on BigSoccer’s Timbers board, supporters dissected the lyrics and floated tighter versions for future matches (more rhyme, less syllables; keep it PG-13 for families).
Sing It Yourself (Neutral Version)
If you want a cleaner, copy-and-paste terrace variant (no names, travels well):
But this is home — this crowd, this time!
(clap-clap) Green and gold — sing it loud, that’s fine!”
What Soccer Chants & Songs Will Remember
Good villains make great nights. Portland’s chorus turned a routine league game into a story — a soundtrack the cameras couldn’t ignore and the forums couldn’t stop debating.
Written for Soccer Chants & Songs — documenting the wit, bite, and theatre of the terraces.