[Montana Moe]

Nice write up on Grantland today about the Timbers reserve matches:

The Portland Timbers Reserve League Is Sort of Insane

The reserve team ended their season with a 3-2 victory, averaging 8,200 fans per game over the 10-game season...

"It's the city that comes to reserve matches, not the Timbers Army. But that's great," says Bruce "Obi" Eaton, Timbers Army die-hard. Timbers C.O.O. Mike Golub says local companies often want to buy large blocks of tickets for Timbers matches. He can't accommodate them due to ticket demand — there are 7,500 people on the season-ticket waiting list — but reserve match games offer another option...

The Timbers staff operates the games as full first-team ones, however, meaning concessions are open. As Machicado notes, there are some advantages to the relaxed atmosphere: "Beers are half-price. So that's a good deal."