Cascadia

2012 End of Season Polls: The results are in

Timbers celebrate Cascadia Cup, Timbers @ Whitecaps, 10.21.12

The results are in. We now know the winners of our end of season polls.



WATCH: Portland beats Seattle in June






First up was Best Timbers Match of 2012. The season opening 3-1 win over the Union, the knocking off of previously unbeaten Sporting Kansas City in April, a thrilling 2-1 victory over Seattle, the crafty 2-1 victory against San Jose, and a Cascadia Cup clinching win in Vancouver all made worthy nominees.

While that victory in Vancouver gave us some great moments, it was the start of the Cascadia Cup campaign back in June that caught your eye. Massive tifo, incredible goals, and a win against a bitter rival all made the game against Seattle on June 24 the Best Timbers Match of 2012:


Best Match of 2012

June 24 vs. Seattle
70%
Oct. 21 @ Vancouver
15%
Mar. 12 vs. Philadelphia
8%
July 3 vs. San Jose
5%
Apr. 21 vs. Sporting
2%


WATCH: Dike flips for Portland







These games were all huge wins and produced some multiple nominations in some of our other polls. For Best Timbers Goal Celebration of 2012, that June 24 win against Seattle had two: Kris Boyd’s laugh after scoring the first goal in the match as well as David Horst’s leap and run after heading in his first ever MLS goal. The July 3 win over San Jose was memorable for local guy Danny Mwanga as he danced after scoring his first ever goal in a Portland uniform. And then there was Darlington Nagbe’s windmill run after completing his brace against Real Salt Lake on Mar. 31 and the acrobatic flip of Bright Dike against Colorado on Aug. 31.

Though all goals of beauty, these nominees were selected on the strength of their celebration more so than the artistry of the strike itself. The Seattle goals were certainly popular, but it was Dike’s post-goal aerial ability that ended up the winner:


Best Timbers Goal Celebration of 2012

Bright Dike’s Flip
42%
Kris Boyd’s Giggle
27%
David Horst’s Run
22%
Danny Mwanga’s Dance
7%
Darlington Nagbe’s Windmill
2%


Finally, we come to the Best Timbers Moment of 2012. Selected not so much on the basis of best game or best win, we looked for moments that were memorable beyond just the field of play. Needless to say, this is where a number of supporter-related elements came in with the Timbers Army’s rendition of the National Anthem on the 2012 opening night back in March as a nominee, the raising of the aforementioned massive Clive Charles-inspired tifo display on June 24 against Seattle as another, and a clever North End-wide creation of the Cascadia flag tifo for the Aug. 25 game against Vancouver all up for the vote.

But in the end, the Best Timbers Moment of 2012 happened far from JELD-WEN Field when members of the Timbers Army and captain Jack Jewsbury physically raised the Cascadia Cup in Vancouver after an exciting 1-0 win. Celebrating with teammates and in front of a large contingent of traveling Timbers Army supporters, the lifting of the Cup was the runaway winner.


Best Timbers Moment of 2012

The Raising of the Cascadia Cup, Oct. 21
61%
The tifo display vs. Seattle, June 24
29%
The Timbers Army singing National Anthem, Mar. 12
7%
The Cascadia Flag tifo vs. Vancouver, Aug. 25
3%

Thanks to everyone for voting. Be sure to vote for MLS Goal of the Year nominees.