PORTLAND, Ore. – It was a busy and memorable week for Portland Timbers five-year-old goalkeeper Derrick Tellez, who joined the team on a one-game contract fulfilling his wish to be a Timbers first-team player through Make-A-Wish® Oregon.
Tellez took part in a photo shoot, attended and participated in the team’s training session Friday at the adidas Timbers Training Center and more. On Sunday evening for the Timbers 3-0 win over Orlando City SC, Tellez and his older brother Josue joined the team on the field for the national anthem, sat on the bench near the end of the game, and was part of the log ceremony following the victory. The young ‘keeper was even voted by fans as the McDonalds Man of the Match.
But apart from the important three points the team picked up, the entire experience with Tellez as a teammate had a definite effect on the Timbers players and coaching staff. For Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell, Tellez’s presence was clearly memorable.
“It was fantastic,” he said following the game. “It’s certainly special for us. Being footballers, you don’t get to meet many people of Derrick’s caliber . . . Hopefully, we made his wish and made his day. He made our day by getting us a win. It was a real pleasure.”
Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri, who had a brace on the night and lifted his log slabs after the game alongside Tellez–who had a slab of his own–agreed.
“It was an amazing week for us having Derrick here with us training,” he said. “I’m happy that we gave him a win."
Hold that log slice high, Derrick. Clean sheet 🙌🌲#RCTID#WelcomeDerrickpic.twitter.com/SI6S7OKFwS
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) September 25, 2017
The Timbers Army chanted Tellez’s name at the beginning of the match and the North End capo stand unveiled a large tifo emblazoned with “Derrick Tellez: His Magic is Real” while another banner in the stadium proudly stated, “Once a Timber, always a Timber.”
Tellez took part in the team’s pregame talk in the locker room and Timbers head coach Caleb told the media after the match that they had promised the young player a win before the game. Following the team’s big victory over Orlando, Porter was happy that they were able to fulfill the promise.
“I walked out of [the locker room] going, ‘Man, I hope we win,” Porter said with a laugh. “Because it would have gone from ‘Make-A-Wish’ to ‘Break A Wish’.
“Fortunately, we made the wish and we got him the win and he was part of our team all week. I think it’s great when you can do that.
Porter also added that the fact that Tellez picked the Timbers as the source his wish was a humbling moment for the entire organization.
“I think that this is a great experience to have him here with us and to bring him a little joy,” he said. “And what a statement that he picked the Timbers, being part of our team for his wish. There are a lot of things you could wish for but for him to choose our team and be a part of that, that’s pretty touching.”
