And so, my Blogtown friends, we conclude this crazy weekend of soccer with one last post.

As was previously mentioned, Spain beat Holland in the World Cup Final 1-0 with a stellar late-in-extratime goal from Andrés Iniesta. The goal itself was about the only stellar occurrence in an otherwise choppy match. Head Referee Howard Webb was handing out cards all game as though they were invites to a yellow themed birthday party. Holland fouled like clockwork and Spain just kept running around.

However, in the end, the superior team did indeed win the game and a champion was duly crowned. That champion would be Golden Ball winner and all-around awesome guy Dreamy Diego Forlán. What more can I say about Forlán? Super hot supermodel Zaira Nara dates him. Men want to be with him. He loves to buy lots of food.

Wait, where was I? Spain deserved their championship trophy as well. Their squad more than lived up to their potential. Spanish captain and goalie "San" Iker Casillas talked about it at length with Spanish TV's Telecino sports reporter Sara Carbonero:

Carbonero is, coincidentally, Casillas' girlfriend. Awwwwww. So sweet . . . [Ed: Video fixed.]

But back to soccer and the Timbers victory after the jump!

The Timbers also played this evening in a friendly exhibition match prevailing 2-1 after a penalty kick shootout against Guadalajara's Club Atlas. While the crowd was a bit more subdued than Saturday night's affair vs. Miami, there was a small but loud contingent of Atlas fans and the match featured many players from Portland's undefeated U-23 developmental team.

Take, for example, Timbers U-23 goalie Jake Gleeson. It's not every day you play a whole match, win it, then move up to the senior squad on the same day, come on as a second half substitute, face a penalty kick in the 90th minute, miss it, feel terrible because now the game is going on to more penalty kicks for a tie breaker, and THEN make two saves in the penalty shoot out thus preserving the win.

But that's what happened for Mr. Jake Gleeson.

My name is Jake Gleeson. I am a goal stopping machine.
  • Allison Andrews
  • My name is Jake Gleeson. I am a goal stopping machine.

The match as a whole was a rather tepid affair with little of note for a long stretch. Club Atlas looked a bit tired in the second half and Timbers striker George Josten seemingly put the game away with an excellent 78th minute strike that flew past Atlas keeper Francisco Canales.

George Jostens first goal of the season.
  • Allison Andrews
  • George Josten's first goal of the season.

But somehow in the 90th minute, Portland defender Quavas Kirk made a hard tackle on an Atlas player just in the penalty area and the Mexican defender Luis Robles made no mistake with the ensuing penalty.

Shortly thereafter, the whistle blew for full time and, this being a friendly, penalty kicks were to be the deciding factor. Somehow at midfield in the middle of all the arrangements for who would take what shot, Portland's Takayuki Suzuki went bat-shit crazy on one of the referees. Suzuki, who had been subbed out much earlier in the game, had to be restrained by three to four teammates and was quickly red carded. He took some time to leave the field but it was unclear just what set him off.

In any event, the Timbers made four straight penalty shots and the aforementioned Gleeson came up big with not one, but TWO excellent saves thus producing the victory. Yes, it was a friendly and doesn't count in any standings, but it made for a thrilling ending.

And now, now, I shall . . . I shall . . . I shall walk in the wilderness lost without the dulcet tones of Martin Tyler humming in my ear or share my Diego Forlán man-crush with John Harkes. I shall soldier on bravely until . . .

Until this Saturday when the Timbers take on English Premier League giants Manchester City in a friendly at University of Portland.