As you have no doubt heard by now, the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers have a bit of a rivalry. It's a rivalry that has roots in the original NASL, carried over into something called the Western Soccer Alliance, was reborn in the USL and was kept alive in the U.S. Open Cup even after the Sounders joined MLS two years before the Timbers did.
Seattle Sounders Vs. Portland Timbers: Really, It’s A Hate-Hate Relationship
That rivalry will be reborn on Saturday when the Sounders host the Timbers in the first of what is a three-sided derby that also features the Vancouver Whitecaps. Although the three teams share a stake in the Cascadia Cup, there's no denying that most of the vitriol that exists is between these two clubs.
While the rivalry exists largely in the stands where the various supporters have shown an intense dislike for one another, the participants are very well aware of the importance of the match. Among the first things Timbers coach John Spencer said when he was hired was to take a shot at the Sounders. After spending the last eight seasons with some version of the Sounders, Roger Levesque calls his relationship with the Timbers as "hate-hate."
The teams head into this match on even ground, both sitting on 13 points. The Timbers have won four of their past five matches, but all their wins were at home. On the road, they’ve claimed just one point in four matches. The Sounders have won their past two home games, and have claimed at least a point in seven of their past eight matches overall.
Spencer has said that he doesn’t expect the league to take his team seriously until they start winning on the road. The Timbers have also not beaten the Sounders in their past four meetings and haven’t won in Seattle since 2005. A win on Saturday could, indeed, herald the beginning of a new era.
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