The Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers will renew their heated rivalry on Sunday evening at CenturyLink Field (10 pm ET, ESPN2). Here is why you DO NOT want to miss this game.
1. Because US World Cup stars Clint Dempsey and DeAndre Yedlin are back.
2. Because the tifo will blow your mind. This probably should be 1A on this list, because when the Cascadia clubs unveil their giant displays, it's almost as cool as anything what we'll see on the field.
3. Because this is what happened last time.
4. And because this is what happened last year.
5. Because the Sounders are the best team in MLS. Yes, they lost their last game, to Vancouver, but Sigi Schmid's boys are 9-2-1 in their last 12 matches. And they're leading the league in goals (33).
6. Because the Timbers, languishing in 7th place in the Western Conference, really need points. Like, now.
7. Because Oba's flip is pretty damn awesome. The Sounders' Nigerian star Obafemi Martins is having an MVP-type season, and his head-over-heels goal celebrations are some of our favorites.
8. Because Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is a "Save of the Week" machine.
9. Because no matter what happens, Sounders midfielder Brad Evans will have a witty reaction. Case in point, this tweet at Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo after Evans didn't make the US World Cup squad.
10. Because one of the coaches might lose it. Which is always entertaining.
11. Because DeAndre's hair is, well, interesting. What's the young gun going to come up with for Sunday?
12. Because the Timbers' Diego Valeri, who nearly won the MVP last year, does things like this.
13. Because in Seattle, it's OK to celebrate a win with a cold one. The way Sounders goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann did recently.
