TUKWILA, Wash. – Is the Cascadia Cup rivalry between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers still the gold standard when it comes to derby matches in MLS?
That didn’t used to be a question, but with the emergence of expansion sides Atlanta United and LAFC and their respective bouts against Orlando City and the LA Galaxy, along with the NY Derby, a narrative has emerged in some quarters that Sounders-Timbers might no longer the league’s undisputed top dog when it comes to buzz surrounding rivalry spectacles.
As Seattle and Portland gear up for their Heineken Rivalry Week clash at Providence Park on Sunday (9:30 pm ET | FS1 — Full TV & streaming info), however, Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said the internal feel around the matchup is the same as it’s always been.
“This is our derby match, these are our biggest games of the year,” Schmetzer said this week. “We’re not happy about the first two [losses against Portland this season], there might be some revenge factor in there. Look, the atmosphere down there is pretty good. So, there are a lot of reasons, there are lot of things that stoke our flame to get us going for this game. It’s Portland. I can’t say it any other way.”
The league’s newer rivalries may have more novelty in the infancy of their existence, but to hear Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei tell it, the vast history that exists between Seattle and Portland gives it a feel of authenticity that still makes for a unique edge.
“It’s the real thing, it’s not something that’s just made up,” Frei said on Wednesday. “People care. It’s in your blood, it’s in your DNA. There’s something here, there’s real animosity. When we’re going down there this weekend, they’re not going to be nice to us, to put it in a nice way. There’s real emotions involved and that’s the only way it should be.
“I’ve only been in a couple [rivalries] in this league but I remember playing [for Toronto FC] and getting ready to watch Portland against Seattle. And I think that says something.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Schmetzer, who has been a part of plenty of these Portland matchups dating back to his playing days with the NASL Sounders.
“Lots of history now has gone by, I would say that’s another [aspect],” Schmetzer said. “All the history that’s gone by between the two clubs adds to the pressure, the spice of the rivalry.”
As far as Sunday’s match, there’s plenty on the line even outside of the usual rivalry storylines. Seattle are looking to extend their club-record winning streak to seven games and could vault over Portland in the Western Conference standings with a three-point result.
The Timbers, meanwhile, are looking to snap a three-game losing skid that came on the heels of their own 15-match unbeaten run.
“[Portland] is a team that’s desperate at the moment with three games in a row without a victory,” Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan said. “They can catapult the second half of their season if they beat us. It’s a team we absolutely need to beat.”
