2023-06-02 12:11:55
Despite the great differences in level and consistency at this time, Seattle and Portland promise to put on a show in a new edition of the Cascadia Classic. One of the most important rivalries of the Major League Soccer will take center stage once more this Saturday: the Sounders are in first place in the Western Conference with 26 points, while the Timbers are tenth with only 16 points.
This head-to-head is not a rivalry that dates back only to MLS, but extends back to the original version of the North American Soccer League (NASL). But, over the years, this Cascadia game has grown in intensity both on the field and in the stands.
While Portland isn’t having a great time in the West, Lumen Field is expected to be packed with fans of both teams. The fans of the two teams have become accustomed to filling the stadiums of both clubs in direct duels and this Saturday’s game is expected to be no exception.
These teams have met 157 times in the different tournaments they have played. Portland has won 57 head-to-heads, Seattle has won 65 games, and they’ve tied in just 15. In MLS, counting regular season and playoffs, the team of John Savarese he triumphed 22 times, 18 for the box Brian Schmezer and only seven equalities.
Although the team from the state of Washington has shown a better level and commands the West firmly, this will be a game of reserved forecasts, since in this season of the MLS Seattle has lost in rivalry duels of Cascadia: 4-1 on April 15 in their visit to Portland and 2-0 in their visit to the Vancouver Whitecaps, on May 20.
To this rivalry we must add the Vancouver Whitecaps FC (in the same region, but on the other side of the border with Canada). The three teams dispute year following year the so-called Cascadia Cup, which is a competition that rewards the best team in this rivalry at the end of the season.
This rivalry began in 2004 due to an initiative by the fans to reward and highlight this rivalry that has grown gradually. The first champion was the Canadian team and the last one, last year, was Portland. Since its founding, Seattle has won seven titles, the Whitecaps six and the Timbers five, counting United Soccer League (USL) and MLS seasons.
THE RIVALRY EXTENDS TO WOMEN’S SOCCER
This same Saturday, following the game between Sounders and Timbers, the OL Reign y Portland Thorns will measure forces in the same Lumen Field for a new day of the National Soccer Women’s League (United States women’s soccer league). This is a duel that also promises to spark sparks as it is a clash between second and third place. The locals will seek to snatch second place in the league from Portland.
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