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Looking at the History of the Seattle-Portland Rivalry

By Matthew Nelson

Aug 24, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; The Timbers Army raises the Tifo before the game of Portland Timbers and the Seattle Sounders at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Susan Ragan-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; The Timbers Army raises the Tifo before the game of Portland Timbers and the Seattle Sounders at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Susan Ragan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Seattle and Portland in the MLS

Now that both Seattle and Portland are in the MLS, the rivalry has become arguably the biggest in American sports. During that time Seattle has claimed 7 wins against the Timbers and Portland has 4 wins against the Sounders.

The two biggest moments of the rivalry in the MLS happened fairly recently. In the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs, Seattle was paired against the Portland Timbers in the Western Conference Semifinals. The first game, held at CenturyLink Field, was a 2-1 victory for the Timbers thanks to goals from Ryan Johnson and Darlington Nagbe. The second leg at Jeld-Wen Field was a 3-2 win for the Timbers as well, with Will Johnson, Valeri, and Futty, ending the semifinals 5-3.

The next biggest moment in this rivalry’s history wasn’t in a game played between the two, but an accomplishment that the Timbers claimed. Last season, Portland became the first ever Cascadia team to win the MLS Cup, after traveling to Columbus and winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Valeri and Wallace. This trophy created an even deeper hatred between the two teams. Sounders fans feel like they have been consistently the best Cascadia team in the MLS and deserve to have won the cup first. On the other hand, Portland is relishing in their MLS Cup win and is using every opportunity to rub it in the Sounders fans’ faces.

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