The Seattle Sounders embark on their second Cascadia rivalry match-up this season as they travel to Providence Park on Sunday to take on the Portland Timbers (1:45 p.m. PT; Watch FREE on MLS Season Pass, FOX, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360AM).
A rivalry that began in 1975, when the two teams were affiliated with the NASL, has become one of the biggest battles in MLS and North American soccer year-after-year.
In lead up to this Sunday’s must-see matchup, we’ve broken down some of the most memorable fixtures between the two Pacific Northwest teams.
6-2 Blowout at Providence Park (Aug. 15, 2021)
The Sounders overpowered the Timbers at Providence Park, finishing the night with six goals and a resounding victory. Fredy Montero opened the scoring with a brace in the first half while Raúl Ruidíaz tallied a pair of goals in the second 45. Jimmy Medranda, and Nicolas Benezet supplied the team’s last two goals, marking the night as the Sounders’ largest scoring margin against the Timbers in club history. The Timbers managed to tie up the match 2-2 in the beginning of the second half, but it wasn’t enough to get past the dominant offensive powerhouse that was displayed from the Sounders that night.
4-4 Dempsey Hat Trick (April 5, 2014)
This match was a back-and-forth battle from the get-go. Within the first 10 minutes, both teams had a goal to show for with Kenny Cooper opening the scoring for the Sounders early. The Timbers took the lead first in the 14th minute with a left footed finish inside the box from Diego Valeri, but Dempsey quickly tied it up again in the 24th minute with a slotted ball into the right lower corner of the net. The Timbers pushed ahead to make it 4-2 with just five minutes left of the match, but against all odds, Dempsey managed to tally two more goals off a sliding finish and a penalty kick, earning the Sounders a point on the road and an epic comeback to look back for the history books.
48 seconds (July 1, 2009)
Many fans weren’t even settled into their seats when the Sounders tallied their first goal of the night in the Round 3 Open Cup match against the Portland Timbers. In less than a minute of match play, Roger Levesque performed a diving header off a perfectly placed cross from Sanna Nyassi. This then led to one of the more significant goal celebrations in Sounders history. A pre-planned celebration, Levesque and teammate Nate Jaqua choreographed a tree-chopping routine in front of all the fans to witness. The Sounders would go on to win the match 2-1 with the second goal coming from Stephen King and eventually secure their first Open Cup championship title just a few matches later.
Picturesque win (July 13, 2014)
The Sounders and the Timbers were scoreless throughout the duration of the match, until the 71st minute when a free kick close to the left corner of the pitch led to a scramble in the 18-yard box, back-to-back saves from Portland goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, and eventually a wide open Clint Dempsey to finish one-time off an initial shot attempt from Gonzalo Pineda. Then in the 86th minute, a 4-v-3 counter attack opened up space for Lamar Neagle to dribble inside from the left flank and drive a cross into the box for Marco Pappa to run onto and finish far post, ultimately solidifying the rivalry win for the Rave Green.
The night was unforgettable in more ways than one. On top of the shutout and a solid performance from the team at home, there was a picturesque sunset on display during the match that later inspired the design of the Sounders’ “Nightfall” kit for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Stoppage time point (June 25, 2017)
The Sounders started June 25th’s match strong with Joevin Jones rocketing a shot into the back of the net in the 27th minute to give the team an early lead. Shortly after, however, the lead was quickly taken away when the Timbers notched two goals of their own to close out the first half.
The majority of the second half remained 2-1. It looked as though the match was the Timbers’ for the taking as the closing minutes were nearing, but Dempsey pulled through in the final moments of stoppage time. Center back Román Torres placed a perfect cross into the box for the forward to redirect with his head and into the Timbers goal, earning the Sounders a point on the road.
