The most prominent rivalry of Major League Soccer arrives at Lumen Field on Saturday night as the Sounders take on the Portland Timbers in their final Cascadia showdown of the 2025 season.
“It's 50 years of fights and games, interesting story lines, red cards, and a lot of goals on both sides,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer.
What started in the North American Soccer League in 1975 has become an intensified, long-standing battle between the two Pacific Northwest sides today.
Whether it be Roger Levesque’s iconic tree chop celebration following his goal just 48 seconds into the match, Clint Dempsey’s hattrick that came shortly after his move from Tottenham Hotspur, or the Sounders’ 6-2 whooping over Portland at Providence Park, this rivalry has been built on epic moments, making it one of the most iconic matchups in North America soccer.
Growing up as a fan and now representing the Sounders as a Designated Player, forward Jordan Morris can attest to the intensity and competitive nature that comes with this Cascadia rivalry.
Match & Merch Bundle (vs. Portland Timbers)
Add a limited-edition Cascadia Rivalry t-shirt to your ticket to the Portland Timbers match. Matchday pick up info will be communicated prior to the match via email.
Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. PT on October 4.
“The animosity between the fans is intense,” said Morris. “[Portland] is going to have a big contingency coming up here, traveling. We do the same when we go down there. You can feel it between the supporters groups.”
On the pitch, the ferocity between the players is palpable. A prime example is the “Red Card Wedding,” when the Sounders fell to the Timbers 3-1 in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup with only seven players on the field by the end of the match. Sounders alums Brad Evans, Micheal Azira and Dempsey all received red cards while Obafemi Martins was pulled out of the match due to injury.
It is moments like that that remind the club, the fans and the entirety of MLS that this is no ordinary fixture. It has historical value that builds year after year, continuing with this Saturday’s brawl in Seattle.
“You hear the messaging from the coaches, from the players, guys that have been around it, that this game is going to have a little bit more bite, and you have to be ready right from the opening whistle to kind of withstand that and use it to our advantage,” said Morris.
Two Tickets & Two Beers (vs. Portland Timbers)
Come out to Lumen Field to watch your Seattle Sounders take on Portland with this special ticket offer sponsored by Michelob Ultra. For just $40 + Taxes & Fees, get two tickets & two beers for the match. For 21+ fans only and drinks must be picked up in the North Plaza 21+ beer garden prior to kickoff.
Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. PT on October 4.
Saturday’s match has even more implications with where the Sounders are in the table versus where the Timbers stand in the Western Conference. While the Rave Green have already secured a playoff spot, the higher the team finishes, the better. Portland, on the other hand, are just six points away from teams beneath the playoff line.
“It's always a heated rivalry, but I think having that on top of it is going to make it even bigger and for us important to get out of this kind of slide [now] that we're heading into the playoffs,” said Morris. “So, lots going on in this game…[But], these are the ones that you want to play.”
Last weekend’s Cascadia clash against the Vancouver Whitecaps gave the Rave Green a taste for what Saturday’s matchup is expected to bring, but midfielder Paul Rothrock believes “there's going to be even more [energy], just because it's Portland.”
“We needed to step in and defend ourselves a little bit more [last match], because I felt like [Vancouver] got away with too much,” he added. “[So], those first few moments are going to be crucial as to how we handle the first big 50-50, and the first cheap shot from [the Timbers]. It's a massive game.”
