When you think of teams from the NorthWest, I hear mainly Seattle Sounder's or even Portland Timbers. The Vancouver Whitecaps shouldn't even be in the picture(I'm sorry if it bothered you, y'all just suck man) but the whole Cascadia Cup rivalry is one of the biggest rivalry in the league, and alot of people sure agree with that statement. There's nothing more you can possibly just not like in the world than your local Cascadian rivals. So how did this whole thing started? And why is it so important for us to win these games? Why Luis? I'll tell you why.
These games bring the best out of every team in the land we like to call Cascadia. To me these games mean more than any other regular season games and it brings alot of passion on both ends of the field. There has always been a rivalry between the two cities Let's take a quick trip to memory lane where it all started, see the Seattle Sounders entered what was known at the time the top flight league in the states NASL(North American Soccer League), a year later the Portland Timbers joins, this creates a birth of something that would become such a passionate and fierce rivalry in US soccer history. Vancouver Whitecaps would soon add fire to the games
The first between the two teams happened to also be the Portland Timbers inaugural game of their season. The game would play out with a victory to the Seattle Sounders 1-0 in front of the Timbers fans. Years later the Sounders would defeat the Timbers. 5-1 in front of a huge crowd at what was known at the time Kingdome, which which was the biggest victory over a rival In the 70's. Then the league folded until years later the WSL granted Seattle and Portland franchise which would continue the rivalry throughout even the USL days up until Seattle were granted a expansion club in what is now known MLS, few years later Vancouver and Portland would be given a expansion club as well. Vancouver would also be handed a franchise team, later on they would beat the Cosmos of New York to make it to their firsr Soccer Bowl of 1979. Bragging rights would be given to Vancouver when they would also win the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1979 beating the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
The Cascadia Cup started at 2004 between all three clubs as a supporters cup. The Cup has been handed between each club but the club who has won the cup the most are Vancouver Whitecaps and the Seattle Sounder, while the Portland Timbers has won it 4 times since the Cup originated. Each fan base has bragging rights and the games are always fun to watch. Every player in each team knows what's on the line and they know they have to put every sweat, blood and tear into the game. I love it because it's fierce, it's aggressive but the moment you see your team win against the opposition, that is the greatest feeling ever. What's interesting is the fact that the last 5 MLS Cups, no other region has represented the West than the Cascadian teams, the fact that Vancouver has even molded a savage versatile winger also proves that our youth are the future.
These games are crucial to this league, just as much as El Traffico, Hudson River Derby, Hell is Real, even if Austin does make an impact in the texas derby n other rivalry can match the passion, the grit and tensity as the Cascadian Cup. The true question is who are the real Kings of Cascadia? The true answer is the Seattle Sounders. Out of all three teams, they've become the most successful team in the region, and they're just getting started. With more and more signings of home grown talent(Kelyn Rowe, Spencer Richey, DeAndre Yedlin, Jordan Morris, the list can go on), fans can now say which region produces the best players MLS has came across. But for now lets enjoy seeing our team wreck the rest of the league.
The first game beteen the were enand their first game was against Seattle Sounders
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