Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders: Examining America’s Best Soccer Rivalry

You go to Portland to experience hipster Disneyland: brewery every quarter-mile, menus that feature meat wrapped in more meat and vegetables fried in animal fat.If you’re an East Coast native like myself, you go to smirk at the earnestness while enjoying its products. And, increasingly, if you’re an American soccer fan, you go to Portland because the city might be revolutionizing the MLS from the inside.That was the real reason I traveled to Portland to watch the Timbers battle their bitter geographical and cultural rivals, the Seattle Sounders, on June 24.Portland-Seattle has quickly become the gold standard—an example of how to market and root for the MLS.  Part I: BeginningsThe Portland Timbers name dates back to 1975 with a North American Soccer League (NASL) team, and was transferred to the United Soccer Leagues (USL) before catching on with the MLS.The city of Portland has long proclaimed itself Soccer City, USA. There is some justification. The MLS Timbers have sold out their soccer-only stadium for every game this season. Season-tickets are also sold out. The Timbers Army is legendary. You'll see why a bit later.But on June 24, when the Timbers met the Sounders in Portland, the home team found itself in an ...

Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers: Live Score, Analysis, Recap

Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Mario Balotelli, Fernando Torres: Those are just a few of the players you won't be hearing about in this Seattle Sounders-Portland Timbers live blog. While the eyes of the soccer world are turned (as usual) to Europe, the best rivalry in North American soccer also takes place today, and we're coming to you live from Portland to cover the action the best we can.Portland and Seattle are geographical and cultural rivals, with the most passionate fans in the MLS. And instead of the European superstars invoked at the top, today you'll be hearing about Kris Boyd of Portland and David Estrada and Fredy Montero of Seattle. Seattle comes into the day in fourth place in the MLS Western Conference, with Portland sitting dead last in ninth. But this is the sort of game where you can throw the stats and the form sheets out the window and more than the season standings are on the line.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com