PORTLAND, Ore. – Beginning this Saturday, all three Portland teams – the Timbers, Thorns FC, and Timbers 2 – will play their Seattle rivals in a weekend of matches unprecedented in the history of the Portland Timbers franchise.
- PREVIEW | Reign FC vs. Thorns FC - Aug. 27, 2:00pm PT
- PREVIEW | Timbers vs. Sounders - Aug. 28, 2:00pm PT
- PREVIEW | S2 vs. T2 - Aug. 29, 7:30pm PT
But what does this rivalry mean to the players who experience it firsthand on the field?
To try and answer this question, we spoke with one player from each team and collected their memories, thoughts, and reflections on one of the most heated and longest-standing rivalries in American professional soccer.
Jack Jewsbury, midfielder, Portland Timbers
On his first experience of the rivalry in 2011…
“When I first got traded here, the first games that I had were at Starfire, the complex there in Seattle and there was a mini [preseason] tournament. The first game that I played with the club...was that tournament and [it] was against Seattle. Even in the small confines of Starfire, you could see how passionate [the fans were] and you could see what this rivalry was all about. For me, that was the first time I was like: ‘OK...this is different from anything I've seen in the league.’”
On how persistently heated the rivalry has been for the fans over the years…
“It's crazy. It's been pretty consistent through my time here with how the fans treat it. You've got people camping outside the stadium three, four days before [the match] whether it's raining and cold or if it's 90-100 degrees out. To me that's absolutely ridiculous and I love it!”
Emily Menges, defender, Portland Thorns FC
On her earliest memory of the Seattle-Portland rivalry…
“I don't remember my first Seattle game ever, but I do remember one of the times we played them my rookie season in 2014. They had lost only once on the season and we were on the cusp of making playoffs. They came to Providence Park and a combination of being home with the fans, playing Seattle, and having to win to make playoffs made the atmosphere perfect. Not only did we win, but we made it to playoffs. It was awesome.”
On her most memorable experience of the rivalry…
“The Seattle game we played a few weeks ago on July 30th. It was our third time playing Seattle this season. Playing a team that many times in such a short span of time is exhausting. We came out with a game plan and stuck to it. It was a very defensive game and we were constantly under pressure. Being home with the fans, and having Seattle as the opponent was huge for our performance.”
On what makes the rivalry so special…
“I don't know much about the sociology around sports and rivalries, and I don't know much about the history of this rivalry, but I will say one thing – it's real.”
Brent Richards, defender, Portland Timbers 2
On the rivalry…
“It's something that some people get really bitter about and some people get really excited about – we obviously get excited about it – but it's a fun match to play in just because the players get into it and the fans get into it, all the communities get into it, so it's a big game.”
On his first memories of the rivalry…
“I think the most vivid one that I remember was back when the Timbers were still USL and the Sounders had just made the jump to MLS and I think they came down here...[I was on the Timbers U-23s then and] I just remember talking to some of the first team guys and them saying how big of a thing it was. Obviously, being from here, I knew it was a big thing, but I talked to people about it and it started to get ingrained in me then and every year after that, every time we've played them, it's just one that everyone gets really, really excited for.”
