Fans of the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders FC have been blessed to see competitive derbies become the rule in the Major League Soccer era, though with hindsight, this upcoming weekend’s choice for PTFC: From the Archives, presented by KeyBank, looks like an exception that proves as much.
Picked by Timbers' captain Diego Valeri, this July 17, 2016 match was the teams' first regular-season game between the two sides since the Timbers claimed MLS Cup the previous fall. Hinting they may yet rekindle that title-winning form, the Timbers were up two on their rivals by the 50-minute mark, though Seattle pulled one back through Chad Marshall just before the hour. Thanks to a quick response from Fanendo Adi in the 64th minute, Portland quickly extinguished any Seattle hope, claiming the teams' first post-Cup meeting by a 3-1 margin.
"It was a great feeling because Seattle is the most important game of the year ...," Valeri said, in the locker room after the match. "[I]n every position, everyone had their best performance of the year. I’m happy to have this type of performance against Seattle."
For Valeri, the day's first goals would be his eight and ninth of the season, while Adi's score put him into double digits for the campaign. Lucas Melano contributed two assists, Jermaine Taylor added a rare helper of his own, while Darlington Nagbe completed 54 of the 58 passes he attempted.
“I must admit, this morning I woke up extra excited for this one,” Timbers’ goalkeeper Jake Gleeson said. “The fact that the fans have been lining up since Thursday morning, you can feel the tension in the air. For me, it was great … The more pressure and the more emphasis you put on the game, the more I enjoy it.”
The next month, Portland and Seattle would play more two times, with the Sounders' 3-1 win at CenturyLink Field answered a week later when, scoring four times in the first 43 minutes, the Timbers won 4-2 in Goose Hollow. In the 12 competitive games that have followed, the teams have never been separated by more than one goal at the final whistle.
That may be one of the reasons why, for Valeri, this meeting stands out – that and the fact he and his daughter, Connie, helped paint that day's tifo. The game itself, though, was a rare time one rival, over the course of 90 minutes, was able to pull from the other. Thanks to two from Valeri, Portland was able to make July 17, 2016’s victory a memorable one.
Please note, this week's edition will have a special broadcast time coming on Saturday, May 16 at 3pm PT on FOX 12 Oregon KPTV and Timbers.com."
