This Week in PTFC | Rivalry Week + Olympians are back for the Thorns

Heineken Rivalry Week is here

The Portland Timbers head north on Sunday to take on Seattle Sounders FC as part of Heineken Rivalry Week (7:30pm PT, ESPN). Apart from becoming the next chapter in a decades-long rivalry between the two teams, it’ll also mark the second match in the fan-driven Cascadia Cup 2021 competition between Portland, Seattle and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Thorns return to regular-season play, Olympians are back

Thorns FC won the Women’s International Champions Cup over the past weekend with a late Morgan Weaver game-winner proving the difference in the team’s 1-0 win over Olympique Lyon. All of the team’s returning Olympians – Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn, Crystal Dunn and Lindsey Horan – saw minutes in the game.

They now turn their focus back to the NWSL regular season hosting NJ/NY Gotham FC Wednesday at Providence Park (7:30pm PT, TICKETS, CBS Sports Network). The match also marks the first at the stadium in requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for fans 12 and older upon entry to games. Read more here for details on the updated stadium policies.

AND THEN, the Thorns will also be in Seattle on Sunday taking on the OL Reign at Lumen Field (4pm PT, FOX 12 PLUS). The match will be the first of a double header with the aforementioned Cascadia rivalry Timbers-Sounders game then kicking off after at 7:30pm PT at Lumen Field.

MLS All-Star Week

The busy week continues for MLS as the 2021 MLS All-Star Game kicks off at Banc of California Stadium on Wednesday (6:30pm PT, FS1). The MLS All-Stars will face off against Mexico’s Liga MX All-Stars with festivities happening throughout the week. Check out MLSsoccer.com’s MLS All-Star hub for more info.

Providence Park History

This week in Providence Park history brings an interesting sporting moment to the fore.

Sixty-six years ago this week, NFL Hall-of-Famer Norm Van Brocklin – already a legendary figure in Oregon sports lore as a standout quarterback during his collegiate days at the University of Oregon – starred in a historic game at Multnomah Stadium (now Providence Park) on Aug. 28, 1955, leading the Los Angeles Rams to a 23-17 victory over the New York Giants in a preseason exhibition game before a crowd of 22,222. What makes the game stand out, specifically, is that it was the first-ever NFL game decided by overtime. The sudden-death period did not last long, however, as Van Brocklin engineered an eight-play, 70-yard drive that culminated with a two-yard touchdown plunge.