In the past 40 years, the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers have squared off in numerous leagues and competitions. The clubs have met in the preseason, the postseason, and the regular season and they're set to renew that rivalry Saturday at BC Place (5pm PT, ROOT SPORTS).
However, the rivalry between the Cascadia clubs started innocuously on a Friday night in May, 1975.
The Timbers entered the May 16th match with just one win in its first three NASL matches while the Whitecaps were undefeated; having won each of the five matches they had played that season. Despite the respective records, Portland notched its first ever victory over a Pacific Northwest foe, beating Vancouver, 2-0.
Englishmen Tony Betts and Barry Powell scored the goals in a match that was a launching point into a successful season for the Timbers. Starting with the Vancouver match, Portland won four straight and 15 of 17 matches. The loss also started a downward spiral for the 'Caps, who won just six matches for the remainder of the season and failed to advance to the playoffs.
Another notable fact from the game was it saw the debut of Willie Anderson in Timbers shirt. Formerly of Manchester United and Aston Villa, Anderson went on to play 160 league games for the club, the most of any Timber in the professional eras, and notched 13 goals and 53 assists in his seven seasons with Portland.
