As the Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC get ready to embark on the seventh derby of 2015 in the nine match CASCADIA Cup series on Saturday at CenturyLink Field, we look back at the first six so far this season and give you an up to date look at the CASCADIA Cup standings.
Match #1 – March 28, 2015 Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Portland Timbers. BC Place
In the first CASCADIA Derby of 2015, Vancouver played host to Portland and defeated them 2-1. Nicolás Mezquida studied the wall before sending in a beautifully curling in free kick past a diving Adam Kwarasey in the 15th minute.
The Timbers would find an equalizer in the 82nd minute when David Ousted could only deflect a Rodney Wallace low ball across the net, straight into the path of Fanendo Adi, who slotted it home to make it 1-1 with just eight minutes left to play.
But in the first minute of second half stoppage time, Robert Earnshaw, on his debut, would put the home team back into the lead for good when he stayed just onside and got a perfect through ball from Pedro Morales. Earnshaw managed to catch Kwarasey off his line and just plucked it over him and into the net to put the Caps up 2-1 which was the final.
Final - Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2; Portland Timbers 1
Match #2 – April 26, 2015 Seattle Sounders FC - Portland Timbers. CenturyLink Field
The second CASCADIA Derby pitted two of the biggest rivals in MLS against one another in Seattle as the hosts defeated their arch rival 1-0 in a rather slow paced and uneventful match between the two nemeses.
The home side took the lead in the 77th minute when Andy Rose managed to get a shot off of a long Dylan Remick throw in, but the initial attempt was blocked by Kwarasey. However, the ball was left sitting pretty in front of the Timbers net and Clint Dempsey was there to tap it in to put the hosts up.
Just minutes later it seemed as though Portland was going to get an equalizer when Adi had a header on an open net that sailed just over Stefan Frei’s outreached hand but it just wasn’t meant to be as the shot went off the crossbar keeping the Sounders in front the rest of the way.
Final – Seattle Sounders FC 1; Portland Timbers 0
Match #3 – May 2, 2015 Portland Timbers - Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Providence Park
For the third match of the series, Portland hosted the Whitecaps for the clubs first home derby of 2015. The match would end Nil-Nil between the two sides, which was surprising having looked at all the goals scored in the 2014 matchups.
The match didn’t lack drama, even though the score line shows otherwise. In the 29th minute it seemed certain that Portland would take the lead after former Timbers center back Pa Modou Kah committed a handball in the box that referee Allen Chapman took a moment to call. However, with the assistance of his AR made the correct call. But on the ensuing spot kick Darlington Nagbe’s right footed shot ricocheted off the right post.
Each team had a couple of attempts following that critical miss, but they were to no avail as the match ended in a 0-0 draw.
Final – Portland Timbers 0; Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0
Match #4 – May 16, 2015 Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Seattle Sounders FC. BC Place
The Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps squared off for the first time this season back in May as Seattle was playing in its final road match of a three match road swing. It didn’t take long for the Sounders to take control in this match even while missing injured Nigerian forward Obafemi Martins who was replaced by Chad Barrett.
In just the 5th minute Seattle managed to find the back of the net as Dempsey played a ball forward from midfield to Barrett who took just one touch with his right foot to direct it past a frozen Ousted who stood little chance of stopping the shot after he came off his line. That assist at the time tied Dempsey with the all-time MLS record after recording an assist or goal in ten consecutive matches.
About 30 minutes later, in the 38th minute Barrett would once again find himself forward after a Marco Pappa service into the box. Barrett took a one touch swing with his left foot to direct it into the right corner, beating Ousted to the post.
The Whitecaps had a total of 16 shots on the night with five of them on target but just couldn’t get anything past Stefan Frei and Seattle would go on to collect its second CASCADIA win of the season.
Final – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0; Seattle Sounders FC 2
Match #5 – June 28, 2015 Portland Timbers - Seattle Sounders FC. Providence Park
For the second time in two weeks and third time in the season, the Timbers and Sounders were ready to clash in another CASCADIA Derby. Following Dempsey’s issue with the referee in the US Open Cup match the previous week and Martins' injury in that match, Seattle would be looking for someone to step up and replace that two dynamic strikers.
Earlier in the week Seattle made the first step with signing Andy Craven from his S2 contract and promoting him to the first team in hopes that he could bring some life to the top of the attack who was struggling without either striker present.
But the Timbers would bring the Sounders hopes crashing down as they went on to win 4-1 with Adi getting a brace for the second time in two years against the rivals to the north. The win was the first regular season win against Seattle in nearly two years having last defeated them on October 13th 2013.
Will Johnson, who was making his first appearance back in this series following his return from the broken leg he suffered late last season, nearly found the net early in the 9th minute with a rocket of a shot that was blocked. However, the ball fell to Adi who who’s shot was deflected and sent Frei into a fray but managed to get the save.
Just minutes later in the 12th minute, the Timbers would get the first goal of the match off a Nagbe shot. Diego Valeri hit a pass that sent a right footed shot past a diving Frei to give Portland the early 1-0 advantage.
Seattle would find its equalizer in the 38th minute when Tyrone Mears sent a free kick into the box that found Lamar Neagle who slotted it home with a right footed shot to give the Sounders faithful a glimmer of hope that they may even be able to come out of Portland with at least a point even without their stars and draw the match to a 1-1 score line.
Seattle, wanting to try and find a way to come out of Portland with three points, subbed off Barrett in the 60th minute and brought on new signing Craven who had very little impact on this match.
But the Timbers were having none of that, while it took a while, the defense for the Sounders finally began to leak late in the second half and Portland was there to find the crack and came barging through it. In the 74th minute a Nagbe run concluded with a perfect pass to Adi in the middle of the box who calmly took the shot that sailed past Frei. Portland now held a 2-1 advantage in the match.
Just two minutes later it was again Adi off a pass from Rodney Wallace this time and again sent it past Frei to put the Timbers up 3-1 with just 14 minutes left to play.
It seemed as though that was all Portland would need to win this match, but Wallace wanted to ensure a Timbers victory and in the first minute of stoppage time the midfielder sent a left footed shot straight on goal from a perfect pass by Maximiliano Urruti.
The match would go on to end with a 4-1 score line, and Portland managed to avoid elimination from the running for the 2015 CASCADIA Cup with the result and give Seattle its first defeat in CASCADIA Competition for the season.
Final – Portland Timbers 4; Seattle Sounders FC 1
Match #6 – July 18, 2015 Portland Timbers - Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Providence Park
The Timbers and Whitecaps met for the final time earlier this month and duked out another 1-1 draw as both sides attempted to make up ground on the Seattle Sounders for the 2015 CASCADIA Cup on a Saturday night under the lights in Portland.
In what was so far the most physical and chippy derby of 2015 between all of the CASCADIA rivals, ended with a red card for each side including one after the match for a double yellow.
The Timbers got the scoring started in the 34th minute when Diego Chara managed to pick off a ball from Matias Laba on the Vancouver half, and quickly sent the ball forward to Adi who went towards the Caps goal. He then sent the ball out to Valeri, who was making a run into the right side of the box and sent a strong shot to the near post that managed to beat Ousted giving Portland the early lead just before the half.
Vancouver would come out strong in the second half fighting hard to find the equalizer that would come in the 58th minute as Manneh controlled the ball just outside the Timbers box before Laba got the ball off Manneh’s pass back and ripped the shot past Kwarasey’s far post to graw the match even at 1-1.
In stoppage time the drama began, when Jordan Harvey went in hard on Valeri and Juan Guzman elected to go for the back pocket and produced a straight red card for Harvey for his tackle.
But Johnson, who wasn’t very fond of the officiating as a whole for the match, decided it was time to give Guzman a piece of his mind after the final whistle and was first given a yellow. However, when he didn’t stop, it was upgraded to a red for the Portland midfielder.
KICKOFF: Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | July 18, 2015
Cascadia Cup rivals Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC meet for a third time this season when they clash Saturday evening at Providence Park.
When all the dust settled, however it ended as a 1-1 draw in the Rose City with both sides taking a point and slowly closing the gap between them and Seattle.
Final – Portland Timbers 1; Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1
Official Standings
Now here are your official standings leading up to Saturday night’s derby.
| Team | Points | |
| 1 | Seattle Sounders FC | 6 |
| 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 5 |
| 3 | Portland Timbers | 5 |
If Seattle can get the win on Saturday, they will win the Cascadia Cup for the first time since 2011.
If Vancouver wins, they would leapfrog Seattle who would still have two matches left.
Portland is all but mathematically eliminated with just one derby remaining. Unless Seattle and Vancouver draw both matches and Portland beats Seattle in Seattle, for a second time this season, something they have only done once since coming into MLS, they would end up pulling level with Seattle on eight points. However, they would hold the tie breaker as they would have beat the Sounders twice in the season.
Matches Remaining
Seattle and Vancouver will square off two more times this season in regular play and two times in CONCACAF Champions League play. In league play, they will square off once this Saturday at CenturyLink Field before taking the series finale back to BC Place on Saturday, September 19th in what will likely be the deciding match for the CASCADIA Cup if Seattle doesn't win on Saturday.
Vancouver and Portland completed their series of play in July.
Seattle and Portland will play one last time this season on Sunday August 30th at CenturyLink field in what is sure to be a clash of titans as it will be a must win if the Timbers hope to win the cup.