The Resumption of the Cascadia Derby

It may not have the history of the Merseyside Derby or the level of hatred of the Old Firm, but today marks the resumption of American soccer's penultimate derby - the Cascadia Derby.  Tonight I will be at Qwest Field when the two loci of the US soccer universe meet for the first time in MLS history.  My Seattle Sounders FC will host our neighbors from 174 miles (280 km) to the south, the Portland Timbers, in front of 36,000 supporters and a nationwide TV audience.

I enjoy visiting the city of Portland, often taking a weekend every six months to travel there with my wife.  I've found that our cities are much like siblings - similar enough to get on each other's nerves, yet different enough to greatly dislike each other.  It starts at the city level, and just gets all the more intense when it comes to the soccer teams that represent them.

For those unfamiliar with this weekend's game I offer you three takes on it.

1. The serious.
2. The cliched.
3. The tongue-in-cheek.

I will be there tonight, just outside the south end where the Emerald City Supporters will be their loudest.  I'll have no voice at the end of the night, and I hope we come away with a full three points.  If the 11 PM EST kick isn't past your bed time, I would suggest checking the match out.  You will witness where every MLS fan hopes the rest of the league can get to in terms of attendance, vocal support, and intense rivalries.