Portland Timbers–Vancouver Whitecaps rivalry
| Other names | Cascadia Cup Port-Couver |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Northwest |
| First meeting | May 16, 1975 NASL Portland 2–0 Vancouver |
| Latest meeting | February 23, 2025 MLS regular season Portland 1–4 Vancouver |
| Next meeting | September 24, 2025 MLS regular season Vancouver v Portland |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 121 |
| Most wins | Vancouver (51) |
| All-time series | Vancouver 51–47–23 (W–L–T) Portland |
| Largest victory | Portland 5–0 Vancouver (NASL; May 2, 1982) Vancouver 5–0 Portland (MLS Cup playoffs; October 23, 2024) |
The Portland Timbers–Vancouver Whitecaps rivalry is a soccer rivalry between the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, both based in the Cascadia region of United States and Canada. The rivalry originated in the North American Soccer League of the 1970s, and later carried into successor leagues through the 1980s and the 2000s, including the A-League and USL First Division, with both cities reviving expansion teams. The rivalry moved to Major League Soccer, the top division of soccer in the United States, in 2011, where it has grown into one of the largest in North American soccer.
The two clubs are part of the Cascadia Cup, the trophy and competition created in 2004 by supporters of the Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps, and the Seattle Sounders which is awarded each season to the best top-flight soccer team in the Cascadia region. Vancouver won the inaugural Cup, defeating Portland three times in 2004. The Timbers and Whitecaps have antagonistic roots dating to the days of the original North American Soccer League beginning in 1975. The rivalry regained steam as Portland and Vancouver clashed in crucial, and often physical matches during the late 2000s, with the clubs facing each other in memorable playoff duels in 2007, 2009, and 2010. The two clubs played for the 100th time in 2017, and the rivalry is one of the most-played in US soccer history.
In the first decade of the two clubs playing in Major League Soccer together, Portland and Vancouver have a friendlier rivalry than that of other match-ups in the Cascadia Cup, such as Portland and Seattle. One reason for the less-intense rivalry for the time being could be simple geography (Portland is closer to Seattle than Vancouver) or Vancouver not attaining a similar level of sustained MLS success as the two other Cascadia clubs. However, individual matches between the sides have been just as intense as any rivalry in the league, such as when Portland defeated Vancouver in a brutal two-game playoff series on their way to winning the 2015 MLS Cup. Additionally, many Whitecap players point to the Timbers being their biggest rival.