The Cascadia rivalry is coming to Southern Arizona.
One of Major League Soccer’s fiercest derbies has been added as part of the Desert Showcase presented by Visit Tucson, as the Portland Timbers officially committed to the event Wednesday.
The Timbers will play Seattle Sounders FC on Jan. 26 at Kino North Stadium (7 p.m.), and will train in Tucson from Jan. 20-Feb. 5. The Timbers will replace Real Salt Lake as the Sounders’ opponent.
Due to scheduling logistics and technical considerations, Real Salt Lake has opted out of playing a preseason friendly. RSL will still come to Tucson to train from Jan. 21-Feb. 3. Fans who have purchased tickets to the RSL-Seattle matchup and the ticket package will have the option to substitute in the Portland-Seattle.
BUY TICKETS: Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers
“Not only has Portland and Seattle been one of Major League Soccer’s biggest rivalries for nearly two decades, but they’ve been a significant part of our preseason event,” said FC Tucson President Amanda Powers. “We are very fortunate to have a club the caliber of the Timbers as part of the Desert Showcase presented by Visit Tucson, and the step in to play Seattle as our kickoff game is a huge win for soccer fans in the region.”
Portland and Seattle have been regional rivals dating to their days in the old North American Soccer League, beginning in 1975, and that has carried through the various leagues the teams have been part of. It’s continued in the MLS, where the Sounders have won the championship twice (2016 and 2019) and the Timbers won in 2015. The two teams have accounted for the last seven Western Conference champions, with Portland reaching the MLS Cup this season, losing on penalty kicks to NYCFC.
The two annually play for the Cascadia Cup, named for the region that also encompasses Vancouver.
Their matchups have extended to the Arizona, where both teams have significant fanbases.
Seattle and Portland have been both frequent participants in the MLS preseason in Tucson. They’ve played each other six times, including a 1-1 draw in 2017 before more than 4,000 fans at Kino. Seattle won 2-1 in 2018 and Portland won 2-1 in 2019.
Local soccer fans will also get the first chance to see Grand Canyon University product Justin Rasmussen in a Portland Timbers’ uniform. The NCAA All-American defender was a first-round pick by Portland in the MLS Super Draft presented by adidas on Tuesday.
The Desert Showcase presented by Visit Tucson will bring some of the top professional soccer clubs throughout the United States to Southern Arizona as part of the 12th annual event. The preseason training and matches are part of an expanded celebration of soccer and Tucson.
FC Tucson, Tucson’s professional soccer club, is teaming with Visit Tucson and Official Community Partner, Rio Nuevo, to kick off a year-long celebration of soccer, starting with the Desert Showcase, which will bring MLS and USL teams to the region in January and February.
As part of the lead up to the 2022 Men’s World Cup in the Fall, FC Tucson will team with downtown Tucson establishments to host Watch Parties for the final six World Cup qualifying games for the U.S. Men’s National Team, including U.S. versus Mexico on March 24.
FC Tucson and its partners, along with Visit Tucson and Rio Nuevo will feature a number of activations during the games around the region’s gastronomy, and highlight the chefs and restaurants that make Tucson home. The hospitality area is sponsored by Nova Home Loans Sunrise Branch, a long-time supporter and official sponsor of FC Tucson.
New for 2022, the Desert Showcase presented by Visit Tucson has expanded to feature training and matches for several top USL Championship and USL League One clubs. Teams and additional games will be announced later this week.
The Cascadia rivalry is coming to Southern Arizona.
One of Major League Soccer’s fiercest derbies has been added as part of the Desert Showcase presented by Visit Tucson, as the Portland Timbers officially committed to the event Wednesday.
The Timbers will play Seattle Sounders FC on Jan. 26 at Kino North Stadium (7 p.m.), and will train in Tucson from Jan. 20-Feb. 5. The Timbers will replace Real Salt Lake as the Sounders’ opponent.
Due to scheduling logistics and technical considerations, Real Salt Lake has opted out of playing a preseason friendly. RSL will still come to Tucson to train from Jan. 21-Feb. 3. Fans who have purchased tickets to the RSL-Seattle matchup and the ticket package will have the option to substitute in the Portland-Seattle.
BUY TICKETS: Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers
“Not only has Portland and Seattle been one of Major League Soccer’s biggest rivalries for nearly two decades, but they’ve been a significant part of our preseason event,” said FC Tucson President Amanda Powers. “We are very fortunate to have a club the caliber of the Timbers as part of the Desert Showcase presented by Visit Tucson, and the step in to play Seattle as our kickoff game is a huge win for soccer fans in the region.”
Portland and Seattle have been regional rivals dating to their days in the old North American Soccer League, beginning in 1975, and that has carried through the various leagues the teams have been part of. It’s continued in the MLS, where the Sounders have won the championship twice (2016 and 2019) and the Timbers won in 2015. The two teams have accounted for the last seven Western Conference champions, with Portland reaching the MLS Cup this season, losing on penalty kicks to NYCFC.
The two annually play for the Cascadia Cup, named for the region that also encompasses Vancouver.
Their matchups have extended to the Arizona, where both teams have significant fanbases.
Seattle and Portland have been both frequent participants in the MLS preseason in Tucson. They’ve played each other six times, including a 1-1 draw in 2017 before more than 4,000 fans at Kino. Seattle won 2-1 in 2018 and Portland won 2-1 in 2019.
Local soccer fans will also get the first chance to see Grand Canyon University product Justin Rasmussen in a Portland Timbers’ uniform. The NCAA All-American defender was a first-round pick by Portland in the MLS Super Draft presented by adidas on Tuesday.
The Desert Showcase presented by Visit Tucson will bring some of the top professional soccer clubs throughout the United States to Southern Arizona as part of the 12th annual event. The preseason training and matches are part of an expanded celebration of soccer and Tucson.
FC Tucson, Tucson’s professional soccer club, is teaming with Visit Tucson and Official Community Partner, Rio Nuevo, to kick off a year-long celebration of soccer, starting with the Desert Showcase, which will bring MLS and USL teams to the region in January and February.
As part of the lead up to the 2022 Men’s World Cup in the Fall, FC Tucson will team with downtown Tucson establishments to host Watch Parties for the final six World Cup qualifying games for the U.S. Men’s National Team, including U.S. versus Mexico on March 24.
FC Tucson and its partners, along with Visit Tucson and Rio Nuevo will feature a number of activations during the games around the region’s gastronomy, and highlight the chefs and restaurants that make Tucson home. The hospitality area is sponsored by Nova Home Loans Sunrise Branch, a long-time supporter and official sponsor of FC Tucson.
New for 2022, the Desert Showcase presented by Visit Tucson has expanded to feature training and matches for several top USL Championship and USL League One clubs. Teams and additional games will be announced later this week.
