Whitecaps v Timbers Cascadia Cup Preview

Trip Down Memory Lane – Whitecaps Win 2008 Cascadia Cup in Seattle (opens in new window)

The Portland Timbers set out on the road north to Vancouver on Thursday for one of the last Cascadia derbies in the USL. Vancouver top their Conference with a record of seven wins, eight draws and two defeats for a total of 17-29.

The Whitecaps are in first place in the NASL Conference and are running on a 10-game unbeaten streak. In their last match, midfielder Blake Wagner scored all three goals to lead the Whitecaps to a 3-1 win over the Miami FC Blues at home on July 14. They are in the middle of a four-game homestand at Swangard Stadium, where they are unbeaten (5-0-4) in 2010.

The Caps will be without the services of midfielders Ricardo Sanchez and Jonny Steele whom they traded to FC Tampa Bay Rowdies for future considerations.

The Timbers record of 16-23 (six wins, five draws) is more modest after a decent start but they are on a four-game unbeaten streak and have not conceded a goal for four games, since their 1-0 loss to the NSC Minnesota Stars on June 17 at PGE Park – a span of 430 minutes, which is a new modern-franchise record.

Still they sit just fourth in the USL Conference, four points behind of the second-place Rochester Rhinos. They are fresh off their friendly game with EPL Manchester City.

Portland v Man City Picture Gallery (opens in new window)

Thursday’s match features two of the top defences in the second tier. Both sides have conceded just ten goals. They have met twice and Portland have the only win. The two sides meet for the fourth and final time during the regular season as lower-division foes in Vancouver on Oct. 2.

CASCADIA CUP

The Timbers hold the lead in the race for the 2010 Cascadia Cup – a fan-based derby between Portland and Vancouver. Started in 2004, the Cascadia Cup was originally a competition between United Soccer Leagues’ Seattle Sounders, Portland and Vancouver, and the cup was awarded to the team with the best record in head-to-head match.

All three clubs will compete for the cup once again in 2011 when the Timbers and Whitecaps join Seattle Sounders FC in MLS. The Timbers won the Cascadia Cup for the first time last season.

History of the Fixture

Thursday’s match will be the 64th all-time meeting between the Whitecaps and Timbers. Going back to the 1975 North American Soccer League (NASL) season, the Whitecaps hold an all-time record of 32 wins, 22 defeats, and nine draws versus the Timbers. This included 10 wins and 11 defeats versus Portland in the old NASL between 1975 and 1982, as well as 22 wins, 10 defeats, and eight draws against the Timbers in United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) between 2001 and 2009.

In Canada, Vancouver’s all-time record versus the Timbers stands at 22 wins, six defeats, and two draws, with the Blue and White registering five wins and five defeats at home in the old NASL before setting a USL-1 home record of 17 wins, one defeat, and two draws. The Whitecaps will play the Timbers for a fourth time this season when they host Portland in their final regular season match on Saturday, October 2.

Portland have only won one of their last 17 matches in Vancouver.

CASCADIA CUP 2010

This year’s regular season matches between Vancouver and Portland also count towards the fan-based Cascadia Cup, with the Timbers holding the upper hand after a win and a draw in Portland.

This is the second year that the trophy is being contested between the Whitecaps and Timbers, with the competition having originated back in 2004 between then USL-1 clubs Portland, Vancouver, and Seattle Sounders. With Seattle joining MLS last year, supporters will have to wait until 2011 before all three Pacific Northwest clubs can contest the cup again in head-to-head regular season action in MLS.

All four regular season games between the Whitecaps and Timbers will determine this year’s winner, with Portland currently in possession of the cup after winning it for the first time in 2009. The Whitecaps are the most successful Cascadia Cup side, having won the trophy in 2004, 2005, and 2008. Before joining MLS, the USL-1 Sounders were cup winners in 2006 and 2007.

Thursday’s match between Whitecaps FC and Portland Timbers at Swangard kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT. Whitecaps individual match tickets start at $20, plus applicable service charges, and are available at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centres, online at ticketmaster.ca, and by phone at 604.280.4400 or 1.800.663.9311. Visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets for more information on Whitecaps individual match tickets.

The match between the Northwest rivals and 2011 Major League Soccer expansion clubs will air live on 95.5 The Game in Portland, with a live video webcast available at www.portlandtimbers.com/live.

For those not in the Portland area, will be available live online at whitecapsfc.com/live.

Tags: Portland and Vancouver

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