Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders Rivalry is Fierce but Safe

by Geoff Gibson on Jul 12, 2011 12:55 PM PDT

Sorry to disappoint you America, but we're here to support our team, not brawl in the streets. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Over the last couple days I've been seeing a few articles from news sources not particularly knowledgeable in soccer or the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders come out with an almost surprised reaction to the relative calm between the fans during last Sunday's game. That's not to say we were calm. In fact, I'd say it was the best and most energetic crowd ever (although the home opener was mighty thrilling as well). What they mean by "calm" is that there wasn't any fighting and there was no real danger at any point.

Let's get one thing straight. I hate the Flounders. As deeply as I love the Timbers and the sport, I despise Seattle. As well it should be. We're rivals. Portland and Seattle's rivalry extends beyond soccer, but, currently, it's the only real way for the two cities to compete head to head. That said, I would never ever ever raise a fist to anybody of an opposing team or for the simple fact that they support the Sounders over the Timbers. I'd like to think most Timbers (and Sounders) fans are the same way.

It comes off a little frustrating and annoying that everybody expects us to clobber each other every time the teams meet on the field. We each love our respective teams and the game at large, but if smaller print media and national media sources are expecting us to throw down each time we meet they're going to be disappointed at our "relative" calm. Not only would it make us look bad, but it would also be detrimental to the sport as a whole in the nation were something serious to erupt. Something no fan of soccer would ever want.

So I just want to put this out there... Yes, we hate each other. And no, you won't ever see me applauding the Sounders in any tournament (even if they're the last MLS team in the CONCACAF Champions League), but you can count on us being civil towards each other. Isolated incidents might occur, but the overwhelming reaction between each fanbase is generally amicable, begrudgingly so, but still amicable.

I encourage fans to come to Jeld-Wen Field, sit with other fans and enjoy the experience (although keep in mind the TA section is closed off to visiting supporters). You might get verbally harassed a little bit, but it's mostly in good fun. We're all there to enjoy the experience, not to physically cause harm to either you or our stadium.

As the title says, the rivalry between the two fanbases is fierce, but as we showed the nation on Sunday, it's pretty safe as well. I'm happy to report that there were very minimal incidents at both the May 14th game in Seattle and Sunday's game here in Portland. The goal will be to keep in this way for... well... forever.

[in response to The Cascadia Cup: Where were the hooligans?]

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Comments

I detest the word "hooligan" and the laziness of thought that it connotes

The opinion of soccer fans as fighting drunkards is based on a stereotype that hasn’t existed at top clubs in Europe for at least two decades. The Premier League in England and a lot of the other leagues started in the early 1990’s, and brought with it a massive rise in ticket prices, and this drove a lot of the thugs away. There are still isolated problems in the lower leagues, but the generic “soccer fan = hooligan” characterization hasn’t been true in a long time and it amazes me that people still buy in to it.

by pdb on Jul 12, 2011 12:59 PM PDT reply actions

"The Cascadia Cup: Where were the hooligans?"

That is one baaaaad article.

by pecorasc on Jul 12, 2011 1:07 PM PDT reply actions

I didn't even read it because oh my god the stupidity

by pdb on Jul 12, 2011 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions

the title told me all I needed to know...

"I want to hear the whistle, so, you know, blow!"
-Nate McMillan

by Jeremiah Mitchell Braeback on Jul 12, 2011 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Great Response

Though to be honest, I couldn’t get past the title either.

Say what you want about America, thirteen bucks still gets you a hell of a lot of mice!

by No Pity on Jul 12, 2011 2:36 PM PDT reply actions

I went straight for the comments

Just because you always get someone posting who has their stupidity turned up to 11 but apparently it was really only the the author who did. Dislike, hate, animosity, whatever word you wanna use doesn’t mean that you have to harm or engage in physical encounters and I’m glad that it didn’t happen on Sunday.

No fans were tossed from JWF for instigating, can’t say the same for Sounders customers at Qworst.

by thrice on Jul 12, 2011 3:42 PM PDT reply actions

Why does it always have to be a battle over who is better?

The fact is, there were zero major incidents at either game. There’s no need to take a shot at the Sounders or Sounders fans. We should be happy it’s not part of the game and let that be that.

by Aaron Campeau on Jul 12, 2011 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

I think supporter groups

unfortunately play into the stereotype when they talk about how opposing fans need to be treated so gingerly and kept a safe distance all the time. I understand the caution people feel but I think the SG are going overboard with out away fans need to be treated. As someone not in a supporter group it certainly looks like they think they can not control their own violent urges if an opposing fan gets too close. I wish they would tone that back.

Scoreboards, not billboards.
Regular season, not pre-season.

by lysander on Jul 12, 2011 5:19 PM PDT reply actions

I agree

I was a little put off by the ’Don’t associate with Sounders fans anywhere near the stadium’ note from the TA. Hopefully that was just lip service or part of some agreement.

volatilelyle.com

by almost awesome on Jul 12, 2011 8:36 PM PDT up reply actions

I got it...

We have a cage outside the stadium for rivalry games. Anyone who wants to be a hooligan can go in the match and fight the opposing hooligan. Winner gets the losers scarf. Win ten scarfs and you get to be honorary capo for a song.

All nice and controlled! No one who does not want to fight will get hurt and the idiots will get it out of their system! :)

Scoreboards, not billboards.
Regular season, not pre-season.

by lysander on Jul 12, 2011 5:27 PM PDT reply actions

MMA and Soccer!

I love it

Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.

by Ryan Gates on Jul 12, 2011 6:09 PM PDT up reply actions

You could be onto something here!

Love it. And agree, the SG’s seem to get just a tad bit carried away…

by SMP PDX on Jul 12, 2011 8:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I can't speak to ECS but the Timbers Army have a very tight relationship with the Timbers FO

the Timbers let the TA self-police, and the TA promises that in return they will do so in a way that doesn’t cost them the Timbers FO’s trust and make the Timbers step in. All of the stuff about getting rid of “YSA” chants, and making sure that nothing gets out of hand – that’s all TA, because they know what’s at stake. In addition, the TA gets a piece of every TA season ticket sold, so that’s two incentives for the TA to “get a bit carried away” – they don’t want the Timbers to step in and have to regulate/police the TA, and they don’t want to jeopardize their income from tickets.

I am newish to the Timbers, and certainly can’t claim to be an expert on the TA, but to me nothing they did (or what ECS did, from the sounds of it) strikes me as getting “carried away”. It’s incumbent on the TA to make sure that the game is kept in its proper context, and they do that. It may seem absurd, but the TA is good at what they do.

by pdb on Jul 12, 2011 9:10 PM PDT up reply actions

I hate this article

Stupid local TV news has always got to try and start sh*t. Rivalry is good, and the matches have given me just what I expected form the supporters groups, except for the bare ass I saw pressed up aginst the bus window on 1st ave. Please tell your TA members to “wipe until it’s white” from now on. Go Sounders!

by Wisepunk on Jul 14, 2011 2:36 PM PDT reply actions