A derby with no name

In 2014 the Sounders celebrated 40 years as a club, in 2015 a new 40-year celebration can be had "40 years of beating Portland".  Sunday's game at Centurylink field will mark the 92^nd time the Seattle Sounders have played the Portland Timbers. With all that history what do we call it?  A Derby, a Rivalry, or a plain old fight? One thing we can't call the Seattle-Portland game is regular as in "just another regular-season game"; it deserves more.

In England you have the "Manchester Derby", in Spain it's "El Clasico", and in Italy they call it the "Derby della Madonnina". When you hear these names you know who is playing and what is at stake. The Sounders and Timbers may not have a name yet for their rivalry, but what they do have is a reputation for being the longest and most bitter rivalry in American Soccer. To do this rivalry justice a name has to be found, a name that represents the Pacific Northwest, a name that celebrates and identifies both cities. A name that when people hear it they instantly think; Seattle-Portland soccer.

Evergreen Derby, The I-5 Rivalry, El Clasico Verde, Pacific Northwest Derby

This is a Rivalry that has 40 years of History, history that started May 2^nd, 1975 with a 1-0 victory for Seattle.  When Seattle and Portland take the field Sunday night it will almost be exactly 40 years to the day since they first played at Civic Stadium (now called Providence Park) in Portland.

One thing I can say from first hand experience is that Seattle has,

Better Fans - Check

Bigger Stadium - Check

Better "Tifo" - Check

More Wins- Check

Roger Levesque - Double check