MLS has its fair share of detractors with plenty of football fans still considering it a retirement league for players well past their primes. The difference in structure of the league will always mean that European football will eye it warily and yet for MLS to continue its growth, domestic expansion is key. For most clubs in the world, a passionate home crowd is key to their success, and traditional rivalries are a great way to measure the passion surrounding the club.
KickTV has a look at one of the league’s more intense rivalries; the rivalry of Timbers vs Sounders. Geographical proximity is the one of the most common sources of rivalry in sport and this is no exception. The above video travels back in time right up to 1975 where the newly formed Portland side took on Seattle Sounders in their first ever game. The sides took on each other 3 more times that year in intense games and the rivalry has been prevalent ever since. The video does a good job of providing historical context to the rivalry, albeit mainly from a Portland perspective.
