Photo courtesy of Jane Gershovich/Sounders FC
When the Seattle Sounders face the Portland Timbers in a massive Heineken Rivalry Week Cascadia derby at Lumen Field on Sunday (10:30 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes), the game will be part of a debut event — one that might just be the start of a new tradition if all goes to plan.
The match will round off a packed day of Pacific Northwest soccer as part of a double-header featuring the Sounders' NWSL counterparts OL Reign, who will host a rivalry matchup of their own at Lumen against the Portland Thorns before the Sounders match. The two clubs have long been on good terms, but this marks the first time they'll ever play games in the same venue on the same day.
OL Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock and defender Lauren Barnes were joined by Sounders midfielder Kelyn Rowe and defender Brad Smith at a Lumen Field joint-press conference to preview the festivities on Tuesday, with the players on hand agreeing that the feeling is very much that this has all been a long time coming.
"I think Washington and Seattle as a whole have been excited for this to happen, we've been waiting for this to happen and now it's finally here, against Portland as well," Fishlock said. "I mean, I just can't stop smiling, I really can't, it's going to be so much fun."
"I think we always had a good player relationship between the Sounders and the Reign off the field. That has always really been there. It's just the hierarchy of the situation, we've just never been able to make use of that to its full potential. But now hopefully that's changed."
Looking at the full itinerary for the day's events, it's clear that the soccer games are the central component of what has the feel and vibe of a festival. The area around Lumen Field will feature three different concert sites with live music, beer gardens and food trucks that attendees will be able to peruse before entering the stadium.
The musical aspect maintains the theme of the Sounders' season-long tribute to the legendary Jimi Hendrix, who was the inspiration behind the club's secondary kits they've been wearing during the 2021 season.
"I hope that moving forward that this event is so successful that it's not just once a year, it's a regular thing," Fishlock said. "We have two great teams here, two successful teams. It actually makes a lot of sense to try and do this as much as we can.
"This is the start. I think hopefully over the years it'll be more and more and more and better and better and better and the fan bases will somehow be able to merge, which will be just fantastic."
The extra-curriculars figure to add to the luster of the games themselves, which carry heavy implications given the opponent. The Sounders, for their part, took an emphatic 6-2 victory over the Timbers at Providence Park on August 15, meaning their regional rivals will be out to settle the score.
Rowe said the key will be making sure the hype surrounding the day's events is put aside once the players take the field, with the knowledge that there will be pressure to give the fans a show.
"It's obviously been a long week for us being away, we've had a lot of success recently," Rowe said. "But it's about not taking the moment for granted. Take it in, see all the fans, watch the game beforehand, but once you step over that line you've got to be a professional again. You just do what you've got to do and get your work done."
