Seattle Sounders FC and the Portland Timbers today announced the kickoff of “SEAvPDX Week,” a special joint project between the clubs. Seattle and Portland, who were set to play their first match of the season against each other on May 17, have joined forces to mark their storied rivalry with a week of unique content and competitive opportunities for their two fan bases, including the FIFA 20 Showdown hosted by Matcherino and the live interactive Trivia Challenge. Sounders FC’s week of programming is presented by Zulily, with 76 as Portland’s presenting partner.
Events get started later today, as each club shares its top five moments that defined the Seattle-Portland rivalry in the MLS era. Seattle’s Joseph Mondello and Portland’s Richard Farley will post their lists for fans to discuss and debate.
On Wednesday, fans can look forward to more exclusive written content in the form of a deep dive into the rivalry between Sounders FC and the Timbers from each club’s perspective. Mondello and Farley have worked to deliver a long-form oral history of the first meeting in the MLS era between the clubs, which took place on May 14, 2011. Players and technical staff members from the 2011 teams will help tell the tale of that match and the birth of the most passionate and contentious rivalry in Major League Soccer.
Sounders FC is also producing on Wednesday a special edition of its weekly podcast “Winging It with Zak and Brad,” hosted by Steve Zakuani and Brad Evans. The program will have a rivalry twist, with Timbers guestsJack Jewsbury and Ryan Pore joining Zakuani and Evans to discuss everything Seattle-Portland, from memorable moments to insider stories.
Thursday brings some competition into the mix, and the opportunity for fan participation. First, the two clubs test brotherhood in a literal way as Seattle’s Cristian and Alex Roldan take on Portland’s Diego and Yimmi Chara in a Newlywed Game-style competition, determining which sibling pair knows each other better. This content will be hosted on each club’s website.
Later in the evening, Seattle and Portland finally have the chance to duke it out on the pitch – in FIFA 20. From 6:00-8:00 p.m. PT, fans can take part in the free FIFA 20 Showdown hosted by Matcherino, pitting the Rave Green against the Green & Gold. Fans will be matched to play against one another and points from the results of each individual match – three for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss – will be combined to determine an overall winner between Sounders FC and the Timbers, earning fans bragging rights. Three lucky participants from each team will also be randomly selected to receive a signed item from their club of choice.
Additionally, the Showdown’s marquee matchup will take place at 7:00 p.m. PT, with Seattle’s Stefan Frei facing off against Portland’s Bill Tuiloma for club and FIFA glory. At 7:30 p.m. PT, the two clubs’ eMLS representatives – Seattle’s TheMarsBars11 and Portland’s RCTID Thiago – will also compete for their shields. Fans can tune into the Twitch channel for their respective teams to check out the action and cheer their side on to victory. Throughout the streams, fans will also be encouraged to donate to their club’s selected community COVID-19 relief charity – the Seattle Sounders FC Relief Fund for Sounders FC and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette for the Timbers – with the ability to donate directly from the clubs’ Twitch channels.
Sounders FC fans who own FIFA 20 for PS4 and are interested in taking part in this free tournament can register at Sndrs.com/nw2k3. Timbers fans can register here.
Friday offers another chance for fans to compete for their club, this time in a battle of wits during a live, interactive trivia night, with questions about the rivalry and Pacific Northwest region. The Trivia Challenge is slated for 4:00 p.m. PT, and fans can play for free on their mobile devices by logging on to Crowd.Live/SEAvPDX and selecting which team they are representing. There is no limit on participation, and all fans are encouraged to take part.
Seattle and Portland’s respective YouTube channels will be livestreaming the trivia competition, which is hosted by Sounders FC radio commentator Matt Johnson, former Sounder Steve Zakuani and former Timber and current club television analyst Ross Smith. Johnson, Zakuani and Smith will also share more about each of the clubs’ chosen COVID-19 funds, the Seattle Sounders FC Relief Fund and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, both raising awareness for the important work these organizations are doing in the Seattle and Portland communities and encouraging fans to learn more and donate if possible.
The highest average scores across four rounds of multiple-choice trivia will determine which club comes out on top. The top three individual finishers from each club will win an ultimate fan experience for themselves and three guests (four total) when play resumes with fans in-stadium.
The action wraps up over the weekend, as each club broadcasts a memorable rivalry match from its archives. Seattle fans had the ability to vote between four different Seattle-Portland matchups for the Saturday, May 23 edition of Sounders FC Classics and chose Seattle’s 4-2 victory over Portland on August 24, 2014, which saw an Obafemi Martins brace in addition to goals by Clint Dempsey and Chad Barrett.
The club has been offering Sounders FC Classics as a weekly program – Saturday evenings at 7:00 p.m. PT – to provide fans of the Rave Green with a taste of their favorite team during Major League Soccer’s ongoing suspension of play. This week’s rivalry match, along with all the week’s activities, is presented by Zulily.
Sounders FC Classics is available live on JOEtv, as well as both live and archived for later viewing on SoundersFC.com and via the Sounders FC mobile app, for those within the Sounders FC broadcast territory throughout the state of Washington. Fans can also tune in to 950 KJR AM via radio or iHeartRadio app to listen to the game’s broadcast.
The week’s schedule of events is subject to change. Please visit SoundersFC.com/AtHomeTogether for the most up-to-date content and schedule information.
