As many of our fans prepare to head to Portland for another big Cascadia match, I thought I’d share my experience from last weekend when I had the opportunity to experience the rivalry as a fan on the road for the first time.
I hosted a bus load of Whitecaps fans on a day trip down to Seattle courtesy of UNIGLOBE Vision Travel. I had been to a game in Seattle before to watch the team I had supported as a boy, Manchester United, as they played Celtic. But this was my first time watching the ‘Caps play the Sounders in Seattle, and my first time going to the game as a fan.
I’ve sometimes wondered what it would be like to travel down the I-5 to Seattle and Portland for a Whitecaps FC game, and now here I was about to get a new perspective of this Cascadia rivalry. The meeting of the bus was nice and early at 6:45 a.m. and the wait at the boarder was longer than usual, but these things took nothing away from the excitement and anticipation of what was to come when we reached our destination.
As soon as we entered the city of Seattle there was lots of evidence of the upcoming game, as we began to witness more than a few green shirts worn by the Sounders fans, and the closer to the stadium we got the more green we saw. We arrived around kick-off, so most of the ‘Caps fans were already inside singing their heads off.
When we left the bus in our Whitecaps jerseys and scarves, we took some good-hearted ribbing from numerous Seattle fans that were still tailgating and getting in the mood for the game. I loved it, rival fans baiting each other before the game started. I was now chomping at the bit to get inside with the rest of the 55,000 plus crowd.
As I showed my ticket at the gate and began to walk up the stairs to my seats I got chills as I heard the chanting and the singing coming from both sets of fans. The atmosphere was electric and I hurried as fast as I could to join in the action.
When I arrived at the Whitecaps section the place was rocking. I did not reach my seats as some ‘Caps fans recognized me and pulled me into their section. I was not going to argue with them. Our 2,000 or so fans were certainly outnumbered, but we were not drowned out as they roared on their team. This is what I remembered as a boy growing up in Manchester.
There is no doubt in my mind that this Cascadia rivalry is the best of Major League Soccer, and a small taste of what the future holds for the league. We are only into the second year of the Cascadia rivalry in MLS and it will continue to grow on and off the field.
I really hope all of our fans can experience travelling to Seattle or Portland for a game, as it truly is a unique experience. I hope to again travel with our fans soon so I don’t miss out on all the fun!
