With the addition of Portland and Vancouver in 2011, MLS will experience the closest thing to an authentic three-way derby the league has ever seen.
Derby (pronounced darby) is generally a term to describe a local sporting event or cross-town rivalry between clubs. With Vancouver and Portland, the Sounders are sandwiched in between a three-way derby.
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Why will the derby arguably be more authentic than what there is today in MLS?
The answer is simple. Derbies cannot be manufactured or forced; they are born of blood, sweat, tears, history and time. In my opinion, for a real derby to be authentic, there has to be a history of long and hard fought battles on the pitch and verbal wars and good natured hazing between supporters in each others' home pitch.
History
The rivalries the Sounders have between the north and south go back to the 1970's in the days of the North American Soccer League. The Sounders had players like Davey Butler, Dave Gillett and Mike England. Portland had players like Clyde Best, Big John Rowland and Chris Dangerfield. Vancouver had players like Bob Lenarduzi (current Vancouver GM), Trevor Wymark and Carl Valentine patrolling the pitch.
When we played Portland or Vancouver, home or away, boisterous crowds packed the stadiums. The games were also always televised for those who could not drive North or South. The intensity level and noise always seemed to go up a few notches when Portland, Vancouver or Seattle met on the field of battle.
Portland and Vancouver are going to be very healthy additions to the league. They have what we have in Seattle: rabid supporters, grassroots support and knowledgeable fans. They also have a strong history of soccer in their respective communities as well as success on and off the pitch in the NASL and USL. Like Seattle, Portland and Vancouver have stadiums downtown, which will make for an exciting matchday experience for home and visiting supporters with a loud and boisterous carnival-like atmosphere.
MLS Rivalries
There are other great rivalries in the MLS. DC United, New York and New England have the ingredients to become great derbies for the Northeast. And with the addition of Philadelphia next year, it is only going to get better. What they don't have yet is the rich history. Those cities are like a fine bottle of wine that does not have the right amount of aging yet to be truly vintage, but no doubt they will be with time and matches played.
To Vancouver and Portland, congratulations and welcome to MLS. Looking forward to you joining us and continuing the fun in 2011.
Reach Greg Roth at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
