In the 42 years that he's been a fan of the Portland Timbers and a season ticket holder across the NASL, USL and MLS eras, Don Cox has witnessed the birth and evolution of one of the oldest continuing rivalries in American professional soccer.
In May 1975, Cox – then 18 years-old – and his brother went out to Civic Stadium on a whim to catch Portland's newest professional sports team, the Timbers. The two sat in the pouring rain and watched, transfixed as the newly assembled Timbers fell 1-0 in a hard-fought battle with the Seattle Sounders.