For the first time in Major League Soccer history, all three Cascadia teams — the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps — have finished atop the Western Conference. Portland finished first, Seattle second and Vancouver third in what was just the second year all three teams have qualified for the playoffs.
“It’s testament to this part of the country, this part of the world being a soccer hotbed,” said Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “It’s three very ultra-competitive teams in a close geographical area and it makes really super good rivalries.”
The Pacific Northwest’s contributions to the United States and Canada’s soccer scenes have been undeniable, and the region boasts some of the league’s most successful teams.