Timbers vs Whitecaps (1975-2024)
Just sitting here watching this Cascadia Cup match with some old Kick magazines, figured it would be a good Match Day*
Here’s how this works: If you have Twitter/X, follow us at @greenitcolor. We’ll see what we can do in a thread there as we cover this game and some of the NASL history between these two sides, through the lens of Kick.
If you don’t have Twitter/X, no problem: we’ll update this story here with all of those.
Starting Lineups:
These Teams’ Rosters in Their First Meeting (May 16, 1975):
14’ | 0 - 0
This is beautiful work, Timbers Army!
20’ | 0 - 0
Kick magazine cover from the first meeting between these two:
25’ | 0 - 0
Inside the program, the Whitecaps were kind enough to talk about the Timbers:
26’ | 1 - 0 Goal Jonathan Rodríguez!
36’ | 1 - 0
In that first matchup, Vancouver came in hot, having won their first 5 matches:
40’ | 1 - 0
But it was Portland--and a new arrival in Liverpudlian Willie Anderson--who came out on top, 2 - 0:
43’ | 2 - 0
Felipe Mora must have read the above and saw it’s supposed to be 2 - 0:
45+ | 2 - 0
Willie Anderson has a great story about that game and being given the number 12. Hear it in his own words in our podcast:
Halftime | 2 - 0
When we get back, we’ll look a little into the first match Vancouver played at Portland…
We're back... And Vancouver's Alessandro Schöpf has just been given his second yellow, so we'll play 11 v 10 (for now).
59' | 2 - 0
Just taking a break from 1975 Kick magazines to tell you two things about Brian Gant.
He's the one who let me borrow these Kicks and a lot of the great archival stuff I've been able to share, so a big thanks to one of my three favorite Canadians! (See also: Rob Baarts Podcast Episode 23.)
In Vancouver's first season in 1974, Brian was the Whitecaps' leading scorer (and one of the youngest on the team). You can hear him tell his story in his words in Podcast Episode 9: Brian Gant.
69’ | 2 - 0
I’ll get back to the Timbers/Whitecaps Kick in a moment, but I have to share these great ads, apropos of nothing. If you ever get your hands on one of these, set aside some time for yourself and enjoy:
There are some injuries, so I’ll just ask this question while we wait: Would Burt Reynolds’ Bandit have been better if he (or Jerry Reed’s Snowman) wore a Chicago Sting, NASL-branded hat? [Answer: Yes!]
77’ | 2 - 0
If I’m being honest, this is what I was hoping to see at some point tonight. Two Croatians on the field. Both also played for HNK Rijeka at different times, with Župarić’s 2017 White’s winning the Croatian domestic double.
And I had the honor of asking Župarić about playing against a fellow Croatian, in the post-match press conference:
81’ | 2 - 0
Can we bring back “The Other Football” on local network TV?
85’ | 2 - 0
If this score holds, I think there’s a McDonald’s situation, a fast-food-supporting-soccer tradition as old as this rivalry:
(I was right—this came to my email after the match.)
90’ | 2 - 0
This is the last from the Kicks for now because there’s not much match left. This is what I love about the 1975 Portland Timbers and so many since (and the NASL in general): From the absolute start, they were building the game, and we’re sitting here at 1844 SW Morrison Street, enjoying this evening and each other—and all the soccer—because of it.
Final | 2 - 0 Timbers!
Enjoy the highlights:
#RCTID