Interim coach Brian Schmetzer has an intimate knowledge of the Seattle-Portland rivalry, dating back to his playing days in the NASL and through his stint as the head coach of the minor-league Sounders.
Asked late last week what was so special about the matchup ahead of Sunday’s match at CenturyLink Field, Schmetzer described it as a rivalry between cities, clubs, fans, current players, former players and all the way up to the coaches. Then he told his personal favorite Sounders-Timbers story.
“It’s such a great rivalry for so many reasons,” Schmetzer said. “The excitement builds. You can perhaps tell that all of us are a little bit edgy.