While the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps will meet for the first time in the postseason since both teams entered MLS in 2011, the Timbers and Whitecaps have a long history of meeting in the postseason that stretches back to 1978 when both teams were in the NASL.
The Timbers swept the postseason series in 1978 by scores of 1-0 and 2-1, the only time they would meet in the postseason in their NASL history. The Timbers and Whitecaps would meet four times during their USL history, with the Whitecaps taking three of the four series.
In 2002 the Whitecaps would win the first leg of the playoffs with 1-0 victory in Portland, before finishing the series off with another 1-0 win in Burnaby. 2007 was the first of three straight seasons that the two teams would meet in the postseason, with the Timbers dropping a 1-0 result in Vancouver before winning 3-0 in Portland to advance to the league semifinals (where they lost in PK’s to Atlanta).
In 2009 the Timbers and Whitecaps would once again meet in the first round of the playofss, with the Whitecaps winning 2-1 at Swangard Stadium before advancing after a dramatic 3-3 draw at PGE Park.
In 2010, the last season in the USL before both teams went to MLS a year later, the Whitecaps would win 2-0 in Burnaby which gave the Timbers a tall task in the second leg which was at Merlo Field as the Timbers had started reconstruction on their stadium for MLS. James Marcelin put the Timbers up 1-0 in the 49th minute, but the Timbers never found the series equalizing goal and the 1-0 victory was not enough and the Timbers USL history ended that evening.
Though their history spreads across three leagues, and this will be their first MLS postseason matchup, the teams and fans have a long, proud history between the two sides, and a long, respectful rivalry.
