Every week, local Major League Soccer expert Wes Burdine (@MnNiceFC) keeps us updated on the happenings in MLS. When he's not here, you can find him on the du Nord Futbol Show podcast. Wes?
1. Portland Timbers 4, Seattle Sounders 4
This match-up is like the gift that keeps on giving. It has noise, it has venom, and this time it had goals. Lots of them. Saturday's edition of the Cascadia rivalry started early, with a third minute goal from Kenny Cooper - and from then on, mayhem ensued.
Seattle's celebrations only lasted five minutes before Diego Chara rifled in a shot from over 20 yards out. 1-1. Only five minutes after the equalizer, Diego Valeri had the ball and his back to box at the edge of the 6 yard box, when he turned and scored off the crossbar and in. 2-1. Then came the boring part, because it took a whole 10 minutes for Clint Dempsey to find himself in space to equalize yet again for the Sounders. 2-2.
In the second half, Chara broke the brief truce by launching in a second goal from distance in the second half to put the Timbers up yet again. 3-2. Minutes later, a poor pass from Cooper was taken up by Max Urruti, who curled his shot beautifully into the corner of the net. 4-2. Game over, someone fire Sigi Schmid. That is until the 85th minute when Clint Dempsey bundled the ball into the next. 4-3, game on? Yes, game on, because Deandre Yedlin was taken down in the box by Ben Zemanski. Clint Dempsey stepped up to take the penalty and equalize once more, and complete his hat trick in the process.
Short Version: Best game you'll watch for a long time.
Highlights: The entire game. Seriously.
2. Portland Timbers 4, Seattle Sounders 4, continued
Both teams have struggled so far this season, but there are miles to go before teams start to stumble drunkenly into the play-offs. The Timbers, for example, started with three points from four games last season when they went on to only narrowly miss out on the Supporters' Shield. They have three points from five games now. I wouldn't count them out yet.