Top 10 Biggest MLS Rivalries Revealed

From having only 12 teams in 2005, Major League Soccer is closing in on 30 teams before the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Today I present Part 1 of the biggest rivalries in the MLS today, with Part 2 to follow:

Hudson River Derby

The New York derby between New York Red Bulls and New York City FC represents the largest city in America. Following the first ever derby in 2015, Red Bulls had cut the allocation of NYCFC fans by two-thirds for their next Red Bulls home game because of fan behaviour that included throwing smoke bombs and flares. That set the tone for the Hudson River derby which the Red Bulls have so far dominated, including A 7-0 victory in 2016 for the Red Bulls,in a game known as 'The Red Wedding'.

Atlantic Cup

DC United and New York Red Bulls were always going to be rivals with strong Washington-New York rivalries in the NFL and NHL already. The Atlantic Cup has developed into one of the fiercest derbies in the MLS with both clubs having among the largest and oldest supporter groups in the league.

The pair have been going at it since 2002 and one of the most iconic moments was in 2006. After DC United's Alecko Eskandarian scored the first goal in a 4–1 win, he celebrated by taking a sip of a Red Bull energy drink and then spat it on the ground.

Canadian Classique

Canadian clubs Toronto FC and CF Montreal compete in the heated Canadian Classique, also known as the Two Solitudes Derby or the 410 Derby. The two cities have been historical rivals in sports which has translated over to the MLS as the two clubs representing Canada in Major League Soccer.

Texas Derby

The winner of the Texas derby annual series between FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo takes home one of the most unique trophies in world soccer, a replica 18th century mountain howitzer cannon called the El Capitán. Despite the series starting back in 2006 the derby has been evenly matched. The rivalry is a bit more intense over social media than it is in the stands but the addition of Austin FC should raise the stakes.

Battle of Cascadia

One of the most ferocious of MLS derbies, the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers is a battle between the two Pacific-Northwest giants. Considered one of the greatest rivalries in American soccer, it's atmosphere has been compared to that of derbies in the English Premier League. Unlike most MLS derbies, Seattle and Portland have been rivals since 1975 in the old NASL.

Violence is extremely rare between both sets of supporters but there is a deep resentment between the sets of fans with hostile environments for both teams on their away games. The attitude of the fans is also shared among opposing teams on the pitch, with former players Scot Thompson for the Timbers and Sounders striker Roger Levesque playing out a rivalry of their own.

++Stay tuned for Part 2 coming shortly!++

All the way from the Land Down Under, I created Wolfgang Sport as I enjoy writing and watching British and American sports. Started in 2017, I started the blog as a way to connect my passion for sports in the US & UK.