Do you remember when Barbra Banda scored a goal on her birthday to tie up Orlando’s match against Denver? How about when Emma Sears ran the length of the pitch with the ball at her feet to put Louisville up 2-0 on Washington? Or when the Spirit came back to tie it up with a Sofia Cantore scorcher and a Leicy Santos snipe? 

Of course you don’t. That’s because the Cascadia Rivalry happened. 

Friday’s edition of the NWSL’s most storied rivalry—and arguably its only true rivalry, as the manufactured “District vs. Empire” clash between Washington and Gotham has only just started to grow real teeth over the last couple seasons—had an air of the bizarre before the season even started. It was oddly set for just the second week of the season, and would be Portland’s home opener. 

For their respective season openers, both teams had traveled to the east-coast giants who had knocked them out of the playoffs last year, and both came away with three points. Portland, which hadn’t hired head coach Robert Vilahamn until nine days before the season started, showed up to a sold out Audi Field and put up a 1-0 win over Washington. Seattle,...