Sounders-Timbers is one of the best rivalries in North American soccer and for good reason. They're two teams in close proximity with storied histories, countless memorable moments and fan bases that flat-out don't like each other. But what good is a rivalry without any villains?
Enter: Roger Levesque.
In an updated article republished on Thursday, which originally ran in June 2015, MLSSoccer.com named Levesque one of the five greatest rivalry villains in MLS history for the way he torched the Timbers throughout his USL and MLS career.
His peak moment came during a U.S. Open Cup match against Portland in 2009. Levesque scored just 48 seconds after kickoff and taunted the Timbers faithful by having teammate Nate Jaqua chop him down with an invisible axe.
"Put the right makeup on him, and he could look like the Joker from Batman," said former Sounders coach Sigi Schmid of Levesque in 2015. "You become a hero or you become a villain to certain fanbases depending on what you do in games, and obviously he scored some big goals against Portland."
Levesque spent 2003-05 on loan with the Sounders from the San Jose Earthquakes before joining Seattle permanently in 2006. He scored 40 goals in 197 appearances for the club in USL and MLS play.
The Sounders defeated the Timbers 3-1 last weekend in Seattle and will take on Portland again this Sunday at 2 p.m. PT at Providence Park (ESPN, KIRO 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360AM).
