Heritage Cup (MLS)


The Heritage Cup is an annual cup rivalry between Major League Soccer teams San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders FC. Both teams carried their names forward from their North American Soccer League predecessors.

History

The Heritage Cup trophy was conceived and designed by San Jose Earthquakes fan Rob Stevenson and was commissioned by San Jose's Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation in collaboration with Seattle supporters. The competition began in 2009 when the expansion Seattle Sounders FC began play, becoming the second MLS team named after their NASL counterpart – the San Jose Earthquakes having been the first.
San Jose and Seattle did have a rivalry while playing in the NASL. However, it did not completely resurface during the 2009 season with fans of both teams viewing other clubs as bigger rivals. That season, the first MLS meeting of the teams was not considered for the competition due to the schedule consisting of two games in Seattle and only one in San Jose. Seattle won the initial meeting at home 2-0 and the second 2-1. The San Jose Earthquakes won the inaugural cup on goals scored after a 4-0 home victory on August 2, 2009.
Present and future MLS teams that carry on the name of their market's NASL predecessors are eligible to join the competition. However, when the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC became eligible to compete for the cup upon joining the league in 2011, both teams' supporters elected not to participate. They left open the possibility of joining if a couple of additional eligible teams join the MLS, thereby better differentiating the Heritage Cup from the Cascadia Cup.
The 2012 MLS Season brought an unbalanced schedule for the first time since 2009. The rules to the cup therefore reverted to counting only the last two matches between the teams, the way it will be counted in any season that has an unbalanced schedule.

Club namesakes

Results

Competitive matches only

NASL era

For statistical purposes, matches that went to shootouts are counted as draws.
SeasonDateCompetitionStadiumHome TeamResultAway TeamAttendanceSeriesRef
1974May 19NASLMemorial StadiumSeattle Sounders3–1San Jose Earthquakes SEA 1–0–0
1974June 30NASLSpartan StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes2–2Seattle Sounders SEA 1–0–1
1975June 21NASLMemorial StadiumSeattle Sounders5–1San Jose Earthquakes SEA 2–0–1
1975July 12NASLSpartan StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes2–2Seattle Sounders SEA 2–0–2
1975August 9NASLMemorial StadiumSeattle Sounders1–2San Jose Earthquakes SEA 2–1–2
1976June 4NASLKingdomeSeattle Sounders1–2San Jose Earthquakes Tied 2–2–2
1976June 20NASLSpartan StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes2–1Seattle Sounders SJ 3–2–2
1977April 23NASLSpartan StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes2–0Seattle Sounders SJ 4–2–2
1977May 21NASLKingdomeSeattle Sounders0–1San Jose Earthquakes SJ 5–2–2
1978April 30NASLSpartan StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes1–0Seattle Sounders SJ 6–2–2
1978May 13NASLKingdomeSeattle Sounders3–1San Jose Earthquakes SJ 6–3–2
1979May 12NASLKingdomeSeattle Sounders2–1San Jose Earthquakes SJ 6–4–2
1979May 19NASLSpartan StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes0–1Seattle Sounders SJ 6–5–2
1980April 19NASLSpartan StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes0–1Seattle Sounders Tied 6–6–2
1980May 3NASLKingdomeSeattle Sounders4–0San Jose Earthquakes SEA 7–6–2
1981June 20NASLKingdomeSeattle Sounders1–0San Jose Earthquakes SEA 8–6–2
1981August 8NASLSpartan StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes3–0Seattle Sounders SEA 8–7–2
1982April 11NASLKingdomeSeattle Sounders0–0San Jose Earthquakes SEA 8–7–3
1982July 3NASLKingdomeSeattle Sounders5–4San Jose Earthquakes SEA 9–7–3
1982August 7NASLSpartan StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes1–2Seattle Sounders SEA 10–7–3
1983June 15NASLKingdomeSeattle Sounders1–1Golden Bay Earthquakes SEA 10–7–4
1983July 6NASLSpartan StadiumGolden Bay Earthquakes2–2Seattle Sounders SEA 10–7–5
1983July 13NASLKingdomeSeattle Sounders2–5Golden Bay Earthquakes SEA 10–8–5
1983September 3NASLSpartan StadiumGolden Bay Earthquakes2–1Seattle Sounders SEA 10–9–5

WSA Era

1996–2008

Results from when the two teams played each other between 1996 and 2008.
SeasonDateCompetitionStadiumHome TeamResultAway TeamAttendanceSeriesRef
2002July 17U.S. Open CupInterbay StadiumSeattle Sounders3–4San Jose Earthquakes1,275
2003August 5U.S. Open CupHusky Soccer StadiumSeattle Sounders1–0San Jose Earthquakes2,510

MLS era

SeasonDateCompetitionStadiumHome TeamResultAway TeamAttendanceSeriesRef
2009April 25MLSQwest FieldSeattle Sounders2–0San Jose Earthquakes28,838 SEA 1–0–0
2009June 13MLSQwest FieldSeattle Sounders2–1San Jose Earthquakes28,999 SEA 2–0–0
2009August 2MLSBuck Shaw StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes4–0Seattle Sounders9,919 SEA 2–1–0
2010May 22MLSQwest FieldSeattle Sounders0–1San Jose Earthquakes35,953 Tied 2–2–0
2010July 31MLSBuck Shaw StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes0–1Seattle Sounders10,351 SEA 3–2–0
2011April 2MLSBuck Shaw StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes2–2Seattle Sounders10,276 SEA 3–2–1
2011October 15MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders2–1San Jose Earthquakes64,140 SEA 4–2–1
2012March 31MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders0–1San Jose Earthquakes38,458 SEA 4–3–1
2012June 26U.S. Open CupKezar StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes0–1Seattle Sounders7,219 SEA 5–3–1
2012August 11MLSBuck Shaw StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes2–1Seattle Sounders10,744 SEA 5–4–1
2012September 22MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders1–2San Jose Earthquakes38,948 Tied 5–5–1
2013March 23MLSBuck Shaw StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes1–0Seattle Sounders10,525 SJ 6–5–1
2013May 11MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders4–0San Jose Earthquakes38,880 Tied 6–6–1
2013July 13MLSBuck Shaw StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes1–0Seattle Sounders10,525 SJ 7–6–1
2014May 17MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders1–0San Jose Earthquakes49,746 Tied 7–7–1
2014June 24U.S. Open CupStarfire SportsSeattle Sounders1–1San Jose Earthquakes4,023 Tied 7–7–2
2014August 2MLSLevi's StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes1–0Seattle Sounders48,765 SJ 8–7–2
2014August 20MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders1–1San Jose Earthquakes38,509 SJ 8–7–3
2015March 14MLSCenturyLinkFieldSeattle Sounders2–3San Jose Earthquakes39,175 SJ 9–7–3
2015June 20MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders0–2San Jose Earthquakes39,971 SJ 10–7–3
2015September 12MLSAvaya StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes1–1Seattle Sounders18,000 SJ 10–7–4
2016May 7MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders2–0San Jose Earthquakes39,570 SJ 10–8–4
2016September 10MLSAvaya StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes1–1Seattle Sounders18,000 SJ 10–8–5
2017April 8MLSAvaya StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes1–1Seattle Sounders18,000 SJ 10–8–6
2017June 28U.S. Open CupAvaya StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes2–1Seattle Sounders13,442 SJ 11–8–6
2017July 23MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders3–0San Jose Earthquakes43,528 SJ 11–9–6
2018July 25MLSAvaya StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes0-1Seattle Sounders16,478 SJ 11–10–6
2018October 28MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders2-1San Jose Earthquakes42,617 Tied 11-11–6
2019April 24MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle Sounders2–2San Jose Earthquakes37,722 Tied 11-11–7
2019September 29MLSAvaya StadiumSan Jose Earthquakes0–1Seattle Sounders18,000 SEA 12–11–7
2020May 13MLSEarthquakes StadiumSan Jose EarthquakesSeattle Sounders
2020July 10MLS is BackESPN Wide World of Sports ComplexSeattle Sounders0–0San Jose Earthquakes0 SEA 12–11–8
2020September 16MLSCenturyLink FieldSeattle SoundersSan Jose Earthquakes

Cup winners by season

Statistical leaders

Bold denotes player is still able to play in competition. Updated through game played on April 24, 2019

Top goalscorers

At least two goals included in table
ScorerClub
Chris WondolowskiSan Jose Earthquakes7
Fredy MonteroSeattle Sounders FC4
Simon DawkinsSan Jose Earthquakes3
Raúl RuidíazSeattle Sounders FC3
Nicolas LodeiroSeattle Sounders FC2
Obafemi MartinsSeattle Sounders FC2
Lamar NeagleSeattle Sounders FC2
Cristian RoldanSeattle Sounders FC2
Shea SalinasSan Jose Earthquakes2

Top assists

At least two assists included in table
AssistsClub
Shea SalinasSan Jose Earthquakes4
Mauro RosalesSeattle Sounders FC3
Cordell CatoSan Jose Earthquakes3
Nicolas LodeiroSeattle Sounders FC3
Pérez GarcíaSan Jose Earthquakes2
Ryan JohnsonSan Jose Earthquakes2
Cristian RoldanSeattle Sounders FC2