The Heritage Cup is upon us once again. On Saturday, March 29th, the San Jose Earthquakes host the Seattle Sounders in the first leg of the 2025 competition. The second game will be held in Seattle on July 19th. The Faultline Supporters Group will handle the Cup activities in San Jose, and the Gorilla FC Supporters Group will do the same in Seattle. The NASL San Jose and Seattle players, coaches, teams, broadcasters and fans established the foundation (and even the names) for the Sounders and Quakes of today. The Heritage Cup was begun in 2009 to inspire today’s players and fans, in both cities, to compete with each other to honor and emulate their NASL predecessors by creating new memories and traditions in MLS competition for the next generation. Besides marking the 51st birthday of each team, the Heritage Cup games help us celebrate the 30th anniversary of MLS and the deep soccer roots in both cities which continue to thrive to this day. The Heritage Cup has been held annually since 2009: Seattle has won 8 times (2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021). San Jose has won 8 times (2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024) and currently possesses the Cup. Heritage Cup Wikipedia with all related statistics and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Cup_(MLS) Heritage Cup website: https://theheritagecup.com
QA, no one is holding that against you, to each his own. However, you cared enough to click on a thread called "Heritage Cup (R)", read it, and then respond in a post "Still don't care." Which begs the question, why bother to look at the thread in the first place?
Honoring history, fighting for the future. 🏆 The Heritage Cup celebrates teams with NASL roots, as the #Quakes74 and @SoundersFC battle for the title every year since 2009!Link below for more information ⤵️— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) March 26, 2025 GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
EQ and Sounders have each won the Heritage Cup 8 times. Sounders won in 2021, Quakes the three seasons after that. First leg was a 1-1 draw. So the winner of the July 19 game will win the Cup. If there is a draw, away goals are the tiebreaker, then, if needed higher place in the Western Division decides. So 0-0 or 1-1 means Seattle wins the 2025 Heritage Cup. 2-2 or higher-score draws mean that San Jose will retain the Cup.
Seattle Sounders FC reclaims the MLS Heritage Cup for the first time since 2021. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Brian Schmetzer is asked about the Heritage Cup at the 8 minute mark of his postgame press conference:
The first leg of the 2026 Heritage Cup competition between the Seattle Sounders and the San Jose Earthquakes will take place in San Jose on Sunday, March 15 at 4 PM PST. This is the 51st year of American pro soccer for each team. Happy Birthday to both! The Heritage Cup competition began in 2009. From 2009 - 2025, San Jose has won the Cup 8 times, Seattle 9 times. Seattle is the current holder of the Heritage Cup. In 2026 both teams have played 3 MLS games. The Earthquakes have won 3. Seattle has won 2 and lost 1. For more information, see: The Heritage Cup Homepage: https://theheritagecup.com and, THE HERITAGE CUP Wikipedia Statistics and history page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Cup_(MLS)
Just gotta say - there are probably a dozen people in Seattle and the Bay Area who know/care about this. Don't know if that makes us elite or loser/nerds!
It's the only trophy birthed on BigSoccer. In its 18th year, and Apple TV announcers talk about it every time the teams play. Gaining traction every year. The NHL (circa 1917) didn't even exist in the 18th year of the Stanley Cup (1892-1909).
Worn to first Heritage Cup match in San Jose in 2009 and currently laid out to be worn again this Sunday. (No, I can’t say whether it’s been washed in the interim. ).
Bouda knows. For some years Don G. and I have given copies of Gary Singh's Earthquakes history book to incoming players, especially to young players. (And the team now has a lot of those young players). In addition, Don has had discussions with Bouda about EQ History, and offered to give him a tour of the Soccer Legacy Collection. Bouda is actually one of the guys most interested in such things.And the last couple of years the EQ PR guys have been giving more and more attention and mentions of the Heritage Cup in the media. So I while I don't think Bouda can give you chapter and verse about the Heritage Cup, I think he can give you more than nothing.
The 2026 Heritage Cup and competition will be decided Wednesday night, May 15, in Seattle starting at 6:30 PM PST. The Sounders won the first leg in San Jose 1-0 on a Rothrock goal on March 15. That means that a draw or Seattle victory on Wednesday will keep the Cup in Seattle. The Sounders won the competition in 2025, after 3 successive years of possession by the Quakes. If San Jose wins the game, they will bring the Heritage Cup back home to San Jose. (A 1-0 result gives it to the Earthquakes by way of the third tiebreaker, winning by 2 or more goals takes the title outright). The NASL San Jose and Seattle players, coaches, teams, broadcasters and fans established the team names and foundation for today’s Sounders and Quakes. The Heritage Cup was begun in 2009 to inspire today’s players and fans, in both cities, to compete with each other to honor and emulate their NASL predecessors by creating new memories and traditions for the next generation. Heritage Cup full statistics and history 2009-2026 available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Cup_(MLS) Heritage Cup home page: https://theheritagecup.com
Seattle wins the 2026 Heritage Cup after tonight's 3-2 victory over San Jose. The Earthquakes have only two losses this season, both coming from the Sounders. Brian Schmetzer mentions the Heritage Cup at minute 4:15 and minute 12:14 at the postgame press conference.