At any level of competitive soccer, a meeting of two Cascadia clubs is a big deal.

And that’s what’s in store this weekend in the Development Academy. One weekend after Seattle and Vancouver met, the Whitecaps pay a visit to the new kids on the Academy block, the Portland Timbers, on Saturday.

It’s been a decent return from a results perspective for the Timbers in their first season in the DA. Their U18s are currently in fifth place in the Northwest Division and the U16s in fourth place, with a slightly better chance at a playoff spot.

The Whitecaps U18s enter the weekend looking to cement a hold on its first place spot in the division, and they’ll continue to navigate through the rest of the season schedule without leading scorer Brody Huitema, who has been sidelined with a wrist injury. Yassin Essa will look to continue and pick up the slack in Huitema’s absence.

Both U16 sides need the three points this weekend, as De Anza Force and Seattle Sounders FC have a relatively comfortably lead at the top of the division standings, with both the Timbers and Whitecaps in need of the full points.

This isn't the first meeting between the two rivals, as they met previously in December, with Vancouver's U16s winning and Portland's U18s securing the split.

East Conference

The New York Red Bulls U18s continue their chase for an undefeated record on the season. Boasting a 12-0-4 mark so far, the talented outfit faces FC Westchester as Adam Najem, Arun Basuljevic and Alex Muyl continue to lead the NYRB in dominant fashion. The U16s are also in first place in the Northeast Division, and they’ve dropped just one game on the season.

Down in central Virginia, it’s the Richmond rivalry in Academy action, with the Kickers and Strikers set to go toe-to-toe. Both clubs find themselves near the bottom of the Atlantic Division, but it should be a tantalizing matchup nonetheless when the two sides meet up.

PDA has a solid opportunity to increase its lead in the division when it takes on last place Potomac Division. Penn recruit Alec Neumann leads the New Jersey side’s U18s in goal scoring, while U15 BNT forward Danny Barbir is the dangerman for the club’s U16s.

West Conference

Action is limited out west with several clubs getting the weekend off. However, some are hitting the road, such as Real Salt Lake-AZ at Crossfire Premier and Seattle Sounders FC – the latter matchup certain to provide a hefty share of fireworks as the two MLS Academies sides meet.

Joining RSL in the Pacific Northwest is San Juan Soccer Club, which takes on the Sounders on Saturday, before making the drive down to the Rose City for a pair of games against the Portland Timbers.

In its only game of the month, San Jose Earthquakes U18s will look to keep postseason hopes alive against De Anza Force when the two sides play on Saturday. The Force’s top goal scorer for the U18s, Jason Romero, is currently in Europe on trials, certainly a boost to San Jose’s hopes.

Central Conference

Speaking of regional rivalries, out in Colorado the meeting of the Rush and the Rapids means that neither team has to hop on an airplane to play on Saturday. All four teams need three points to have any chance of making it to the playoffs, with the Rapids U16s the closest of the quartet.

The battle for first place in the Frontier Division is going to be a tasty one. Both FC Dallas and Dallas Texans U18s are tied in first – though FCD with two fewer games played – with the Houston Dynamo just two points behind that pair. FCD takes on Andromeda this weekend, while the Dynamo pop up to Colorado to take on the Rush and Real Colorado. Houston’s U16s currently hold first in the division, ahead of Solar Chelsea and FC Dallas.

Even with Travis Wannemuehler off to college early, Indiana United Fire continues to enjoy a strong year in the Mid-America Division. A pair of games against the Minnesota Thunder and Shattuck-Saint Mary’s – the second place team in the division – will provide a stern test.