Sounders look to correct home form against Portland in newest chapter of Cascadia rivalry

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Portland rivalry does not need to be introduced. The cities themselves are very similar in many regards, and their futbol teams hate each other. Seattle will host both Portland teams this weekend (OL Reign host the Portland Thorns on Sunday, July 10th), starting with this match. Seattle will raise a banner for their Concacaf Champions League victory, but Portland claims they had no idea the Sounders had even won. Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson stated “We weren’t aware of that. We’ve blocked all Seattle news for the last six months.” Whether it be ignorance or a straight up lie, the fire that burns between these two cities and clubs is strong. Another chapter in this rivalry will be written on Saturday, July 9th.

Kelyn Rowe may need to make a big impact

Last match recap:

• Sounders: Seattle’s last match was a road contest against Toronto FC that resulted in a two goal victory for the road side. The Sounders were resting several players, including the likes of Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan. Homegrown player Dylan Teves struck first for Seattle, in his first career start. A 39th minute goal would be the first time he found the back of the net in MLS play, and Seattle never looked back. Seasoned veteran Fredy Montero put away the clubs second goal of the night in the 60th, pushing him back as the sole goal leader in franchise history. The Sounders have recorded points in five of their last six matches with the win.
• Timbers: In their last match, Portland had to come from behind to split points with visiting Nashville SC. Nashville got on the board early with a beautiful top corner strike from Sean Davis. Portland would not bow their heads, keeping the pressure on, but a Hany Mukhtar goal in the 57th minute seemed to secure Nashville three points. Despite the deficit, Portland stayed in it and immediately got back into the match. Jaroslaw Niezgoda drew a foul in the box, setting up Dairon Asprilla who buried it from the spot. With recent momentum on their side, the man who drew the penalty, Jaroslaw Niezgoda scored in the 69th minute to equalize.

Nico Lodeiro will need to make a big impact in this matchup

Where they stand heading into this matchup

• Sounders: In MLS play, Seattle posts a 8-7-2 record. The Sounders have a 5-3-1 record at home. They rank 7th in the Western Conference
• Timbers: In MLS play, Portland posts a 5-6-8 record. Portland has a 1-4-5 record on the road, and rank 10th in the Western Conference.

Players to watch on Kansas City

• Jaroslaw Niezgoda: An easy choice considering his recent success, Niezgoda is the hot hand for Portland. Playing a huge part in their two goals to help equalize, the striker will prove to be a test for the Seattle backline. Niezgoda is the Timbers leading goal scorer with six on the season, and he’s dangerous from outside of the box. All of the times that Niezgoda has found the back of the net have been from outside of the box, so Seattle must keep an eye on him no matter if he is close to the goal or not.
• Yimmi Chara: Seattle fans know Chara all too well. The 31-year old has made himself an enemy in the eyes of Sounders fans, but maybe he likes it that way. The midfielder has been very effective for Portland, scoring four times and tallying five assists on the season. Having played in all of their matches, Chara is a highly valuable piece to the club, and he’s invested in the rivalry. Seattle needs to make sure he doesn’t have his way.
• Bill Tuiloma: Tuiloma is another midfielder that has been effective for Portland, and he has his investment in this rivalry as well. Having been with the Timbers since 2017, Tuiloma has seen his fair share of what this rivalry brings. Totaling five goals and one assist on the season, Tuiloma helps make the Portland midfield strong, and both midfields should be in for a battle when they meet on Saturday.

Claudio Bravo goes to pass the ball

Keys to a Sounders win

• Win the midfield battle: As previously mentioned when we took a look at the players to watch for Portland, the Timbers have some solid players in their midfield. Looking across the way, the Sounders do as well, even without an MVP finalist from last year in Joao Paulo. In order to efficiently dictate the game how they would like, the Sounders are going to need to win the battle in the midfield. Cristian Roldan, Albert Rusnak, and Nico Lodeiro are just some of the players in that group that will need to do their job.
• Find who will step up in the rivalry: In rivalries, it isn’t always the biggest names that perform consistently. Often times there are “unlikely” players that end up making an impact, such as Jimmy Medranda’s goal of the year candidate from last years road thrashing of the Timbers. While Raul Ruidiaz will be back in the lineup, expect to see a player that isn’t the biggest name make an impact.
• Build a bonfire: E

Thank you to Emma Ottosen and Paul Kahl for the great photos used in this article! Thanks Emma and Paul!