Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers | MLS Match Preview

SEATTLE SOUNDERS vs. PORTLAND TIMBERS
CENTURYLINK FIELD, Seattle, Wash.

August 30, 2015 (WEEK 26, MLS Game #265)
4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)


It could be a record-setting afternoon at CenturyLink Field when the Cascadia Cup clash between Seattle Sounders FC and the Portland Timbers sets MLS Heineken Rivalry Week alight before an ESPN audience. Sounders FC return home off a 2-0 defeat at Real Salt Lake, now sitting outside the playoff field in the Western Conference in seventh place. The Timbers hit the road after coming back to extend their undefeated run to four games with a 2-2 home draw with the Houston Dynamo last Friday, now two points clear of the red line in a tie for fourth place in the division.



REFEREE: Alan Kelly. AR1 (bench): Corey Parker; AR2 (opposite): Eric Weisbrod; 4th: Allen Chapman


MLS Career: 29 games; FC/gm: 26.3; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 10; pens: 9


SUSPENDED: POR: Diego Chara (through Aug. 30)


WARNINGS:

SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SEA: Osvaldo Alonso, Andy Rose – POR: Liam Ridgewell, Alvas Powell


SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: SEA: Zach Scott, Tyrone Mears, Gonzalo Pineda, Erik Friberg – POR: Diego Chara, Rodney Wallace


DISABLED LIST: SEA: Andres Correa, Andy Craven, Damian Lowe


INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none


  • The Sounders suffered their sixth defeat in their last seven matches – shut out for a fifth time in that span – in their 2-0 loss at Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening.
  • The Timbers stretched their current overall undefeated run to four games, extending their unbeaten streak at Providence Park to nine games, coming back for a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo on Friday evening. Lucas Melano scored his first Timbers and MLS goal, netting the late equalizer.
  • The teams are meeting for a fourth time this season, the third in league play. Clint Dempsey scored the game’s only goal to lead the Sounders to a 1-0 win April 26 in Seattle. On June 28, Fanendo Adi scored two goals to lead the Timbers to a 4-1 win at Providence Park – the three-goal victory equaling Portland’s largest margin of victory against the Sounders since a 3-0 win on June 11, 1977, at Civic Stadium.
  • A new chapter was written in the rivalry when the clubs faced off in a US Open Cup third-round match June 17 at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash., with the Timbers taking a 3-1 win in extra time in a fractious encounter as the Sounders had four players sent off.
  • The Timbers have never won in Seattle in MLS regular season play, the Sounders now with a 4-0-2 league record in games at CenturyLink Field. But the Timbers did win there in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2013.


HEAD-TO-HEAD

ALL-TIME [MLS] (13 meetings): Sounders FC 6 wins, 23 goals – Timbers 3 wins, 18 goals – Ties 4


AT SEATTLE (6 meetings): Sounders FC 4 wins, 9 goals – Timbers 0 wins, 2 goals – Ties 2


COACHES: Sigi Schmid vs. POR: P13 W6 L3 D4 – Caleb Porter vs. SEA: P8 W2 L4 D2


Related Content:

CHECK OUT THE INJURY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH
CHECK OUT THE DISCIPLINARY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH