Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers | 2017 MLS Match Preview

Sam Stejskal

Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers
2017 MLS Regular Season
CenturyLink Field – Seattle
Sunday, Aug. 27 – 9:30 pm ET
WATCH: FS1, FOX Deportes in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada

MLS Heineken Rivalry Week will conclude on Sunday night with perhaps the most intense rivalry in the entire league: Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers.

The Cascadian clubs will face off at CenturyLink Field with plenty on the line. Both are riding hot streaks entering the match, with Seattle unbeaten in 10 following their 1-1 draw at Vancouver on Wednesday. Portland can’t claim a streak that impressive, but the Timbers have won two in a row and three of their last four following their 2-1 victory against Colorado on Wednesday.

The runs have both clubs at the top of the West, with first-place Seattle holding a narrow one point edge on the Timbers, who have played one more match than their Pacific Northwest rivals.

If Western Conference supremacy wasn’t enough, Sunday’s contest will also play a huge role in deciding the 2017 Cascadia Cup. The Timbers are currently in the lead with all three teams having played four of six matches, and would eliminate the Sounders from Cascadia Cup contention and put themselves in a great position to win the 2017 title with three points on Sunday. Seattle, who are currently two points behind Portland in the Cascadia Cup standings and one point ahead of third-place Vancouver, would move into first place in the Cup chase with a win of their own.

The match will also determine the season series between the Timbers and Sounders, who hold a 1-0-1 advantage against Portland in 2017.

Seattle Sounders

Suspended: None
International duty: D Joevin Jones (Trinidad & Tobago)
Injury report: OUT: M Brad Evans (lower back pain); QUESTIONABLE: M Lamar Neagle (left ankle sprain)

Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1, left to right): Stefan Frei – Nouhou Tolo, Chad Marshall, Roman Torres, Kelvin Leerdam – Osvaldo Alonso, Cristian Roldan – Victor Rodriguez, Nicolas Lodeiro, Jordan Morris – Clint Dempsey

Notes: Seattle have never lost to Portland at home in the regular season(7W-2D). The Sounders have shut out the Timbers five times and have never allowed Portland to score more than a goal in each of the nine regular season home games...Clint Dempsey has nine goals against Portland since joining the Sounders in August of 2013, tied for the second-most of any player against any MLS team in the league.

Portland Timbers

Suspended: M David Guzman (Yellow card accumulation)
International duty: None
Injury report: OUT: D Gbenga Arokoyo (Achilles tear), D Chance Myers (hamstring injury); QUESTIONABLE: D Marco Farfan (ankle injury), D Liam Ridgewell (quad injury), F Fanendo Adi (hamstring injury), GK Jake Gleeson (hamstring injury)

Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1, left to right): Jeff Attinella – Vytas, Larrys Mabiala, Lawrence Olum, Zarek Valentin – Diego Chara, Amobi Okugo – Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco – Jeremy Ebobisse

Notes: Portland have won just one of their last four road games in MLS play (2L-1D). They opened the season with two road wins through their first four games (1L-1D). Those two runs were separated by a five-game away losing streak...Fanendo Adi has scored eight goals against the Sounders, tied for sixth most against a single opponent since August of 2013.

All-Time Series

This will be the 20th all-time MLS regular season meeting between the clubs. The Sounders hold a 1-0-1 advantage over the Timbers this year, having beat them 1-0 at CenturyLink Field on May 27 and getting a last-gasp Clint Dempsey goal to draw Portland 2-2 at Providence Park on June 25.