For the first time during the 2016 MLS season, the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers will face each other. Both teams find themselves below the playoff line and a win by either club will help their cause. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 3:00 pm ET and can be seen on FOX. Unlike most nationally televised games that kickoff about 20 minutes after the listed time, this one will start right on time.
Last time out
Seattle enters this game coming off of a 5-0 drubbing of FC Dallas at home on Wednesday night. Portland also played this past Wednesday when they drew 1-1 with the Montreal Impact. Seattle earned their first MLS win since their 2-0 victory over D.C. United on June 1, 2016. Seattle is just 2-3-1 in their last six outings. Portland is unbeaten in their last eight games going back to May 22nd. They are 3-0-5 during that time.
Seattle will be without Clint Dempsey
Both clubs will be missing keys parts of their team on Sunday afternoon. Seattle will be without Clint Dempsey after his straight red card Wednesday night for making contact to the face of FC Dallas’ Juan Esteban Ortiz. This comes at the most inopportune time for Seattle as it looked like Dempsey and Jordan Morris had finally found some chemistry in the game against Dallas.
Portland gets good news
Caleb Porter informed the media after training on Friday that Diego Valeri will be making his return against Seattle. "Valeri will be in. He will be starting the game and he looks great."
"He could kick the ball three or four days ago, but there was a little bit of pain," Porter said. "I was pretty confident that with a little bit more time that pain in kicking would subside. He trained full out today and looked back to normal. He felt good. He will start this game and that couldn't come at a better time."
Valeri suffered an ankle injury in Portland’s 1-0 loss to the LA Galaxy in the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on June 29th. In his absence, the Timbers offense has struggled. In the three games that he missed, the Timbers only scored one goal.
Sigi Schmid takes jab at Portland
On Thursday, Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid took a jab at the Timbers even though they are the reigning MLS Cup Champions.
“Obviously, MLS Cup is considered the biggest trophy, but that’s the way it is. You know my feelings on it. Anybody can win a tournament, just like anybody can win an Open Cup tournament, in fairness. If we could take our Open Cup tournament success and turn it into MLS Cup tournament success, we certainly would.”
Schmid continued, “I know they’re excited about that. I still think they have some trophies to go to catch us.”
Prediction
In rivalry games, especially ones that involve Portland and Seattle, you never know what is going to happen. With Dempsey out for Seattle and Valeri back for Portland, it’s hard to see Seattle coming away with a win on the road at Providence Park.
There are just too many factors heading into this game. Seattle has yet to find any consistency all year and Portland is one of the tougher teams to play on the road. Valeri will strike first for Portland to get the Timbers Army even more involved in the game. Morris will briefly quiet the TA, but the Timbers will add two late goals.