Five things we’ll be watching when Sounders visit Timbers
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Max Aquino / Sounder at Heart
As strong of a start as the Seattle Sounders are off to, this is no time to lighten up. The Sounders face their fiercest rivals this weekend in the Portland Timbers, at the start of a three-game week. Here are the five things we’d like to see this weekend.
Take advantage of short rest
The Timbers are coming off a tough run in the Concacaf Champions League after getting ousted by Club America. Last weekend the Timbers rotated heavily in their league matchup to rest their starters for Wednesday night, and it showed. Their 4-1 loss to previously winless FC Dallas left them with three points through three games. It’ll be interesting to see how the Timbers handle Sunday’s match with short rest, likely having to again rotate some of their starters out of the lineup. Notably, the Timbers have already used an MLS-high 21 starters, including all three of their goalkeepers. The Sounders must take advantage of a fatigued Timbers side, but must do so smartly. More on that in a bit. — Mark Kastner