It has everything: history, tradition, success and a general dislike between the fanbases. When these sides meet, it’s always the marquee game of the season.
To get an understanding of what to expect, I took a look back at the four Sounders-Timbers clashes last year.
Sounders FC won the first meeting of 2020 at Providence Park with a slew of late goals, including a brace from Raúl Ruidíaz, but would only pick up one point from the next three matchups against Gio Savarese’s men.
So, what was the issue?
Portland’s gameplay after losing that first match against the Sounders was simple: allow Seattle to have possession in non-threatening areas and deny the space in behind with a deep defensive line, nullifying the threat of Jordan Morris and slowing the tempo of the Seattle’s play.
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. Th
Three keys for the Timbers to stymie the Sounders
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Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Soccer is a game where you have to have a short memory. Whether a match goes well or poorly, there’s always the next one coming soon, so a successful team and its players need to leave that result behind and focus on the next opponent.
The Portland Timbers will have to exercise that mindset this weekend. They have little time to lick their wounds from their Concacaf Champions League exit, as their biggest rivals the Seattle Sounders are coming to Providence Park on Sunday (kickoff set for 12 p.m. PST, broadcast on ABC).
The Seattle Sounders take on bitter rivals the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Sunday (12 p.m. PT; ABC, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM) in their first meeting of the 2021 Major League Soccer season. Here are three matchups to watch:
Will Bruin vs. Larrys Mabiala
Bruin has yet to score through three matches this season, but he’s having a major impact in other areas. He has two assists that’s the most already for him since 2018 and is nicely complementing the buildup play in the Sounders’ 3-5-2 formation. He’ll have a strong matchup with Portland defender Mabiala, who is just as big and bruising as Bruin at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. How well Bruin can drag him out of position and pick out passes in behind, like he did for Brad Smith last week, will be key to unlocking this Timbers defense.
Tacoma Defiance: 2021 season preview
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Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
On the rise above the near cliff, in the shadow of Tahoma, caressed by the winds of Commencement Bay sits Cheney Stadium. Among the tall trees, along the freeway, within the heart of Central Tacoma this final proving ground of the Seattle Sounders organization provides a home, and hopefully a fortress.
In the pandemic season of 2020, Tacoma Defiance finished 12th in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, but a distant 3rd in Group A. Now, a 253 aficionado takes over for a team that simultaneously got younger, and more experienced. Tacoma’s USL Championship team now averages just over 3 years of professional experience per player, and not just because of Taylor Mueller.