Portland Timbers-Seattle Sounders Preview (8/1/26)

You’re telling me it’s been two and a half weeks already? The World Cup seemed to last an eternity, with endless group stage games progressing into fewer and fewer knockout stage games. One day of the World Cup felt longer than the two-and-a-half weeks that have passed since the Portland Timbers destroyed the Seattle Sounders 5-1 at the USA’s “Azteca.” The grass is now gone (some of it still remains in my refrigerator) and the seagulls are still circling. Yet one thing remains the same: the Seattle Sounders still stink. Their Cascadian counterparts have rebounded from their dreadful Apertura, and they’re hoping to put the hated Sounders deeper into their death spiral. Y’all know what week it is.

The Sounders Report

And what a glorious two-and-a-half weeks it has been for those who wish to see the Seattle Sounders continue to innovate. After a rough start to the season innovation-wise, the 5-1 obliteration reignited Seattle’s desire to keep pushing the boundaries of what could be done on a soccer field.

Thank God I don’t have to spend this time catching everyone up on Seattle’s Apertura. I was already able to do that last time. Instead, I can opt for a more careful analysis of a thousand Sounders fans turning into Chicken Little. That’s much more entertaining.

Let’s begin with the stoic and unshaken head coach: Brian Schmetzer. Molded by the sea and endlessly stubborn as a product of that ocean spirit, Schmetzer faced reporters for the first time following the loss to Portland on a sunny day in Renton. This record-setting loss clearly got to him. He no longer looked stoic and unshaken; the trademark of someone possessed by the ocean spirit. During this press conference, he made a hilarious assumption that was completely destroyed over the course of the 5-1 defeat: his players wouldn’t need a ton of motivation because they were playing Portland. “I don’t think I need to say much because it is Portland…We had a little highlight film before the game of our bigger moments against Portland…”

I have to cut in here. That highlight tape didn’t feature a playoff win against the Timbers. Did they just show Roger Levesque’s tree cutting celebration on repeat for a minute? Maybe Clint Dempsey ripping up an official’s notebook in anger? Is it really funny that Schmetzer busted out the hype tape and STILL couldn’t get his players excited? Yes, yes it is.

“But maybe that wasn’t enough. Maybe I need to make sure because, you know, I’m the one who has the longest history here, me and Tommy (Dutra). Maybe I should have done a better job at making sure that the guys understand that it is a rivalry and it’s something that’s important to us…my reflection is I should’ve been firmer.”

The ocean’s firmness is out of its control. The moon is the object that pushes and pulls on the surface of the ocean to create tides. Schmetzer is not the moon, he is the ocean. If he can’t be the moon, which Sounder is? Cristian Roldan might come to mind, but he was too busy soaking in the glory of handing out orange slices and Capri-Suns on the USMNT bench during the World Cup. Dempsey has the strongest “moon” case out of any current and former Sounder, but high tides lead to Daniel Radford’s notebook ending up in pieces on the cement-esque surface of Starfire. They’ve always had the ocean within their DNA. But their endless quest for a true moon continues. You really have to hand it to them.

Jeremiah Oshan from Sounder at Heart asked the initial question to prompt the previous response. He immediately begins his follow-up: “Not to beat you up on this point but…” 

We have to pause here. Schmetzer’s head jolts wildly to the left once these words are spoken. You just lost by a record margin at home against your biggest rivals. How can you be surprised or frustrated by getting “beat up” by reporters after your team got beat up by the Portland Timbers?

“You’ve got a whole bunch of guys here that have been with the organization a long time. You would think that you don’t need to explain the importance of Portland to them, and you’re talking about needing to explain the importance of Portland to them.”

If I happened to be at Longacres on that day, this is the question that would have escaped from my mouth if given the opportunity. It’s so funny. On a night where ECS raised a tifo about how many local Seattleites populate the Sounders’ roster, it was those players who got steamrolled by Portland. “What happened on Thursday wasn’t correct. So I’m going to reflect on all the possibilities and little details that maybe we missed. Would they have been a factor? If I had thrown up my hands and thrown my cap down, would that have helped Jeremiah? I don’t know. That’s out of character for me. You guys know me by now, I’m a pretty calm guy.”

It would be out of character for Schmetzer. The ocean has to keep crashing against the coastline. Even during this game, Schmetzer didn’t make a tactical shift during the match. He had to keep crashing against the shore in the only way he knows how. No moon, no party, no hands in the air or cap on the ground.

“I mean, the sky is not falling, but it sure as shit felt like it on Thursday at 10 o’clock at night, driving home.”

Now we can pivot into the corresponding set of reactions from Sounders fans. Schmetzer, being the ocean, didn’t believe the sky was falling. It didn’t feel like the sky was falling as I was driving home from Seattle that night. Instead, I would suddenly burst into laughter after long periods of silence in a tired car. But I’m sure that my laughter was counterbalanced by the yells and screams of Sounders fans making the corresponding drives back to Redmond, Renton, Bellevue, Ballard, and Tacoma. Just that morning, a season ticket renewal offer hit their inboxes. Some of them were stupid enough to accept that offer and put more money into Adrian Hanauer’s stingy hands. Now they had to reckon with their own poor decision-making (a long series of events that began with them choosing to support the Seattle Sounders).

That frustration spilled over into every available platform. I couldn’t stop looking at r/Sounders and getting the sweet, sweet schadenfreude from watching new posts emerge every five minutes. From outright depression to boiling anger, those people were not happy with the direction their club was heading in. Their last international signing in the summer window was Leo Chu (TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT) back in 2021. Cash hadn’t been used to purchase a player since Pedro de la Vega was acquired in the winter of 2024. The squad was contingent on the availability of a few key players, yet none of those key players were their DPs. Jordan Morris, Albert Rusnak, and de la Vega were supposed to raise the floor and the ceiling of this group. Morris continues to be hurt and ineffective, Rusnak is the most hated player on the team, and de la Vega can’t get off the medical table. Sounders fans were fed up and they demanded change.

Maybe a win in their next game would help the Seattle Sounders (7-3-6, 24 points, 8W/14S) re-establish themselves as a top-tier side in the Western Conference. They had plenty of time to rest, recover, and reflect on their sins from the week prior. A trip to Austin in the midsummer Texan furnace is never a guaranteed place to get a result. So it made sense when Ilie Sanchez (known maker of smart choices) slotted home a Besard Sabovic (not giving up on him) corner kick with a perfect flick header in the 11th minute to give Austin the lead. But Seattle responded in the 26th minute when Paul Rothrock got on his knees to tap home a Snyder Brunell shot that deflected off the crossbar. Last year, Seattle lost this exact fixture because Austin’s DP forward Myrto Uzuni scored a late winner. A point in the Texas heat would be a pretty good result given the circumstances and would stop Seattle’s losing streak at 3 games. But the mighty Broccolis had a couple more points to prove.

Homegrown midfielder Ervin Torres dribbled through Seattle’s defense and played a slip pass to a box-crashing Uzuni in the 86th minute. A trademark low shot beat Thomas and Austin had the lead. Very cool! Five minutes later, Torres found Christian Ramirez at the near post, who turned Stuart Hawkins and poked a dribbler past Thomas to double Austin’s lead and seemingly secure the three points.

By all rights, the game should have ended here. But sometimes a captain has to step up to the plate. Nouhou captained the Sounders against Portland, and let two of the Timbers’ FIVE goals go right underneath him. Noted blockhead Jackson Ragen got the armband for this game in Austin. After such a worthy captainly display by Nouhou one week prior, Ragen decided to innovate. 

As a Seattle Sounder, he knows exactly what it means to put on an ugly jersey every week and push the limits of what can be done on a soccer field. The armband is pretty distinctive in this photo, and Ragen is trying to keep the Sounders from giving up 4 goals in consecutive games. However, some context needs to be added first. In the 59th minute, Ragen was booked. With the result already decided, and a caution card already hanging over his head, and THREE OTHER RECOVERING DEFENDERS KEEPING STRIDE, the spirit of the moon struck Ragen. He had to try and turn the tide of the ocean.

That spirit of the moon convinced Seattle’s captain to push the streaking Uzuni to the ground. Stuart Hawkins is probably getting to this loose ball. But Ragen decided that Uzuni needed to pay for the crime of dribbling through Seattle’s pillow-soft midfield. It was probably the easiest second yellow decision that referee Ricardo Montero Araya ever had to make.

Now here’s where things get really funny. Ragen’s 59th-minute yellow card was his 5th of the season, resulting in a one-match suspension. He had to have known about that before this game kicked off. However, when the moon spirit pushes you to innovate, you have to accept its call. Two yellows make a red, and Ragen was now suspended for two games for a tackle he absolutely didn’t have to make. You really have to hand it to him.

All this moon talk has to give way to the ocean at some point. Seattle’s defeat in Austin was another historic feat for the Sounders. The innovations never stop, it’s part of their DNA, you already know this. Four consecutive losses; the first time a streak of that magnitude has occurred under Schmetzer’s watch. Hold on, he’s about to step up to the microphone in the post-game press conference. Let’s see what he has to say about it.

The video camera for this presser won’t stop shaking. The ocean spirit within Schmetzer is causing this camera to vibrate back and forth in anger. I won’t hear any other explanation. “When players don’t perform, it starts to fall on me…I think the coaching staff did a good job of preparing the game plan. I thought we were in the game until the end.”

Ragen’s contribution to this result was getting a two-game suspension and allowing Torres to dribble right past him on Austin’s go-ahead goal. Here’s what Schmetzer had to say about his blockheaded center back after the game. “I haven’t had a conversation with him yet, but I will because it wasn’t smart.”

The dumbassery of Ragen’s second yellow card meant that the Sounders would head into Philadelphia (on two days’ rest) with another key starter absent. Tino Lopez and Hawkins got the starts at center back in Chester. However, it was an error by goalkeeper Andrew Thomas that allowed the Union to take a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute. Frankie Westfield played a ball over the top into space. Thomas decided to come off his line, but ended up in no-man's land. Milan Iloski arrived and chipped the former Tacoma goalkeeper. That goal proved to be the deciding strike as the Union won 1-0. Five straight losses for the Seattle Sounders. You really have to hand it to them.

Let’s jump right into Schmetzer’s presser. “We haven’t been as dangerous as we should be on the attacking side of the ball…I’ve changed kind of the way we’ve selected players…the three-headed monster up front with Jordan [Morris], Osaze [De Rosario], and Danny [Musovski], I mean they’re all talented players, but one of them has to make that position their own.”

Would you like to hear a really funny stat? The person who starts at striker for Seattle hasn’t scored a goal in MLS play yet this year. None of their starting strikers can score. It’s a streak that goes back to Game 3 of the Minnesota series at the end of last season. That’s a total of 16 straight MLS games without a goal from the starting striker. In fact, that streak has held firm through all of their CCC games in 2026 as well. So it’s actually 20 straight games without a goal from the starting striker. You love to see it.

What followed was a surprising question from Jayda Evans of The Seattle Times. After 5 straight losses, is Schmetzer on the hot seat? Is his job in peril? “No. No. [chuckles] I hope I’ve garnered a bit of a longer leash than some. Look, I understand the business, Jayda. I’m not going to shy away from the question. I understand the results. We’re in a results-based business, and so things continue to go well, that’s certainly an option that Adrian [Hanauer] has. We have conversations all the time about the team with Craig [Waibel] and Adrian and we talk about it. We’ve never had a direct conversation about the security of my job.”

Schmetzer can never leave the Sounders no matter how bad things get. Five straight losses is hardly a qualifier to begin putting him on the hot seat. It’s pretty well documented that the majority of Seattle’s problems begin and end with their cheapskate owner. Evans decided to follow-up with a question about why Schmetzer believes he’s earned a longer leash. “Well, Jayda, you know I don’t need to tout my record…There’s a lot of people out there who are unhappy. They’re unhappy with the coaching, they’re unhappy with the club, the direction of the club, no signings, I get all that. But one of the best things that coaches can do is have an even keel and provide leadership in challenging moments.” 

That “even keel” goes out the window when the Timbers are involved. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The fanbase’s continued meltdown over this 5-game losing streak is truly glorious to watch.

Now we must talk about what Schmetzer said on Tuesday. “We have a really good fanbase. We’ve always had a really good fanbase, educated soccer people. With the team right now, and the whole renewal situation, I get it. But fans are gonna come and support their team. I know that. I’m a Seattle guy through and through. I truly believe that. Even if I’m not doing a good enough job to get butts in seats or whatever, fans are gonna show up. They’re going to continue to show up. We’ve got a massive game on the weekend. We’re going to get through that.”

The same fanbase that only shows up when the team is good? The spoiled masses that overreact to every loss? That fanbase? Lordy. The last question was asked by Niko Moreno, who wondered what “panic” would actually look like for Schmetzer. “Panic would be playing Pedro de la Vega before he’s ready and he gets another injury. Panic would be changing the formation because what we’ve done hasn’t worked. Panic would be signing a player that doesn’t fit the culture of our club. Panic would be signing a player that doesn’t help the squad. That could be panic.”

On that note, let’s see how much Schmetzer is panicking ahead of a humongous rematch against Seattle’s biggest rivals who just humiliated them 5-1 in their own building two and a half weeks ago.

SEA Injury Report & Projected Starting XI

Schmetzer faced reporters on Friday and he looked awfully disheveled. He bobbed and weaved in front of the camera like he was under attack. It was pretty clear why the native Seattleite was so clearly distressed.

Let’s begin with the players who were going to be absent regardless. It’s the second game of Ragen’s two-match suspension. Schmetzer was asked about how the conversation with Ragen went after the oaf-like center back got himself sent off in Austin. The head coach chose not to disclose that information, but he did say, “It’s been addressed.” You all know what that means. Schmetzer closed the door, turned the lock, and berated that blockhead until he was blue in the face. 

Petkovic and Cristian Roldan missed the previous Portland-Seattle game two weeks ago. Morris injured his quad in the first half, and had to be pulled at halftime. Yeimar was on track to return for this game, and even made the bench in Philadelphia last weekend. But he picked up a new calf injury, and will have to watch this game from home. Although de la Vega made a full return to training this week, Schmetzer isn’t panicking and forcing the fragile Argentine into the matchday squad. 

Now we get to the “questionables.” Dotson played through an injured hamstring in Philadelphia. Alex Roldan returned to training in full this week alongside de la Vega. Kim Kee-Hee has only played 63 minutes this year, and Sailor is still awaiting his full Seattle debut after joining from free agency in the winter. That’s TEN members of the SENIOR ROSTER who have an injury or suspension designation for this game.

Kim and Sailor will be on the bench tomorrow, but I don’t expect either of them to start. Alex Roldan, on the other hand, should be eased back from injury by occupying the right center back role usually taken by Yeimar. Schmetzer has often turned to this selection decision because his team is always injured. Kalani Kossa-Rienzi is the likely starter at right back. I don’t think Dotson will be cleared to play, so Kingston will partner Brunell in the midfield. Hawkins is an academy graduate with a lot of upside. He’s the only player in the back seven besides Nouhou, Thomas, and Brunell who is guaranteed to start tomorrow. 

But the forward corps isn’t heavily affected by the injury crisis. Aside from Morris’ absence (who will have to wait until 2027 to miss more chances against the Timbers) the front four should remain the same. De Rosario is the most likely candidate to step into Morris’ vacated striker position. Paul Arriola could start on the right wing, which would force either Ferreira or Rusnak to be benched. Rothrock owes me a second yellow card after not receiving one for diving and trying to earn a penalty in the 5-1 Timbers win two weeks ago. The results on the field have been horrendous for the Sounders, and now their injury list is even worse.

The Timbers Report

It’s been a busy week for the Portland Timbers (6-3-8, 21 points, 10W/19S). Head coach Marti Cifuentes still hasn’t gotten visa approval yet, so interim Jack Cassidy will once again be on the touchline. Will it be his last match as an interim? Maybe! No one can say for sure.

Felipe Mora’s transfer to Atletico de San Luis was finalized on Thursday. No transfer fee has been reported, but it’s unlikely to be very big. However, the Timbers were prepared for Mora’s departure. His replacement is already here.

A Veteran Striker

Dutch forward Vincent Janssen became the newest Timber this week. After his contract expired at Belgian side Royal Antwerp, the Dutchman opted to come stateside. It’s been a professional goal of his for a while. Janssen has scored goals at every stop during his lengthy career. The 32-year-old striker began his career at Almere City FC in the Netherlands and scored 32 goals in 74 games. That glowing scoring record led to a move to AZ Alkmaar (also in the Netherlands) as a 21-year-old. Janssen spent one season at AZ, scoring 31 goals in 49 games. Tottenham Hotspur saw that output and immediately spent 22 million euros to bring him to London. However, the young Dutch forward was stuck behind two excellent young forwards at Spurs: Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min.

He couldn’t hit the ground running in his first season with Tottenham, only scoring 6 goals and assisting 4 in 38 games. Spurs sent him on loan to Fenerbahce the following year, where he scored 5 in 18 games. Injuries struck during his loan spell, and he missed the remainder of the 2017/18 season. When he got back to Tottenham, he was still in injury rehab. He made 3 appearances at the end of the year and didn’t score. Spurs were already looking to move on from him, and they found a taker in CF Monterrey.

Janssen scored 24 goals in 93 games for Monterrey as he spent three years with the Mexican club. During that time, Monterrey won the 2021 CCL and the 2019 Apertura. Then he moved to Belgian club Royal Antwerp in June 2022. It would be his last club before arriving in Portland this week.

Over four seasons with Antwerp, Janssen scored 64 goals in 173 games. Those goals helped the Belgian side win the league-cup double in 2022/23; his first season with the club. Last year, Janssen tallied 13g/7a in 40 games. In addition to his club exploits, Janssen represented the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and scored 7 goals in 22 appearances for the national team. So what will he bring to Portland?

Let’s hear how Janssen assesses that question for himself: “I’m a striker who can do more than just score goals. I think I can help the team play better, hold up play, pretty physical, and also trying to press the opponent as much as possible. I also want to try to switch play. It’s not just me in the box who’s trying to score goals. I want to be a striker that’s also involved in how we play as a team. And help out there as much as possible, also in the defending part. You’ll see me sometimes sprint back to my own half to make a tackle. That’s just my part of the game. And I’ve picked up a few yellow cards over the years by doing that.”

I like the sound of that. In his introductory press conference, Janssen alluded to moving to Austin, Texas in the future with his family as well as his love of American football and basketball. He isn’t shy about how much more difficult travel is in MLS, but he’s also looking forward to the team bonding that occurs on the long flights to and from games. He believes that MLS is improving as a league. 32 years old is veteran-age in soccer terms, but Janssen is ready for whenever his number is called. “I come from a period of four years where I played almost every single game. Didn’t miss a lot, so I think I’m still very fit at the age 32, I think I just turned 32, so still pretty young. And I feel like I have a few good years left in me.”

Janssen is the first Dutch player signed by the Timbers since they entered MLS. I think that’s pretty cool. He’s taking jersey number 14, last worn by Jonathan Rodriguez and previously adorning the backs of Justin Rasmussen, George Fochive, Andres Flores, Ben Zemanski, Steven Smith, and James Marcelin. That’s quite a list. There's one more important number 14 that bears mentioning here, but I'll get to him later.

The Dutch striker signed a two-year contract that will expire at the end of the 2027/28 season. I’m interested to see where his salary fits into the cap sheet. Mora’s departure cleared a fair amount of cap room, and I wonder if Janssen is taking all of that empty salary space or just a significant chunk. He won’t be a DP, and I’ll be shocked if he’s below the TAM threshold.

It’s hard not to feel pretty good about this signing. An experienced player with an impressive pedigree that delivers goals at every single one of the clubs he played for. Bringing him in on a free as a corresponding replacement for a departing player is a good piece of business as well. 

Another Long-Term Injury

The positivity of Janssen’s arrival has been met with a deep, sad exhale. Earlier on Tuesday, right before the Dutch striker was formally announced as a Timber, the club announced that Juan Mosquera underwent surgery on his left ankle and knee. His left Achilles tendon and his left patellar tendon each had “debridement” surgeries (insertional for the Achilles and proximal for the patellar). That’s some medical terms that I am not too familiar with, but injuries to just one of those tendons requires significant recovery time. Mosquera has to deal with two of those procedures, and his recovery time is estimated to be 8-10 months.

That timeline not only guarantees that Mosquera will miss the remainder of the 2026 season, but it’s very unlikely that he’ll return for the 2027 sprint season as well. Odds are, he won’t suit up for the Timbers until the calendar switches in the summer of 2027. That’s absolutely brutal. Zac McGraw and Omir Fernandez spent the entirety of the Apertura recovering from long-term injuries themselves. Mosquera’s 2026 campaign consisted of one half of soccer in Vancouver. He scored a goal and provided an assist in that brief amount of playing time. God, this sucks.

Tree Questions With Jimer Fory

From one Colombian fullback to another. Jimer Fory has been one of my favorite players to interview since he arrived in Portland last winter. He’s one of the more expressive players on the team but takes his interviews very seriously. He’ll think about the questions for a couple seconds before giving an answer, and his answers are usually very thoughtful. Without further adieu, here’s this week’s Tree Questions with Jimer Fory.

Q: How are you feeling personally about the recent run of positive results?

A: “I think the return to play has been collectively pretty good. The break helped us rest and think about what was coming up next. The level that the group is carrying right now is very high, and we’ve been given the correct tools to prepare for this upcoming stretch. Personally, I’m feeling better every day. We completely understand the importance of this upcoming match. It’s a derby, and this time we’re even getting to play at home. The push the supporters will give. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get a victory.”

Q: In the last Seattle match, you played a beautiful assist to Kevin Kelsy. What was going through your mind when you received the ball at your feet and you saw Kelsy making that run?

A: “It’s actually something that we consistently talked about. I feel that him and I have great communication. Actually, before the match, he had manifested that. He and I had talked about placing the ball over his back as he made a run between the center backs during the play. I feel like I timed it well, fortunately, and it ended up being a beautiful goal.”

Q: A goal of the team is to make the playoffs, but what do you think the team is really looking for right now, even though you’ve had a good run of form? Do you think that there’s a missing piece or ingredient that the team can improve upon that can solidify their status as a playoff team?

A: “Every day, there’s things to work on and things to get better at. When I think about before the break, I feel like we have to do better in away games. We weren’t doing that before the break. If we get stronger in winning and gaining points away from home, I feel like we’ll find ourselves where we belong: heading into the playoffs.”

PTFC Injury Report & Projected Starting XI

You know who’s not here for the first time this season? Omir Fernandez! Congratulations to him. The Bronx Messi played 23 minutes off the bench for T2 last weekend. Kevin Kelsy is also available for selection after missing last weekend’s victory against RSL. Aravena left training early on Thursday, and will miss tomorrow’s game with a hip injury. Janssen isn’t eligible to play for the Timbers yet because he hasn’t acquired his P-1 visa.

Unlike their rivals, the Timbers can field a relatively first-choice XI tomorrow. Bye is now the starting right back for the remainder of the season. Miller and Surman have formed a good partnership in the backline. Velde missed the game two weeks ago because of the birth of his daughter (congratulations to him, once again) and now Portland’s left-sided triangle is even more dangerous than the last time these two teams met. Lassiter still feels like the starter over Antony because of his dead ball ability. The lone 6 position feels like a toss-up between Chara and Jose Caicedo. I’ll cede to Chara on this occasion due to the rivalry. I’m not sure how many minutes Kelsy can play. He returned to training in full on Thursday. Maybe it was precautionary, but there isn’t a natural striker on the bench to replace him. 

Tactical Preview

The Wide Spaces

When the Timbers destroyed the Sounders 5-1 two weeks ago, the damage came from the inability of Seattle’s right side to deal with Portland’s left. Da Costa, Fory, and Antony all wreaked havoc on the combo of KKR and Tino Lopez. I expect tomorrow’s game to be decided in the same way, except the Timbers can call upon the services of Velde while the Sounders are still very injured.

But I am concerned about Seattle’s go-to attacking plan: the cutback cross. Free channel runners offer invitations for ball-holders to play through balls behind Portland’s backline and play low crosses into the center of the box. Schmetzer has been furious that the team has been getting away from this modus operandi in recent weeks. Despite the injuries, their attack has been struggling more than the defense. A simple goal for Portland in this game: do not let the Sounders get to the endline. 

The Midfield Battle

Seattle is likely to start two Tacoma graduates in midfield. In the first game, it was apparent how Portland’s new midfield structure gave the Timbers ample opportunities to win second balls. I expect the conditions to remain the same tomorrow, and for the Timbers to dominate duels and second balls. 

Set Pieces

The Sounders are usually very strong on set pieces, but their dead-ball proficiency has taken a serious hit this year. Meanwhile, Portland has vastly improved their attacking set pieces and dead-ball defense. Teams with struggling attacks often rely on set pieces as the great equalizer. Portland has to dominate the set piece battle once again. 

Matchday Info

Broadcast Bulletin

English: Jake Zivin & Taylor Twellman

Spanish: Sammy Sadovnik & Diego Valeri

Home Radio Broadcast from 105.1 The Fan: available on Apple TV

Broadcast platform: Apple TV, FS1, and Fox Deportes

Kickoff time: 7:30 (7:50) PM PST

Yes, it’s another FOX game, which means another fake kickoff time due to “advertising.” At least there won’t be any unnecessary hydration breaks.

Referee Report

Joe Dickerson’s 2026 stats: 8 games, 22.38 fouls/game, 0.38 penalties/game, 4.13 yellows/game, 0.25 reds/game

Last Timbers game officiated: April 4th, 2026 @VAN 3-2 L

Last Portland-Seattle game officiated: First time!

That 3-2 loss to Vancouver was punctuated by a controversial handball call on Antony which allowed Thomas Muller to score a game-tying penalty kick. I don’t want to completely re-litigate that call, but it was going to be decided by whatever the call on the field was. It’s the first Portland-Seattle game for Dickerson. Let’s see if he’s up to the test. 

Series History

Historical record: 48-19-58

Historical record since 2011: 20-11-17, +5 goal differential

Home record: 12-3-8, +4 goal differential

Current streak: 1 WIN

Current home streak: 2 unbeaten

With the 5-1 victory, the Timbers now have a positive historical goal differential against the Sounders in Portland and in Seattle. Spectacular.

Table Time

Two points back of the playoffs, and three points behind the Sounders. It’s been a pretty good start to the Clausura for the Timbers. Seattle has the worst form in the league across both conferences. No other active losing streak comes close to the Sounders’ 5 consecutive losses. Portland is only two points ahead of 13th-place Colorado, who hosts 14th-place Austin tomorrow. The Galaxy (even on points but with 1 extra game played) host Dallas. A Portland win would leapfrog the Timbers over Seattle. Very cool.

If the Timbers fail to win tomorrow, they cannot win the Cascadia Cup. A win by 3 goals or more(a tough ask) would be enough to formally put them back in contention. Vancouver and Seattle still have to play each other twice. Portland’s Cascadian destiny is already out of their hands, but they have to take care of business tomorrow. 

Final Whistle

“Taking care of business” could also apply to the MLS Board of Governors, who met in Charlotte this week to discuss a revamp of the league’s roster rules. I don’t have too much to say about it until it actually happens, but I’d like to submit my own deal-breakers for any changes:

-Transfer fees no longer affect a player’s salary budget charge (cap hit)

-INCREASE THE SALARY FLOOR TO $12M

-At least two more roster slots for senior players

-Keep GAM, get rid of TAM

-RELEASE THE SPREADSHEETS (make every single dollar spent on the roster public information, from the spend of allocation money on cap hits to the amortization of transfer fees)

If all four of those conditions are met, I’ll be OK with whatever rules the league implements. I don’t really care about the number of DPs or the U22 Initiative. If transfer fees are removed from cap hit calculations, the U22 Initiative won’t have the same value attached anyway. The Board of Governors will also elect a new MLS commissioner next week. Once again, I’m not going to really talk about that until after the vote. There are more important things to discuss.

The 100th anniversary of Providence Park has re-ignited the tales of previous Timbers-Sounders games at the Cathedral. The Portland Timbers began their existence by losing 1-0 to the Sounders at Providence Park in front of only 8,000 fans. That game occurred on May 2nd, 1975 and it was a rough welcome to life as a Timbers fan. However, a theme has kept strong in this rivalry from that fateful day in 1975: the loser will always get revenge at the most important time.

The 1975 Timbers made the playoffs after winning the Western Division, 11 points clear of their northern rivals. They were able to exact revenge for the 1-0 in late July, but fell to the Sounders 3-2 at Memorial Stadium one week later. I wonder if Schmetzer was in attendance for that. But the Timbers were hell-bent on getting revenge, and the two teams faced each other in the playoffs for the first time 10 days after that loss up north.

The exact minute of John Rowlands’ opening goal is lost to time. But it was scored early in the second half, and he did give the 2,000 Puget Sounders in attendance something to cheer for. Those traveling fans were dwarfed by the 29,000 Timbers supporters who packed Civic Stadium to the brim. English midfielder Barry Powell equalized shortly after, sending both teams into a do-or-die sudden-death overtime period.

I don’t know how many of you know what happened next. The grainy footage doesn’t have a scorebug, but the newspaper says it was the 97th minute. Willie Anderson begins the play by sending an inswinging corner kick into the box. A Seattle defender gets his head to it, and it falls to a different Sounder at the top of the 18. However, that Sounder (identified by the commentator as Jimmy Gabriel) completely flubbed his clearance attempt. A second ball was won by Portland, and another deflected clearance fell to Portland’s Jimmy Kelly. A slip pass to Anderson followed. On his weaker left foot, Anderson sent another cross into the box where it found the free head of Portland's #14: Tony Betts. With one flick of the head, Betts sent Civic Stadium into pandemonium.

Fans stormed the field. The final score flashed across the screen: Sounders 1, Timbers 2. The cheers filled the stadium as the players were mobbed around second base. With that header, Betts began a proud tradition of the Timbers ending Seattle’s season. This would be repeated in 2013 and 2018. But it’s the other law of the rivalry that concerns me as both teams prepare to battle each other again the same way they did in 1975.

The Seattle Sounders are at their lowest. I have never seen them lose 5 straight games, nor have I seen an injury list full of so many key contributors. However, due to the laws of the rivalry, it is the Timbers who are at their most vulnerable tomorrow. The Sounders are playing to avenge their record-setting defeat only weeks before, something the 2021 Timbers also had to do. The 6-2 has been largely dismissed by Timbers fans as an aberration. I also side with that line of thinking, considering several Seattle players scored the best goals in their entire careers that night. Portland kept that game competitive, and the final score was only so lopsided because Seattle couldn’t stop scoring worldie after worldie past Aljaz Ivacic. It somewhat felt like the Timbers were facing a reckoning of some sort, but it didn’t come on the pitch.

Instead, their reckoning would come in the form of protests against the front office for their complete mismanagement of the Paul Riley scandal. The Timbers walked into Lumen Field and repaid the Sounders in kind with a delicious Dos a Cero two weeks later. That victory kickstarted Portland’s run to MLS Cup. They used the Sounders as a trampoline.

While the Sounders remain down, they are never out. Despite Schmetzer’s increased aggravation and frustration, the highlight reels have been absent from Longacres. Jack Cassidy might be returning to T2 after tomorrow’s game. He’s collected 7 points from 3 games in his interim tenure thus far. And this is the most dangerous game he will coach. No one expected the Timbers to put 5 goals on Seattle’s heads on July 16th. They just went up there and did it. No Seattle fan expected their allegedly good team to get a bucket of paint dropped on their heads. It happened anyway. Timbers fans have spent the previous two-and-a-half weeks delighting in the continued misfortune of their rivals, while Sounders fans’ various disgruntled posts on all the available social media platforms have been chicken soup for the soul of Portlanders. 

By all rights, tomorrow’s game is where revenge can take place for Seattle. The stage has already been set. The circumstances have forced Schmetzer to see how much fight the Tacoma Defiance can muster. Most of these games end in some sort of laughter for Timbers fans, be it joy or disbelief. They’re counting on another three points and even more humiliation. You can’t hide behind anything when the Timbers and Sounders play each other. It must all be left on the field. 

The Timbers are celebrating their 100-year old stadium which has seen plenty of defeated Sounders teams head back to the locker room with their heads in their hands. Dairon Asprilla ignited a legendary comeback by taking his bicycle to work four years ago. Sebastian Blanco put on a Chucky mask after giving the Timbers a late victory in the 100th edition of this timeless rivalry. Jeremy Ebobisse chipped Stefan Frei months later to open the scoring in the 2018 playoff tie. Fanendo Adi grabbed a chainsaw, David Horst wheeled away in surprise and awe, Diego Chara scored twice on his birthday, Takayuki Suzuki fired a laser into the back of the net, Will Johnson scored from the penalty spot, Steven Taylor made his only positive contribution in a Timbers uniform, Blanco raised the Cascadia Cup, Maxime Crepeau headbutted Mason Toye, and the newly-crowned MLS champions celebrated their Cup with a Diego Valeri brace. All of these moments are weaved into the legacy of the Cathedral. And 5-1 years ago, Anderson found Betts alone in the box to end Seattle’s season. 

Beating the Sounders is a ritual that has occurred almost yearly over the last 5 decades. Another wonderful victory seems to be on the cards, but these games can never be taken for granted. There is no foregone conclusion when these two teams meet. The records are erased and all recent form goes out the window. The Timbers did it in historic fashion two and a half weeks ago. They’ll have to do it again tomorrow. 

Gut the Fish. Detonate the Whale. Butcher the Pig. Beat 5eatt1e. The climb continues.