The Portland Timbers are aiming to end a tailspin and searching for momentum for the postseason when they visit the Seattle Sounders on Saturday night.
The Cascadia Cup rivals have each clinched playoff spots but the two clubs could improve their seeding on Saturday.
The Sounders (16-9-8, 56 points) are tied for third place in the Western Conference with Real Salt Lake and will finish either third or fourth. Portland (12-11-10, 46 points) is in ninth place, just one point behind the Vancouver Whitecaps.
If the Timbers take on Vancouver in the wild-card match, the contest will be in Portland regardless of seeding due to a scheduling conflict at BC Place. If seventh-place Minnesota United drops to eighth and Portland is ninth, the Timbers will travel to Saint Paul, Minn., for the contest.
Either way, Timbers coach Phil Neville wants to see improvement. Portland is winless in its last four matches (0-1-3) and has just one victory in its past six (1-2-3). The Timbers were blanked in their past two matches.
“The last two games have been a real disappointment, frustration, anger,” Neville told MLSsoccer.com. “… But over the course of the season, the league table doesn’t lie. You are where you are because of the form, because of things that have happened. So we’ve got to accept that.”
The Cascadia Cup — the three-team competition between Portland, Seattle and Vancouver — is also at stake. The Sounders will claim the Cup with a victory, while the Timbers can win it with a win or a draw.
“We always want to beat Portland, no matter what the stakes are,” Sounders leading scorer Jordan Morris said. “So it’ll be a good game. Both teams will be up for it. Important one for both sides.”
Morris has a team-high 13 goals for the Sounders, who have overcome a slow start to go 12-2-2 over their past 16 MLS matches. Seattle is 5-0-1 in its last six matches with all the wins coming by shutout.
“We’re a good team, and we’re showing it,” Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer said. “We want to make sure that we end on a good note and continue the momentum that we’ve already started to build.”
Portland has top-flight scorers in Jonathan Rodriguez (16), Evander (15) and Felipe Mora (14). Evander also ranks second in the league with 18 assists.
The teams split two matches earlier this season. Seattle recorded a 2-1 road victory on May 12 and the Timbers notched a 1-0 home victory on Aug. 31.
–Field Level Media
