The Portland Timbers can clinch their first Cascadia Cup title since 2017 with a victory on Friday at Providence Park against the Seattle Sounders with kickoff at 5 am.
The Portland Timbers are off to a rocky start in August, losing back-to-back games after going unbeaten in 10 straight fixtures.
Those two defeats have by no means killed their chances of qualifying for the postseason but seeing as it was against a pair of non-playoff teams in Toronto (3-1) and Sporting Kansas City (4-1), it could prove costly given how tight the standings are at the moment.
It feels like Giovanni Savarese’s men were guilty of looking a little too far ahead at their upcoming schedule as they have a difficult stretch of games in the future, wrapping up the month of August with matches against the Sounders and then on the road at Austin FC.
The Sounders have struggled on the road, going winless in their last five matches. Seattle lost to Los Angeles 3-3 last week after conceding two goals in the first half.
The team has only earned one point from its last three matches while remaining below the playoff line — a place this team has been throughout much of the campaign. The Rave Green have conceded 34 goals this year, one more than they allowed in 2021.
Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Head to Head
Both sides have 45 games against each other, taking 18 wins and nine draws. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Sporting Kansas City 4-1 Portland
- Toronto FC 3-1 Portland
- Portland 1-1 FC Dallas
- Portland 1-1 Nashville
Away
- LA Galaxy 3-3 Seattle
- Seattle 1-2 Real Salt Lake
- Atlanta United 2-1 Seattle
- Seattle 1-0 Dallas FC
Portland Timber Team News
Sebastian Blanco scored his sixth goal in a loss to Sporting Kansas City, while Dairon Asprilla recorded his first assist of the year. Santiago Moreno and Yimmi Chara are the only players to appear in every Portland match this season.
Seattle Sounders Team News
The Sounders hope to have Cristian Roldan back this weekend after he missed their match in Los Angeles due to a problem in his groin, but Andrew Thomas and Obed Vargas are out with lower back stress fractures. Joao Paulo is also gone for the season with a right ACL tear.
Prediction and Odds
The Sounders have won the last four games between these teams, and as the Timbers have struggled defensively over the past few weeks, we expect Seattle to be more clinical in front of goal.
- Away Win
- Both Teams to Score
- Goals Over 2.5
