The Seattle Sounders visit the Portland Timbers on Sunday (7:00 p.m. PT; FS1, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360AM) in the first fixture for both sides since the MLS is Back Tournament. Here are three matchups to watch, presented by Toyota.
Raúl RuidÃaz vs. Larys Mabiala
Since joining the Sounders during the 2018 campaign, Raúl RuidÃaz has been an absolute menace in high-pressure matches for Seattle.
In four matches against the Portland Timbers across the regular season and Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, the Peruvian scoring machine has tallied five goals and one assist. It’s a much smaller sample size, but there hasn’t been a player this prolific in the Seattle-Portland rivalry since Clint Dempsey terrorized the Timbers for a half decade.
Tasked with kicking off the resumed regular season against the MLS is Back champs, the Sounders’ will need RuidÃaz to be at his lethal best if they hope to pick up points at Providence Park.
Nicolás Lodeiro vs. Diego Chara
There are few players in MLS so inextricably linked with the success of their respective teams like Nicolás Lodeiro and Diego Chara. Each player serves as the midfield fulcrum for their squad, dictating tempo and driving the team forward in possession. Nominally a No. 10, Lodeiro is at his best as a roaming playmaker, drifting across the pitch in search of spaces where he can unbalance the opponent.
The key for Lodeiro on Sunday comes down to whether Chara decides to track him on his forays across the field. If he does, the Uruguayan will have to be clever in how he creates space for teammates by dragging Chara out of the space in front of Portland’s center backs, leaving their back line exposed. If not, then Seattle’s captain needs to be ruthlessly efficient as he creates overloads and carves out chances from the wide channels.
Jordan Morris vs. Chris Duvall
The last time Jordan Morris visited Providence Park, he put on an absolute masterclass in winger play as he repeatedly torched Portland’s right back in 1-v-1 battles.
The Timbers reinforced that position in the offseason, bringing in MLS and USL veteran Chris Duvall and Venezuelan youngster Pablo Bonilla. During the MLS is Back Tournament, Duvall and Bonilla split time at right back, with the former clearly utilized as the more defensive option and the latter providing more attacking verve. By the end of the tournament, though, Duvall seemed to have one the starting job.
Morris should have a field day against Duvall, regardless of how the two teams set up. If Portland looks to sit back and absorb pressure, as has become their go-to approach in recent years, Duvall doesn’t have the pace to hang with the Mercer Island magician. However, if Seattle cedes possession to the Timbers, inviting Duvall forward on the overlap, Morris will have acres of space to exploit on the counter.
