TUKWILA, Wash. — When it comes to the Cascadia Cup rivalry between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers, the stakes are always high, regardless of current form or where the teams are on the table.
But for the Sounders, this Saturday’s rivalry clash between the sides at CenturyLink Field (1:30 p.m. PT; Fox, YouTube TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS) carries even more weight than usual.
In the midst of a difficult 3-8-3 start to their 2018 season, the Sounders need to start stacking points in a hurry or risk becoming the first team in their MLS era to miss the playoffs. There’s simply no more time to lose, and Head Coach Brian Schmetzer said on Wednesday his team is acutely aware of that fact coming off a 1-1 home draw with the Chicago Fire last Saturday.
“Obviously, it’s a big game for a lot of different reasons,” Schmetzer said. “No. 1, it’s our arch rival. No. 2, we need to collect points after dropping a couple on the weekend.”
Forward Will Bruin echoed that sentiment, saying the Sounders can look at the match as a springboard for what they hope will be a second-half surge. Seattle needs a victory no matter what, but bagging three points against their chief nemesis could provide even more of a boost in morale.
“They’re always intense games,” Bruin said on Wednesday. “Standings and stuff [get] put aside. Whenever we’re playing them, it’s more personal for the city. So, I think we’re looking at this as a big game for us to start turning things a little bit. There’s no better opponent that we’d rather play.
“I think this is a perfect game for us to stand up and say, ‘Look, we’re not playing the way we want to play. Results aren’t going [our way], but we’re gonna fight.’ I think we’ve got guys on the field that know it’s time to step up.”
It’s not going to be easy, though.
Will Bruin dribbles against the Portland Timbers in 2017 | USA Today Sports
Seattle will have to deal with a Portland side that comes to town in the midst of a nine-match unbeaten run in MLS play and 11 in all competitions, with the Timbers’ last loss coming against Orlando City SC on April 8. They’ve drawn three straight league matches after winning six in a row, but the Timbers have shown they’re still as formidable as ever under first-year Head Coach Giovanni Savarese.
As midfielder Cristian Roldan put it, however, halting that momentum would be an added bonus as Seattle looks to close out June with a home victory before hitting the road for three straight matches in July.
“There’s a lot at stake,” Roldan said. “We’ve said that for the last couple weeks, but there’s much more at stake this week. We’re playing a rival coming off some good results that wants to keep their momentum going. And for us, we want to crush that. We want to be a part of a winning squad again. And what better game to do that than against Portland?”
