The Seattle Sounders have been one of the most successful teams in MLS during the second half of the regular season.
“Players are feeling good,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “Everybody's playing well and everybody's training hard.”
With only two losses in the last 17 regular season matches, the team is peaking at the right time as they look ahead to postseason play in the coming weeks.
But before the MLS Cup Playoffs commence, the Rave Green must face one final obstacle. On Saturday night, the Sounders will host the Portland Timbers in an epic Decision Day showdown at Lumen Field (6 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360AM | TICKETS).
“It's a good test for us, and we look forward to it,” said goalkeeper Stefan Frei. “It's going to be intense.”
Decision Day
It all comes down to this: the biggest rivalry in MLS. We host the Portland Timbers in the final match of the regular season, with playoff seeding, Cascadia Cup, and Concacaf Champions Cup qualification on the line.
It is a fierce battle every time the two teams go head-to-head. In this year alone, both sides have come away with wins. Oct. 19 will determine not only the victor of the 2024 head-to-head series, but will also crown the champion of the Cascadia Cup.
“A lot to play for,” said Frei. “And when you're playing a rival, there's also a trophy on the line as well, so we're excited to host them, and hopefully use it as a good exercise for what's to come.”
The last time the Sounders defeated the Timbers at home was on May 27, 2017. But given Seattle's current run of form, there is a sense of belief within the team that this unlucky streak will finally come to an end on Decision Day.
“We'd rather focus on how we've been playing as of late,” said Frei. “If we keep playing like that, maybe the last result against them would have been different. We have confidence and we know what we can do, but it's upon us to do so.”
From back to front, the Sounders have come into their own during the final stretch of the regular season. Defensively, the team currently carries 13 clean sheets and leads the league with fewest goals against (34).
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“The goalkeeping has been good, and Andrew [Thomas] and Stef [Frei] have done really well,” said Schmetzer. “We got a lot of shutouts, a lot of good stats and the team, defensively, again, leading the league, leading the charge, I think that's helped.”
On the offensive side, the team is working as a collective, with multiple players contributing to goals match-after-match. They have also incorporated a dangerous amount of speed on the wings with Paul Rothrock, Georgi Minoungou and Pedro de la Vega getting more minutes on the pitch.
“I think everybody's pitched in,” said Schmetzer. “I think it's probably one of the tighter knit groups I've had.”
While the Sounders will face a strong attacking unit of Felipe Mora, Evander, Jonathan Rodríguez, and Santiago Moreno, the home side’s momentum has the potential to overpower anything that is thrown at them.
“The guys are ready,” said Schmetzer.
