The Seattle Sounders are taking on the Portland Timbers on Sunday in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. PT at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be televised on ESPN.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on 950 KJR AM and in Spanish on El Rey 1360 AM.
2018 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 18-11-5 (59 points, 2nd West), Timbers: 15-10-9 (54 points, 5th West).
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Sounders: Bye. Timbers: 2-1 win over FC Dallas in the Knockout Round.
FORM GUIDE (most recent first): Seattle: WWWWW, Portland: WLWWD
ALL-TIME HISTORY: The Sounders are 10-9-6 all-time against the Timbers in MLS regular season and postseason play, including a 3-7-3 record on the road.
PREVIOUS MEETING: The Sounders beat the Timbers 1-0 at Providence Park on August 26, courtesy of an own goal in the 76th minute. With the match seemingly destined for a scoreless draw, Center back Kim Kee-hee made a rampaging run down the right flank and whipped a dangerous cross into the box, which Timbers defender Julio Cascante redirected into the net.
Sounders celebrate after a cross from Kim Kee-hee resulted in a Timbers own goal | Jane Gershovich
DECISION DAY DRAMA: Seattle’s last-gasp 2-1 win over San Jose on the final day of the regular season, combined with FC Dallas’ 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids and LAFC’s 3-2 defeat to Sporting Kansas City, catapulted the Sounders from fourth in the West to a second-place finish and a first-round bye.
TITLE DEFENSE: The Sounders enter the playoffs as the back-to-back reigning Western Conference Champions, as they defeated the Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo to reach back-to-back MLS Cups in 2016 and 2017.
ACCOLADES: On Wednesday, MLS announced that Stefan Frei, Chad Marshall and Osvaldo Alonso are finalists for End of Year Awards. Frei has been nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year and Save of the Year, while Marshall is a finalist for Defender of the Year. Captain Alonso has been nominated for Comeback Player of the Year.
PLAYOFF HISTORY: The Sounders and the Timbers have met in the playoffs just once before, a dramatic affair in the 2013 Western Conference Semifinals that Portland won 5-3 on aggregate. Only two starters from that series – Lamar Neagle and Osvaldo Alonso – remain on the Sounders roster.
RIDE THE HOT HAND(S): With his brace on Decision Day, Raúl RuidÃaz reached 10 regular season goals from just 14 appearances. Not to be outdone, Nicolás Lodeiro finished the 2018 regular season with eight goals and 16 assists.
I’M NOT CRYING, YOU’RE CRYING: If you need any extra motivation, make sure to watch You Will Hear Us. Chills.
PLAYOFF PEDIGREE: When you think of Stefan Frei in the postseason, the first thing that comes to mind is The Save. But throughout his time with the Sounders, Seattle’s shot-stopper has consistently come up clutch in the playoffs. Across 17 postseason matches, Frei has tallied 52 saves, a goals-against average of .76, and a 9-4-4 record.
THE ALL-IMPORTANT RETURN LEG: The Sounders will host the Timbers in the Western Conference Semifinals second leg on Thursday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. PT (TICKETS).
