It’s pretty safe to say that the hottest Rivalry Week match will be Sunday night as Seattle Sounders FC heads down I-5 to take on the Portland Timbers. With temperatures creeping close to 100 degrees and emotions running high after the recent U.S. Open Cup match, the Rave Green will be fighting for redemption against their rivals to the south.
To preview this Cascadia clash, SoundersFC.com caught up with Will Conwell of Stumptown Footy. Conwell is the site’s managing editor and has covered the Timbers for the site since 2011.
Emotions Running High
In every match between these two teams, you have the same intensity you saw at the Open Cup. With this game coming so soon after the most recent clash, we all know it’ll bring a little bit of added flavor to the match.
Dangerman
Diego Valeri got off to a quick start when he came back from his knee injury but he was again sidelined after rolling his ankle against Toronto. He’s had a much slower start in his second go-around coming off that injury.
For me, the real danger more recently has come from the Timbers ability to push their fullbacks forward and get them involved in the attack. The Timbers have looked their best when Jorge Villafana or Alvas Powell are able to get up the pitch.
Looking for Redemption
Timbers fans are disappointed by the match against LA. Since Caleb Porter took over in 2013, though, we know that this team tends to bounce back rather quickly and it’s a mentally resilient team. The Timbers have a good chance of taking something away from that match and bringing it to the pitch as they prepare to take on the Sounders.
Shoring up the Defense
If you had asked who could replace Liam Ridgewell (who is suspended for the match due to a red card against LA) at the start of the season, it would have been a big question mark. At this point, Norberto Paparatto has come in, played a few games, and he’s had a solid performance each time. He had a lot of questions surrounding him after last season but he’s shown this season that alongside Ridgewell and Nat Borchers, he is a starting-quality centerback. The Timbers will be confident bringing him in.
Final Thoughts on PORvSEA
The key for the Timbers will be how their holding central midfielders play together. When they have a good balance there, the team is a step above most other teams in MLS. When that combination isn’t good, you have a game like they had against the Galaxy.
Diego Valeri has looked pretty rusty in his last few performances as he comes back from his ankle injury. He needs to get back to his normal flow and it’s key for the Timbers if they want to get back to their winning ways.
The Timbers have two very different looks up top with Maximiliano Urruti and Fanendo Adi. It’s likely we’ll see Adi against the Sounders and the team will need him to hold the ball successfully and get others involved in the attack.
