SEATTLE, WASH. – Bolstered by a late Clint Dempsey goal, Seattle Sounders FC (4-2-1, 13 points) defeated the Portland Timbers (2-3-3, 9 points) by a final score of 1-0 in front of 41,451 fans and a nationally televised audience on Sunday evening on the XBOX Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Following the win, Sounders FC moves into third place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference, three points behind league-leading Vancouver with two games in-hand. Opening Cascadia Cup play with a victory, Seattle is now 4-0-2 against Portland at CenturyLink Field in MLS regular season play, with Seattle going 6-2-4 against its rival since the Timbers entered MLS in 2011.
Including tonight’s match, Sounders FC has won four consecutive contests across all competitions against Portland, with Seattle claiming either a win or a draw in eight of the last nine regular-season matchups between the two sides. Cleaning-up an Andy Rose shot for the go-ahead goal in the 77th minute, Dempsey’s strike was his sixth against the Timbers – the most of any player in the MLS series between the two sides. Dempsey has now scored in four consecutive matches against Portland.
Earning their fourth clean-sheet of the season, Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei and his backline are currently tied for the MLS lead in shutouts.
Prior to the match, Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid and former goalkeeper and current broadcast analyst Kasey Keller were honored in front of the home crowd for their recent inductions into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Additionally, volunteers from the American Red Cross collected $10,644 in donations to benefit the disaster relief fund for the earthquake that struck yesterday morning outside of Kathmandu, Nepal. Donations will assist individuals affected by the earthquake in Nepal, enabling the Red Cross to respond to and help people recover from this disaster. Individuals may continue to support Red Cross relief efforts by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999 in order to donate $10.
Sounders FC now gears-up for a three-match road stand, beginning with expansion side New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, May 3 (4:00 p.m. PT / FOX Sports 1, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM).
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 1 – Portland Timbers 0
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Venue: XBOX Pitch at CenturyLink Field
Referee: Alan Kelly
Assistants: Frank Anderson, Mike Rottersman
Fourth Official: Daniel Radford
Attendance: 41,451
Weather: Cloudy and 58 degrees
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Clint Dempsey 77’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
POR – Jorge Villafana (caution) 23’
SEA – Marco Pappa (caution) 53’
SEA – Osvaldo Alonso (caution) 54’
POR – Liam Ridgewell (caution) 71’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Tyrone Mears, Brad Evans - C, Zach Scott, Dylan Remick; Marco Pappa (Leo Gonzalez 86’), Osvaldo Alonso, Gonzalo Pineda, Lamar Neagle (Andy Rose 77’); Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins
Substitutes not used: Troy Perkins, Andres Correa, Jimmy Ockford, Micheal Azira, Chad Barrett
Total shots: 10 (Marco Pappa, 3)
Shots on goal: 3 (3 players tied at 1)
Fouls: 12 (Alonso, 4)
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 5 (Pappa, 3)
Saves: 2 (Frei, 2)
Portland Timbers – Adam Kwarasey; Alvas Powell, Nat Borchers, Liam Ridgewell - C, Jorge Villafana; Diego Chara, Dairon Asprilla (Gaston Fernandez 62’), Jack Jewsbury, Ishmael Yartey, Darlington Nagbe; Maximiliano Urruti (Fanendo Adi 74’)
Substitutes not used: Andrew Weber, Norberto Paparatto, Jeanderson, Diego Valeri, George Fochive
Total shots: 11 (Adi, 3)
Shots on goal: 2 (2 players tied at 1)
Fouls: 12 (Chara, 3)
Offside: 1 (Urruti, 1)
Corner-kicks: 3 (Jewsbury, 2)
Saves: 2 (Kwarasey, 2)
MATCH NOTES
- Seattle Sounders FC improves to 4-2-1 on the season, including two consecutive wins and three victories in its last four matches.
- Sounders FC sits in third place in the MLS Western Conference, with one game in-hand against FC Dallas and two games in-hand against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Seattle ranks first in the Western Conference with 1.86 points-per-match.
- Against the Portland Timbers, Sounders FC is now 6-2-4 in the regular season. At CenturyLink Field, Seattle holds an unblemished 4-0-2 record.
- Tonight’s win marks three straight MLS regular season victories for Sounders FC against the Timbers and eight results in the last nine matches of the series (a Sounders FC win or draw).
- With a home attendance of 40,000 or more, Sounders FC is 15-1-3 all-time, including a 4-0-1 record against the Timbers.
- Clint Dempsey has recorded a goal or an assist in all five MLS appearances in 2015.
- Dempsey is the only player in the league with at least four goals and three assists. His six goals against Portland are the most in the MLS series between the two sides. Dempsey has scored in four straight matches against the Timbers.
- Stefan Frei is tied for the MLS lead with four shutouts.
