SEATTLE, WASH. - Sounders FC's opponent for the Western Conference Semifinals has been determined following the completion of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Knockout Round earlier this evening. Based on results from Knockout Round matches over the past two days, the fifth-seeded Portland Timbers advance to the Western Conference Semifinals to face the second-seeded Rave Green.
The Conference Semifinals is a two-match, aggregate-goal series, with the better-seeded club hosting the second leg of play. Under this format, Sounders FC is set to face its Cascadia rival in Portland on Sunday, November 4 before hosting the Timbers at CenturyLink Field on Thursday, November 8.
This draw marks just the second occasion the two regional rivals have met in MLS postseason play, with Seattle and Portland previously facing off at this stage of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in 2013 (a 5-3 aggregate win for the Timbers). Dating back to 1975, Seattle and Portland have met 102 times (Seattle leads the all-time series 51-37-14), but records and standings are historically thrown out the window when these two teams take the field. The two sides have battled through four decades and five competitions, beginning with the North American Soccer League in 1975. The rivalry continued through Western Soccer League (WSL), United Soccer League (USL) and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play before reigniting at the professional level in the 2011 MLS season.
Sunday's first-leg match is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. PT kickoff at Providence Park, with television coverage being provided by ESPN, ESPN Deportes, TSN and TVA Sports, in addition to regional radio coverage on 950 KJR AM and El Rey 1360 AM. Final broadcast information for the second leg in Seattle has yet to be announced by Major League Soccer, with additional details forthcoming. Kickoff for that contest is currently scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT.
MEDIA NOTE: Accredited Seattle media members wishing to cover Sunday’s first leg in Portland may request to be added to Sounders FC’s traveling press list, securing single-match accreditation for the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals. Media interested in being added to this list must alert a member of Sounders FC Communications by 12:00 p.m. PT on Friday, November 2. As previously announced, Sounders FC is set to train at Starfire Sports in Tukwila on Friday morning, with media availability scheduled to begin at approximately 11:30 a.m. PT.
Single-match tickets for the home leg of the Western Conference Semifinals are now on sale to the public via SoundersFC.com/Playoffs or by calling 877-MLS-GOAL. Tickets are not available at the box office.
2018 marks the 10th consecutive season that Sounders FC has qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs, which stands as the longest active streak in MLS, with the mark tied with the LA Galaxy for the longest all-time postseason qualification streak.
MEDIA RESOURCES
HD video soundbytes to preview Sunday's match are available from Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer, goalkeeper Stefan Frei and midfielder Cristian Roldan. No password is required to open and download the files, but usage of all club content should credit Seattle Sounders FC Communications and MLSsoccer.com. These soundbytes can be accessed via the following link: http://sndrs.com/wyhgp.
A variety of media resources - including Sounders FC's 2018 media guide, player and coach interviews, archived press releases, photos for editorial use, game guides, credential request forms and more - can be found via SoundersFC.com/Media.
