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Timbers MatchDay: vs. Sounders

By Paul Danzer, Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: June 16, 2015, 12:00am

Timbers at Sounders

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. today at Starfire Stadium, Tukwila.

Webcast: ussoccer.com on YouTube.

At stake: This is a fourth-round match in the annual national championship tournament, which the Sounders have won four of the last six years. Tuesday’s winner will face the San Jose Earthquakes or the Sacramento Republic in the next round.

Timbers notes: Portland is on a three-game MLS win streak and has the benefit of a weekend off from league play. Timbers coach Caleb Porter said this match is a priority for his squad, so look for many first-team regulars in the lineup. It seems unlikely that Diego Valeri will be one of those, however. Valeri has missed the last three-plus matches with an ankle injury. He has trained and could be available, but the worn turf at Starfire and the intensity of this rivalry might make Saturday’s home match against Houston a better time for Valeri’s return. Team captain Will Johnson is with Canada’s national team for today’s World Cup qualifier against Dominica in Toronto. Portland has allowed only 14 goals through 15 MLS games, third fewest in the league. Seattle (11 allowed) has the league’s top defense.

Sounders notes: The leaders of the Western Conference are coming off of a 3-0 home win on Saturday over F.C. Dallas. … The Sounders lineup is expected to be a mix of first-team regulars and reserves, though several mainstays are unlikely to play because of injury or the tight schedule. … Midfielder Osvaldo Alonso is among the Sounders expected to miss the match. … Seattle has dominated the Open Cup since entering MLS in 2009, and is the defending champion. Last season, the Sounders scored twice in overtime to defeat the Timbers 3-1 at Starfire, where the Sounders are unbeaten (19-0-1) all time in counting matches. … Former Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins is expected to get his first start for Seattle.

— Follow Paul Danzer’s Timbers coverage on Twitter: @col_timbers

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter