Timbers at Sounders
Kickoff: 2 p.m. Sunday at CenturyLink Field.
TV / radio: ESPN (1:30 p.m. pregame)/AM 750.
Timbers notes: Portland (11-8-7, 40 points) opened the weekend fourth in the Western Conference, five points ahead of Seattle in the tight playoff race. The Timbers know a win in Seattle would be significant in the fight for one of the six spots in the playoffs. Portland will be without Diego Chara (red card) and might miss his defensive midfield partner Will Johnson. Coach Caleb Porter said that soreness in the leg Johnson broke late last season makes Johnson’s availability uncertain. That could mean Jack Jewsbury and George Fochive partner in midfield. Or will Porter shift formations and put a more attackers on the field, perhaps by teaming Lucas Melano and Fanendo Adi up front? The Timbers have won two in a row against Seattle, including a U.S, Open Cup triumph in a match that featured a long-term injury to Obafemi Martins and a red card for Clint Dempsey. The Timbers have never won a regular-season match at CenturyLink Field, where more than 60,000 fans are expected for this match. They did win at CenturyLink in the 2013 MLS Cup playoffs.
Sounders notes: Seattle (11-13-2, 35 points) is seventh in the West, below the playoff line for the first time this season after San Jose beat the L.A. Galaxy on Friday. But the Sounders, after being slowed by significant injuries, have been bolstered by the return of Obafemi Martins and the significant additions of Nelson Valdez, Rom?n Torres and Andreas Ivanschitz. (Timbers coach Caleb Porter described the additions as Designated Player quality). Valdez is a Designated Player and scored a goal in his Sounders debut. The Panamanian Torres is perhaps the most significant addition. The Sounders now have one of the most imposing central defender pairs in the league with Torres and Chad Marshall. Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said that Ivanschitz is not yet ready to make his Sounders debut. Swedish midfielder Erik Friberg also rejoined Seattle this summer, giving the Sounders another distributor to feed the attack. Uncertain — according to Schmid, anyway — is the health of Clint Dempsey, Osvaldo Alonso and Chad Barrett. Dempsey has barely played for Seattle since the Open Cup ejection, because of Gold Cup time with the national team and a hamstring injury. What is certain is that the Sounders will be desperate for a victory. After this match and a Sept. 5 match against Toronto, Seattle plays four of its last six league games on the road. The Sounders played a midweek CONCACAF Champions League game in Honduras, but few (if any) of the players who are expected to participate on Sunday played in that 1-0 loss to CD Olimpia.
Cascadia Cup: The Timbers are eliminated from contention for the regional trophy. A win would put Seattle a point ahead of Vancouver, but regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s match, the Sounders can claim the Cup by winning their final match against the Whitecaps. The Timbers Fanendo Adi does lead all scorers this season with three goals in Cascadi Cup contests, two in the Timbers 4-1 home win over the Sounders on June 28.
— Paul Danzer, @col_timbers
