2019 MLS Regular Season – Week 25
Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC
Providence Park – Portland
August 23 – 10:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN, TVAS
STREAMING: MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
The Cascadia Cup will be decided Friday night when longtime foes Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders square off Friday night at Providence Park as part of MLS Heineken® Rivalry Week.
With two wins in their previous three games against Pacific Northwest rivals, the Timbers are in the drivers seat to claim the Cup for the fifth time. The Sounders are 1-1-1 in three games this year and need a win to repeat as champions.
Level on points with eighth-place FC Dallas, but above the playoff line on a tiebreaker, the Timbers (11-10-4) are looking to rebound from a 2-0 home defeat to Atlanta United in a rematch of last year's MLS Cup final. Leandro Gonzalez Pirez slammed home his first goal in nearly a year following a failed clearance from an ATLUTD corner kick in the 14th minute. Then in the opening moments of the second half, Julian Gressel broke two Portland lines with a sumptuous through ball for Josef Martinez, who curled home his 21st tally of the year.
The Sounders (11-8-7) squandered a chance to move into up the table in the West when they played the 10-man LA Galaxy to a 2-2 draw in Carson last Saturday night. Daniel Steres was sent off in the 6th minute and Raul Ruidiaz gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute, finishing off a counterattack spearheaded by Jordan Morris. A Zlatan Ibrahimovic brace put the Galaxy in front, 2-1. An own goal by Jorgen Skjelvik eight minutes from full time allowed the Sounders to take at least a point from the match.
This is the second regular-season meeting this season, with the Timbers claiming a 2-1 win at CenturyLink Field back on July 21. Brian Fernandez struck for a brace, scoring the decisive goal one minute after Ruidiaz's 50th-minute equalizer. Fernandez also scored twice in a 2-1 win over the Sounders in the U.S. Open Cup fourth round on June 12.
Portland vs. Seattle
Friday, August 23 at 10:00 PM ET
Providence Park
Portland Timbers
- Injury Report:
- OUT: Marco Farfan (D) - left knee injury
- OUT: Jeff Attinella (GK)- right shoulder injury
- OUT: Modou Jadama (D)- left foot injury
- OUT: Larrys Mabiala (D) - left thigh injury
- Suspended: Jorge Moreira (D)
- Suspended after next caution: Larrys Mabiala (D)
- International duty: None
Seattle Sounders FC
- Injury Report:
- OUT: Will Bruin (F) - right ACL tear
- OUT: Victor Rodriguez (M) - left hamstring strain
- QUESTIONABLE: Brad Smith (D) - right adductor strain
- QUESTIONABLE: Alex Roldan (D) - left ankle sprain
- Suspended: Roman Torres (D)
- Suspended after next caution: Kelvin Leerdam (D), Nouhou Tolo (D), Nico Lodeiro (M)
- International duty: None
Series Matchup at Timbers
- Timbers: 6 wins, 26 goals
- Sounders: 3 wins, 20 goals
- 3 draws
Officials
- Referee: Jair Marrufo
- Assistant Referees: Jeff Hosking, Jose J. Da Silva
- 4th Official: Lukasz Szpala
- VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
