The Seattle Sounders visit the Portland Timbers on Friday (7:00 p.m. PT; ESPN, JOEtv, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360AM) in Week 25 MLS action. Here are three matchups to watch, presented by Toyota.
RaĆŗl RuidĆaz vs. Brian FernĆ”ndez
With RuidĆaz representing the Sounders and FernĆ”ndez leading the Timbers, the Sounders-Timbers rivalry, which is unparalleled in the American game, will feature two of the leagueās top strikers for years to come.
All three goals in Seattleās 2-1 loss to Portland last month at CenturyLink Field were scored by each teamās respective No. 9ās. Although itās a small sample size, the South American strikers clearly thrive in the fiery confines of the Cascadia derby, as theyāve combined for eight goals from six matches across all competitions. RuidĆaz and FernĆ”ndez wonāt actually go toe-to-toe on Friday, but whichever player is more productive will likely determine the result.
NicolƔs Lodeiro vs. Diego Chara
In another bit of symmetry between the two bitter rivals, Lodeiro and and Chara are the heartbeat and midfield fulcrums for Seattle and Portland, respectively. Both players cover vast swaths of ground, playing with an intensity that spurs on players around them. Moreover, both Seattle and Portland tend to struggle in the absence of their talismanic midfielders.
Most known for his defensive prowess, Chara is integral to Portlandās transition offense, driving the ball forward and releasing the ball to midfield runners Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco. While Lodeiro is best recognized for his attacking contributions, heās shown an aptitude for counter-pressing and regaining possession quickly. The Uruguayan No. 10 will need to dominate Chara on both sides of the ball in order for Seattle to dictate the tempo at Providence Park.
Jordan Morris vs. Jorge VillafaƱa
A striker in a two-forward or single-forward setup for most of his career, Morris has re-shaped his game in 2019 as heās embraced life as a winger. Yes, heās developed his crossing ā both clipped balls to the back post and low-driven crosses in the danger-zone behind the opponentās center backs ā but his defensive contributions have been the most impressive aspect of his wide play.
A technical attacking outside back with international pedigree, VillafaƱa will look to get forward on the overlap if Portland controls possession at home. Morris, who has seven goals and four assists from just over 1,500 minutes this season, will need to strike a balance between shutting down VillafaƱa and utilizing his blistering pace to exploit the space vacated by Portlandās left back in transition.