The Seattle Sounders fell 2-0 to the Portland Timbers at Lumen Field on Sunday night.
SebastiĂ¡n Blanco scored the match-winner in the 58th minute when he slotted home a pass from Felipe Mora off a Sounders giveaway in the back. Mora then iced the match in the fifth minute of stoppage time when he capitalized on another giveaway and chipped Stefan Cleveland from 30 yards out.
The Timbers had the best chance of the first half when Dairon Asprilla rattled the crossbar with a shot from distance in the sixth minute.
Portland central midfielder Eryk Williamson was replaced in the 12th minute after a non-contact injury.
The two teams went into the halftime break scoreless. The Sounders thought they had taken the lead in the 53rd minute when JoĂ£o Paulo blasted the crossbar with a left-footed strike. Blanco capitalized for the lead five minutes later.
The Sounders had a flurry of corner kick chances starting in the 61st minute when Shane O’Neill hit the crossbar on a header from a corner before JoĂ£o Paulo was denied another left-footed strike on a save by Steve Clark.
Cristian Roldan then struck the woodwork on a header off a corner kick in the 85th minute. RaĂºl RuidĂaz pulled out a clever move a minute later and unleashed a shot from outside the 18-yard box that Clark parried way.
Mora then capped off the scoring in stoppage time.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Home struggles
Despite having the best road record in MLS this season with seven wins, the Sounders have won just twice in their last nine matches at home. Three of the Sounders’ four losses on the year have come at the normally favorable confines of Lumen Field. The Sounders have also not beaten Portland in Seattle since 2018.
Still atop the West
By virtue of a Sporting Kansas City draw with the Colorado Rapids, the Sounders remain atop the Western Conference with 42 points from 22 games. The Sounders will take on Minnesota United next, but not before…
International break
The MLS season will pause until Sept. 11 for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Seattle’s RuidĂaz (Peru) and Cristian Roldan (United States) will be away with their respective national teams before returning for the final stretch of the season.
