The Seattle Sounders are hosting the Portland Timbers on Saturday in their third and final meeting of the regular season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. PT at Lumen Field (TICKETS).
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air in English on 950 KJR AM and in Spanish on El Rey 1360AM.
2023 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 11-9-7 (40 points, 3rd West), Timbers: 7-11-8 (29 points, 12th West)
FORM GUIDE (all competitions, most recent first): Seattle: WDLLL, Portland: WLLLL
PREVIOUS MEETINGS: The Sounders and Timbers played to a scoreless draw in Seattle on June 3 after the Timbers defeated the Sounders 4-1 at Providence Park on April 15.
RIGHTING THE SHIP: Seattle defeated Austin FC 2-1 on Wednesday, earning its first win in eight matches in all competitions. The Sounders took an impressive four points from two road matches in four days and return home looking to continue that momentum.
LODEIRO MAKES HISTORY: Nicolás Lodeiro assisted Jordan Morris against Austin, and in doing so became just the fifth player in Major League Soccer history to record six seasons of at least 10 assists. The Uruguayan playmaker is first in franchise history with 80 in his career.
MORRIS CATCHING FIRE: After a hot start to the season, Morris cooled down midway through the year while he battled injuries and was away with the United States national team. But after getting on the score sheet on Wednesday, he now has two goals in his last four matches in all competitions. He’s recorded a team-leading 10 in MLS play this year, his fourth professional season reaching double-digit goals.
Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers
The Seattle Sounders are back at Lumen Field this weekend for a rivalry match against the Portland Timbers on Sunday!
SQUAD ROTATION: Head Coach Brian Schmetzer made five changes to his Starting XI midweek, with Léo Chú, Ethan Dobbelaere, Josh Atencio, Xavier Arreaga and Reed Baker-Whiting all starting and performing well. The shift allowed some valuable rest for players like Albert Rusnák, Yeimar, Raúl Ruidíaz and Alex Roldan, all of whom should be fresh heading into this weekend’s match.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: The Timbers parted ways with longtime manager Gio Savarese on Aug. 21 after more than five years at the helm. Assistant Coach Miles Joseph will serve as interim manager for the remainder of the season.
DEFENSIVE WOES: Portland enters this weekend tied for the worst defensive record in MLS (Charlotte FC), having conceded 42 goals in just 26 matches.
MIDFIELD HELP: The Timbers made a big intra-league splash during the Summer Transfer Window when they acquired midfielder Bryan Acosta from the Colorado Rapids. The Honduran international has plenty of MLS experience, logging nearly 100 appearances for FC Dallas and the Rapids since he joined the league in 2019.
