Having gained entry into next year's CONCACAF Champions League, the Portland Timbers look to build on their MLS Is Back tournament victory Sunday night when they host the Seattle Sounders in a showdown of Cascadia rivals.
The Timbers (3-1-1) won MLS Is Back in entertaining fashion, going 5-0-2 in their seven matches in Florida and winning their final three contests in regulation after being taken to penalty kicks by upstart FC Cincinnati in the round of 16. Portland capped its quest with a 2-1 victory over de facto host Orlando City on Aug. 11, with Dario Zuparic scoring what proved to be the match-winner in the 66th minute.
The challenge now for Giovanni Savarese's team is making the transition from a tournament setting to picking up points in the regular season as Portland begins this six-match segment as part of the league's revamped schedule as part of the COVID-19 precautionary measures.
"Had the chance to enjoy a little bit about what we achieved in the bubble," Savarese told the club's official website, "but now right away we have to prepare for this big game right in front of us. Six matches, we start with Seattle. A difficult match, they will come with everything that they have. So we expect them to be very good."
Savarese, though, also has some very good players at his disposal. One is Sebastian Blanco, who will be making his 100th regular-season appearance for Portland. He had two goals and two assists in the knockout portion of MLS Is Back and also has a team-leading five assists in all competitions.
Diego Valeri and Jeremy Ebobisse share the team lead with four goals apiece, and most of those markers have been timely ones - the duo are responsible for five match-winning goals.
Seattle (2-1-2) progressed out of group play at MLS Is Back, claiming four points with a win and a draw among three matches, but was then run out of Florida in the round of 16 as LAFC rolled to a 4-1 victory July 28.
Despite the early exit, there were positives for the Sounders. Jordan Morris picked up where he left off from last season and pre-pandemic, entering this contest with four goals in all competitions. The American international has 16 goals and 10 assists in his last 35 MLS appearances, including the playoffs from last year, and has factored on seven goals in 591 minutes in all competitions in 2020.
The Sounders are also expected to have their top playmakers in the midfield together for the first time this season. Nicolas Lodeiro has long been the team's top creative outlet, but Joao Paulo - a Designated Player signing in the offseason from Brazilian side Botafogo - missed the tournament with a quad injury after Lodeiro sat out the pre-pandemic matches.
"I think they were one of the more consistent teams throughout the tournament, and even when they were not playing at their best, they had one or two players who were able to make a difference in those situations," keeper Stefan Frei noted of Portland. "We know they're more than capable and their confidence is pretty high, so it will be a challenge."
One area of concern in front of Frei is in central defense, where Xavier Arreaga will miss out due to an injury suffered in training. Shane O'Neill is expected to fill in that spot in central defense, pairing with Gomez Andrade.
The rivalry between the Pacific Northwest teams has been finely balanced, with Seattle holding a slim 14-13 lead in wins in addition to six draws between the sides. The road team recorded 2-1 victories in each regular-season meeting in 2019, and Portland also posted a 2-1 win in Seattle in the U.S. Open Cup on a brace by Brian Rodriguez.