PROVIDENCE PARK -
“None. Zero. Zilch.”
That was Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer, when asked if there were any positives after his side’s 4-1 loss to the Portland Timbers. The Sounders side that rolled through St. Louis CITY last week was a shadow of themselves, controlling possession but failing to convert chances for 70 minutes before conceding four in the final 20 to their arch-rivals.
Sounders staple Cristian Roldan was scratched from the lineup prematch due to a concussion; a Seattle press release cited a collision last weekend against St. Louis as the reason. Roldan was reportedly evaluated throughout the week - he appeared in training regularly but was unable to participate in Saturday’s match.
The change meant that MLS Golden Boot leader Jordan Morris moved from the number nine slot to the right, with Léo Chú retaining his place on the left wing and Raúl Ruidíaz making his first start since March 18 against LAFC. The front three, something that has been anticipated since Chú and Morris made their rise in form, ebbed and flowed in moments throughout the first half as Seattle struggled against the Timbers’ counter-attacking style.
The dynamic of previous matches in the rivalry persisted as Portland drew Seattle out time and again but was unable to capitalize, with the Timbers’ record signing Evander largely uninvolved in his first rivalry match aside from a free kick that failed to beat the wall.
Photo courtesy of Tim Rogers (@TimothyRogPhoto on Twitter)
The second half came alive, though. Seattle made the most of their time on the ball, taking advantage of a back line spread by the surging runs of Morris, Chú, and Ruidíaz, the last of whom slotted a cross from Obed Vargas past Timbers goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič for the opening goal of the match. Vargas’ assist, the highlight of yet another impressive performance from an academy product inserted as injury relief, showed the quality evident in the young midfielder after returning from a back injury that kept him from the squad down the stretch in 2022.
However, the next twenty minutes changed the outlook of the match completely, as Seattle maintained control but Portland made their opportunities count as they raced back from the brief deficit to charge ahead, taking control of the match. Goals from Dairon Asprilla, Jaroslaw Niezgoda, Nathan Fogaça, and Juan Mosquera buried Seattle’s promising start to the half as they looked unable to progress the ball past the newly energized Timbers midfield as the goals began to flow.
The sudden shift in the game state began with an astonishing bicycle kick directly against the run of play from Asprilla, who shot life into the desolate Timbers attack with the stunner. The goal, coming ten minutes after Ruidíaz had a golden chance to double Seattle’s advantage, presented an opportunity for the home side to seize control of the match in a way neither side was truly able to in the first 70 minutes - and take it they did.
The next three goals, the results of mistakes and a swarming Timbers midfield maintained Portland’s recent grip on the rivalry. Vargas reflected on the late stages of the match postgame briefly, saying, “I don’t know what happened…it’s brutal, it totally slipped.”
Photo courtesy of Tim Rogers (@TimothyRogPhoto on Twitter)
Seattle’s domination of the majority of the match was largely devoted to possession before a stout Timbers block. Savarese’s side, set in their 4-4-2, were excellent in their ability to drive the Sounders wide, taking advantage of the infrequency with which Seattle forwards managed to get into the box in dangerous positions. Such a trend frustrated a Sounders side used to multiple options for a dashing Chú or Lodeiro to find - Seattle’s lone goal came from a roundabout series on the right flank that gave plenty of time for the group to find space.
The Sounders tendency to cede possession away from home is part of the reason that they often struggle when facing a Timbers team that doesn’t want the ball; their time with it becomes ineffective as they search for direct options behind a deep block rather than manipulating an injury-ridden midfield that last night was missing both Sebastián Blanco and Eryk Williamson.
The loss is something that Seattle can’t just take. Schmetzer described the feeling after the match, saying, “It’s not another loss. It’s against the Timbers…all of us have to get back to understanding that this is a rivalry.” When Portland comes to town on June 3, Seattle will be hunting for revenge.
The wounded Sounders return home next weekend to face a renewed Minnesota United, stung by consecutive one-goal defeats in Chicago and to a visiting Orlando City after downing St. Louis in the expansion side’s first defeat of the season. Minnesota has been forced to adapt after the unexpected loss of Emanuel Reynoso prior to their season, but a less dedicated offensive performance has emerged from the embers at times. The match will stream free on Apple TV, with kickoff set for 7:30 PM local time.
*All photos courtesy of Tim Rogers Photography*
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