It’s been almost exactly two years since a Cascadia Cup match was officially played. The Cascadia Cup Council announced earlier this week that they’re planning to award their rivalry trophy again, with tonight’s match between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers being the first to count in the standings.

The Sounders come into this game in a bit of a slump, at least as far as league play goes. Over their last five MLS games, they’ve gone 1-3-1, which included claiming just one point during a recently concluded three-game homestand. They are, however, coming off a 3-0 trouncing of Liga MX powerhouse Tigres UANL in Leagues Cup play, which featured the closest thing Seattle has had to a full-strength lineup in at least a couple months.

That game probably was a preview of what we can expect lineup-wise against the Timbers, as Brian Schmetzer went with a fully veteran group. Although neither is likely to start, there’s a good chance we’ll see Nicolas Lodeiro get a solid runout and Nouhou might even make his first appearance in a couple months.

The Timbers aren’t playing too much better, going 1-2-1 in their last four. But their win came in their most recent game, a 3-2 decision over Real Salt Lake. They, too, seem to be getting closer to full health and could even give Sebastian Blanco his first start of the season.

Liveblog

Notes

• Although it didn’t count toward the Cascadia Cup standings, the Sounders did win the first meeting of the year between these teams. The Sounders have now won 4 of 6 in Portland after winning just 2 of their first 12 trips there.
• The Timbers have allowed 29 goals, the most in the Western Conference and third most in MLS. The two goals they allowed to RSL marked the eighth time they’ve given up at least two in a game.
• Beginning with the 2018 playoffs, Raúl Ruidíaz has scored (8) or assisted (2) on 10 of the Sounders’ last 14 goals against Portland, including 7 of 8 goals in Portland (5 goals, 2 assists) during that time.
• The only goal the Timbers have scored from outside the penalty area was the free kick by Bill Tuiloma in the first meeting this year.

Absences: Injury, international duty and suspension

Seattle

OUT: Jordy Delem (R ACL tear); Stefan Frei (L knee sprain / blood clot); Jordan Morris (L ACL tear)

QUESTIONABLE: Nouhou (L adductor strain)

Portland

OUT: Eryk Williamson (health & safety protocols); Ismaila Jome (L achilles tendon surgery); Andy Polo (R quad and knee surgery); Jeff Attinella (R rectus femoris surgery).

QUESTIONABLE: Steve Clark (R thigh injury); Jaroslaw Niezgoda (L ACL surgery).

Officials

REF: Jair Marrufo; ARs: Frank Anderson, Kathryn Nesbitt; 4th: Baldomero Toledo; VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero; Assistant VAR: Joshua Patlak

How to Watch

Match date/time: Sunday, 7:25 PM PT

Venue: Providence Park, Portland

Online Streaming: Fubo TV (affiliate link)

National English TV: FS1 (Strong, Holden)

Local Radio: 950 KJR-AM Seattle (Costigan, Keller)

Local Spanish Radio: El Rey 1360 AM (Rodriguez, Maqueda, Tapia)

National Spanish TV: ESPN-Deportes

International TV:

Brazil: DAZN (Brazil)
China: CSM
Czech Republic: Nova Sport
Georgia: Silk Sport
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy & Spain: DAZN (Europe)
India: Discovery
Eurosport Latin America (excl. Brazil): ESPN Latin America
Poland: Polstat Southeast
Asia & Oceania: beIN SPORTS
Sweden: C More
Taiwan: Sportcast
United Kingdom & Ireland: Premier Sports / Free Sports

Lineups

Highlights will be posted as the match progresses.

This is Seattle Sounders at Timbers; watch with us

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