The Cascadia Cup is lost, but we still have the main event. The Sounders will be hosting the Timbers tonight, looking to break a home winless streak that goes back to 2017. The Sounders are also looking to snap a four-game winless run since claiming the Leagues Cup trophy, while the Timbers are 1-3-4 in their last eight.

Here’s what you need to know:

Availability report

Sounders

OUT: Paul Arriola - Knee; Reed Baker-Whiting - International Duty; Yeimar Gómez Andrade - Hamstring; Stuart Hawkins - Quad; Ryan Kent - Hamstring; Obed Vargas - International Duty

QUESTIONABLE: Alex Roldan - Hip

Timbers

OUT: Felipe Carballo - Lower Body; James Pantemis - Head; Jonathan Rodriguez - Lower Body

QUESTIONABLE: Jimer Fory - Hip; Zac McGraw - Back; Matias Rojas - Lower Body; Dario Zuparic - Back

Opposition players to watch

David Da Costa: The midfielder has cooled off a bit since a hot start, but he's still particularly dangerous from set pieces and is capable of making magic.

Antony: If there's one player who should strike fear into the Sounders' hearts, it's the winger. With seven goals and five assists, he leads the Timbers and is particularly dangerous in the open field.

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Stats to look smart

-.45: Only six teams have a worse xGD against playoff opponents than the Timbers, whose mark of -.45 includes an almost impossible-to-believe figure of -1.15 when they are leading.

+.19: The Sounders' +.19 xGD against playoff opponents is fifth best in all of MLS. They are particularly good in even game-states, where they have a mark of +.60.

Tactics to impress

The Timbers defense was a bit of a mess last year and they've made significant improvements in that area. But that seems to have come at the cost of their offense, which is far less dynamic than it once was. This is a team far more likely to get stuck into a tactical battle than one that's going to be flying up and down the field.
Perhaps the biggest change in the Sounders' play since Leagues Cup is a far less aggressive defense. If the Sounders are to regain their past swagger, it will likely include the type of pressing they put on display during first 15 or so games after the Club World Cup.