Stumptown Footy - Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders #100: Coverage HubYou are my sunshine, my only sunshine.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/31537/stumptown-fave.jpg2018-05-16T15:00:01-07:00http://www.stumptownfooty.com/rss/stream/171119452018-05-16T15:00:01-07:002018-05-16T15:00:01-07:00Gallery: Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U84hbhg-WWmEXHQehCW5M0GeEtk=/0x0:5568x3712/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59757419/PORvSEA_20180513130337_0573_001.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Nikita Taparia</figcaption>
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<p id="evAvfW">The <a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/">Portland Timbers</a> played the <a href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/">Seattle Sounders</a> to a hot, sweaty, 1-0 victory in the 100th match between the two clubs. The match was a slow grind for the first 85 minutes as Seattle kept nine men behind the ball, but the Timbers eventually broke through thanks to a gorgeous goal and assist from <span>Sebastian Blanco</span> and Samuel Armenteros respectively. Here’s our gallery of the match via <em>Stumptown Footy’s</em> photography staff.</p>
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https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/16/17353352/gallery-portland-timbers-vs-seattle-sounders-pictures-photographsLattimoreKrisBdewanNikita Taparia2018-05-15T07:00:06-07:002018-05-15T07:00:06-07:00Six Degrees: Heat Check
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<img alt="MLS: Seattle Sounders at Portland Timbers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zmdB0nuvHHOzs7gtjkyynsEVHgY=/5x0:3035x2020/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59735613/usa_today_10834474.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Timbers 1, Sounders 0</p> <p id="L8pn3K">Another week, another ugly game decided late by an Argentine midfielder. When something works, why change it, right?</p>
<p id="hx97wY"></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="uE4mce">
<p id="mmSl0M"> </p>
<p id="PGUslT"><strong>1) </strong>Two weeks, two ugly wins. One was wet and sloppy, the other was hot and sweaty, but both were ugly defensive battles against bad teams, and the Timbers somehow grabbed all six points.</p>
<p id="UEbL0P">This is tremendously good news. I know, I know, you want beautiful wins, not ugly, scrappy 1-0 wins. But trust me, not all games can be beautiful. Some are going to be ugly. And good teams have to win them, anyway. They have to win the games where bad teams park the bus, foul the hell out of you, and make the beautiful game ugly for 90 minutes. </p>
<p id="9yKnSp">Earlier in the season, the Timbers wouldn’t have won these games. The fact that they’re winning them now is reason for celebration. It’s reason to believe that we’re officially out of that early season nightmare. We’re officially a good team.</p>
<p id="1ySHZW"> </p>
<p id="BUOJyI"><strong>2) </strong>And our defense may be a little bit better than good. With three straight shutouts – the first of which was against NYCFC, an objectively elite opponent – it’s possible Coach Gio Savarese has finally got the defense figured out.</p>
<p id="Fh6u1F"><span><strong>Jeff Attinella</strong></span> still hasn’t conceded a goal this year. Even better, he only had to make one save Sunday, and it was an easy one. This is because the crew in front of him were working together beautifully. With <strong>Larrys Mabiala</strong> coming into his own, and <span><strong>Liam Ridgewell</strong></span> coming <em>back</em> into his own, I can’t help wondering if they’re going develop a partnership simliar to the one Ridgy had with <span>Nat Borchers</span> back in 2015. If so, watch out, MLS.</p>
<p id="xetU9C">On either side of them, <strong>Alvas Powell </strong>and<strong> Zarek Valetin</strong> didn’t look too good moving forward – Powell was particularly bad – but they made up for it with good work in the back. </p>
<p id="6thapj">Completing the defense were our three defensive midfielders, <strong>Cristhian Paredes, </strong><span><strong>Diego Chara</strong></span><strong>, </strong>and<strong> Andy Polo. </strong> </p>
<p id="fAB769"> </p>
<p id="9uAoSu"><strong>3) </strong>Notice that I once again listed Andy Polo with the defense. He was sneaking forward every now and then – as was Paredes – and even had a very nice shot on goal, but for the most part, he was hanging back in the same 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation we’ve seen for the last month or more.</p>
<p id="25acly">It hard to argue with the results we’re getting, but how long do you think Gio Savarese will stick with this extremely safe, pragmatic, result-producing formation? Do you think he’s reaching a level of comfort with his new team that he might try something new? Something a little more adventurous? A little more front-footy?</p>
<p id="pDmpBa">My prediction: not next week. Next week, we’re hosting LAFC, and despite being a first-year team, they look extremely well organized, extremely well coached, and extremely dangerous moving forward. So, no, maybe next week, another 4-3-2-1’s the way to go.</p>
<p id="kHZYK8">But the week after that? Against the rotting corpse that is the <a href="https://www.burgundywave.com/">Colorado Rapids</a>? I think that’s when we’ll see Gio really try some new stuff. I hope so, at least. </p>
<p id="XaOn9P">Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying the hell out of all these clean sheets, but I can’t help wanting to see some pretty soccer again. </p>
<p id="6JLOs4"> </p>
<p id="BRwJRg"><strong>4) </strong>Speaking of pretty soccer, there wasn’t much of it on display Sunday afternoon, but there was this one moment in the 87<sup>th</sup> minute. Take a look.</p>
<p id="D2zmv9"> </p>
<div id="9rrTN4"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/AdolescentPeacefulAfricangoldencat" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="UHXly6"> </p>
<p id="7YQihr">Fresh off the bench, <strong>Samuel Armenteros</strong> lays out a beautiful pass, cutting right through five or six heat-exhausted Sounders. The equally heat-exhausted <span><strong>Sebastian Blanco</strong></span> somehow finds the energy to make that run, then finishes it by chipping the keeper.</p>
<p id="d42Fng">I said it before, but sometimes in ugly games you just need one moment of brilliance. Last week, it was <strong>Diego Valeri</strong>. This week, it was Armenteros and Blanco. Next week, if the LAFC game turns into another ugly slog, who’ll supply the moment of brilliance? One of our guys? Or one of theirs?</p>
<p id="9z1M3N"></p>
<p id="S2ezm9"><strong>5) </strong>Some random thoughts.</p>
<ul>
<li id="ukYBoN">I was a little disappointed with the lack of a halftime adjustment from the Timbers. I wanted Gio to fix everything at halftime, but it was actually Seattle who came out charging.</li>
<li id="NGGh5I">That being said, once we weathered the storm, the Timbers were the far more dangerous team from the 55<sup>th</sup> minute on, so I’ll give Gio credit there.</li>
<li id="R7DC7V">If you haven’t read Chris Rifer’s <a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/14/17350382/timber-cruise-portland-timbers-1-seattle-sounders-0">Timber Cruise</a>, go check it out. He goes in-depth on the brutal 34<sup>th</sup> minute foul on Valeri that should have earned a red card, but didn’t. My opinion: VAR isn’t working. It’s a great idea, I definitely want it, but not in its present form. It’s just not working.</li>
<li id="ObyabG">In the locker room after the game, <span>Zarek Valentin</span> had some really interesting thoughts on playing in the heat, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBZFKG32XIg">which you can watch here</a>. Valentin’s the best interview on the team and it’s not even close. If he retired today, he could do color commentary tomorrow and sound like a pro.</li>
<li id="4OC3n4">This is the second four-game winning streak in Timbers MLS history, matching a streak from 2015. The club’s never had a five-game MLS winning streak.</li>
<li id="3Hi4rb">Everyone’s talking about how the Timbers haven’t conceded in 280 minutes. I’d argue that it’s actually longer than that, since the last ball to get past a Timbers goalkeeper was put there by Timbers center back <strong>Bill Tuiloma</strong>. The last goal scored by an <em>opposing</em> player? Same game, Darwin Quintero, 64<sup>th</sup> minute. According to my math, that makes our shutout streak 296 minutes. (And for the record, this is <em>not</em> a hill I’m willing to die on.)</li>
</ul>
<p id="QKWz5d"> </p>
<p id="a1Eqbi"><strong>6) </strong>Sorry to do this, but I’m gonna end the column on a bit of a down note. A bit of an <em>annoyed </em>note. I’m annoyed by some of the things I heard in the stands Sunday afternoon, and some of the things I’ve read in the comments sections since then. Things that remind me, once again, that there’s a very large group of Timber fans who hate <span>Fanendo Adi</span>. </p>
<p id="deg7wY">Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you’ll deny it, but it’s true. Timber fans have been ripping Adi since the day he arrived, calling him lazy, calling him streaky, calling him divey, calling him hard-footed – that one especially cracks me up – and calling for him to be sent to the bench when there’s a bench player you like better, or sent to another team when there’s not. </p>
<p id="ULzGqS">Right now, the argument is that, with Samuel Armenteros, we’ve finally got a <em>good</em> forward. “Look who won the last two games for us as a late-game sub,” you scream. “Armenteros should be starting,” you yell. “Adi was good, but his time has passed,” you grumble.</p>
<p id="TJ5Hvn">Okay, for starters, did it occur to you that maybe the reason Armenteros looked so good in these last two games is because he came in fresh, and the centerbacks he was facing were exausted from fighting off Adi for 75 minutes? </p>
<p id="nR90Mc">Second, it was well over 100 degrees on the field Sunday. If Armenteros had started and played 75 minutes in that sauna trying to break down the 9-man brick wall Seattle built in front of goal, with Chad Marshall smashing him every chance he got, you think he would’ve done better than Adi? </p>
<p id="jcwqO2">Armenteros’s pass to Blanco? Briliant. Wonderful. But Adi’s pass to Valeri a half hour earlier? Also very nice. And he makes passes like this all the time.</p>
<p id="CNsqte"> </p>
<div id="TfvxMS"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/ObedientEnormousHarrier" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="e2k4vQ"> </p>
<p id="4mOnft">I pulled up the numbers for some elite MLS scorers. Let’s take a look.</p>
<p id="osqakK"><strong>MLS Goals – 2014-present</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="QWiaTa"> Wright-Phillips 91</li>
<li id="SNoMpo">Villa 68</li>
<li id="rVpNXO">Diver 65</li>
<li id="AJZ080">Giovinco 57</li>
<li id="nSPfgD">Wondolowski 57</li>
<li id="qS0GpA">Adi 53</li>
<li id="eCUhrd">Piatti 52</li>
<li id="pLo8o4">Valeri 52</li>
<li id="qsLn7z">Dempsey 45</li>
<li id="tHShbr">Altidore 40</li>
</ul>
<p id="75UrO2">Adi’s only got two goals this year – more than or equal to four guys on that list, by the way – but mark my words, the dude’s gonna end up with double figures. And he’ll do it while having goons like Chad Marshall and <span>Kendall Waston</span> hanging on his back for 75 minutes. And when he subs out, Samuel Armenteros will come in and run circles around those center backs Adi was kind enough to tire out for him.</p>
<p id="bRTjhP">So come at me. Tell me I’m an idiot. (I kinda am, by the way) But the truth is, there are probably 15-20 fanbases in this league who would trade us their striker for Adi in a New York minute. </p>
<p id="vrlpQz">We’ve got one of the best strikers in the league, but when I hear how little appreciation he gets from Timberdom, I’m not sure we deserve him.</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/15/17354884/six-degrees-heat-checkC.I. DeMann2018-05-14T07:08:30-07:002018-05-14T07:08:30-07:00Timber Cruise: Portland Timbers 1, Seattle Sounders 0
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<img alt="MLS: Seattle Sounders at Portland Timbers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VDq6PbwhW1NHBdYP892i6X0subQ=/0x0:3264x2176/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59726181/usa_today_10834475.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="qzGgMF">The <a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/">Portland Timbers</a> found a way on Sunday afternoon. On a scorching field, against a packed-in opponent, and with an attack that spent much of the day looking bogged down, the Timbers plugged away to take all three points from the <a href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/">Seattle Sounders</a>.</p>
<p id="cIDozE">It would’ve been nice if we didn’t have to endure 87 minutes of water torture before the Timbers broke through, but any win over the Sounders is a good one. And the result of the win is that the Timbers have won four straight, haven’t conceded in 280 minutes, and are sitting in fourth place in the West on 14 points after playing six away games and only three at home.</p>
<p id="Ac2tai">That is unequivocally good.</p>
<p id="bhfixc"><strong>Deep Cuts</strong></p>
<p id="z5Wra3">The Sounders came into Sunday with one goal in mind: make things difficult on the Timbers. Rolling out a 5-4-1 for the second time this week, the Sounders made little effort to push numbers into the attack. They approached the game like they were okay if they came away with 0.25 expected goals (xG) and, well...</p>
<div id="zkdlKv">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PORvSEA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PORvSEA</a> xG. from Seattle. <a href="https://t.co/9UTLB6GOjV">pic.twitter.com/9UTLB6GOjV</a></p>— Ben Baer (@BenBaer89) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenBaer89/status/995788203075559425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a>
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<p id="h7WRyv">But they were pretty successful in their primary mission. For most of Sunday afternoon the Timbers’ attack was pretty well in check. The Timbers couldn’t break down the Sounders’ nine-man block centrally, and they were reluctant to start thumping in crosses from wide areas into a box filled with white shirts. As a result, chances were few and far between for the Timbers, and when the Gio Savarese’s side could find an entry ball it was most often a cross from deep on the wing into the aforementioned packed penalty area. Look at the Timbers’ distribution map through the first hour on Sunday:</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SkgehIp-9fI9byVNnLAENVp3fUk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10834139/Screen_Shot_2018_05_13_at_4.16.58_PM.jpg">
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<p id="Raf4nF">The simple reality is that breaking down a nine-man block is really hard. If the Timbers had come away scoreless on Sunday, they wouldn’t have been the first team to fail to break through Seattle’s parked bus. Just ask <a href="https://www.wakingthered.com/">Toronto FC</a>. Faced with a visiting opponent who was content to pack the final 30 yards before goal, though, the vast majority of teams give in and settle for whipping the ball in from the touchline. </p>
<p id="6BulpR">To their considerable credit, the Timbers didn’t do that. Instead, Gio Savarese’s side picked up its tempo as the game wore on and looked to find pockets of space centrally to play in behind the Sounders’ backline. And as a result, the Timbers found three chances in the last half-hour or so better than anything they’d created in the previous hour: <span>Diego Valeri</span>’s shot that <span>Gustav Svensson</span> heroically blocked, Samuel Armenteros’s unfortunate and unnecessary dive in the 84th minute, and <span>Sebastian Blanco</span>’s winner from Armenteros’s through ball in the 86th.</p>
<p id="mlOb3l">By staying patient and working to play through the middle, the Timbers prioritized quality over quantity in chance-creation. And as a result, they found a dramatic late-winner for the second week in a row, and catapulted themselves into a strong position in the Western Conference and deepened the Sounders’ early-season woes.</p>
<p id="GiKkvv"><strong>Spotlight on...</strong></p>
<p id="ty49az"><span>Clint Dempsey</span> (wait, what?), and where he wasn’t getting the ball.</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k6ShJv8eZw6zD827gfTn86yMUP4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10834263/Screen_Shot_2018_05_13_at_8.50.03_PM.jpg">
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<p id="FZcy71">That is, the final third. The above is a map of every attacking action (pass, shot, or take-on) that Dempsey had on the day.</p>
<p id="RYrtrz">As noted, Brian Schmetzer reprised the Sounders’ 5-4-1 on Sunday, in large part due to the surprising absences of <span>Osvaldo Alonso</span> and <span>Will Bruin</span> from the Sounders’ lineup. A lot of the responsibility in the attack fell to Dempsey, who was deployed as a lone forward — a role in which he has (somewhat notoriously) struggled throughout his career. The Sounders needed Dempsey to not only provide hold up play to allow Seattle to possess and push numbers forward, but also to be their primary goalscoring threat.</p>
<p id="mLcKjx">Although he did a good amount of the former, Dempsey was virtually MIA in the final third. That’s a huge credit not only to the Timbers’ backline, but to a defensive midfield that closely tracked Dempsey as he tried to transition from checking back to hold the ball up into the box to provide a final-third threat.</p>
<p id="A8rYbi"><strong>Stat of the Game</strong></p>
<p id="2xGqXc">280 — The number of minutes since the Timbers last conceded. If you’re keeping track, that’s 90 minutes longer than the streak was last week.</p>
<p id="nz9ftS">Given the Sounders’ approach on Sunday, there’s a decent argument that we shouldn’t read too much into the Timbers’ clean sheet against the Sounders. But at some point giving the Timbers full credit for their shutout streak becomes unavoidable. Yes, they’ve benefitted from some playing a couple offensively-limited teams in the last couple weeks. The Timbers also shut down a top-five attack in NYCFC during that time, though, and three games without conceding is impressive under any circumstances.</p>
<p id="d5d9fS"><strong>Finishing Bullets</strong></p>
<ul><li id="jCO3Wn">I’m not sure we’re any closer to answering this question after the game than we were beforehand.</li></ul>
<div id="rD02fG">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">One <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/narrative?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#narrative</a> for me before the game: Do the Timbers know how to really dictate a game? The Sounders are going to let them today. We’ve seen PTFC be opportunistic and become very effective at limiting opponents. We really haven’t seen them not let an opponent up for air. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCTID?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCTID</a></p>— Chris Rifer (@ChrisRifer) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisRifer/status/995754738195951616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a>
</blockquote>
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<ul>
<li id="pKaMfp">As I implied in that tweet, I think Gio Savarese has proven that he’s an estimable chess player who can craft game plans to neutralize different types of opposition. This is an important attribute in a coach, and it’s one Timbers fans should be excited about in their new manager. If asked what it is the Timbers do to bury overmatched opposition, though, I’m not sure I could tell you nine games into the season. It’s understandable that it’s taking some time for the Timbers to find this part of their identity under Savarese (<span>Caleb Porter</span>’s teams often didn’t show this consistently until the fall, after all), and it’s encouraging that the Timbers are now over 1.5 points per game notwithstanding a slew of road games and their still-incomplete identity. But it’s also something they’re going to have to find sooner or later. </li>
<li id="vEg1vr">One of the big talking points from Sunday’s game was referee Robert Sibiga’s decisions note to issue a red card to Seattle’s <span>Jordy Delem</span> in the first half on Sunday. Here’s the play:</li>
</ul>
<div id="vP1gv9">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yellow to Delem. <a href="https://t.co/41bd7OupvW">pic.twitter.com/41bd7OupvW</a></p>— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/TotalMLS/status/995767169618194432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a>
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<ul>
<li id="pkStxX">That’s a red card. Every single time. The fact that the VAR did not deem it a “clear and obvious error” not to issue a red card should give Timbers fans flashbacks to Orlando and re-raise questions about the inconsistently with which the standard is applied and, ultimately, whether VAR is truly value-added to the game. </li>
<li id="kLWZZG">Sibiga’s decision not to send Delem off for that challenge, however, had ramifications well beyond this moment. Most directly, it was felt when <span>Liam Ridgewell</span> did this to Delem not long after Delem’s challenge on Valeri:</li>
</ul>
<div id="2orykv">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yellow to Ridgewell <a href="https://t.co/qrKM1GgNp9">pic.twitter.com/qrKM1GgNp9</a></p>— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/TotalMLS/status/995769617019801600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a>
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<ul><li id="84MoXL">And even here late in the game with Sebastian Blanco:</li></ul>
<div id="v9ZCam">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Call is reviewed. Blanco's challenged ruled a yellow card offense <a href="https://t.co/2HGUJhAeAg">pic.twitter.com/2HGUJhAeAg</a></p>— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/TotalMLS/status/995787733443497984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a>
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<ul>
<li id="jIkFB9">By failing to issue straight red to Delem, Sibiga took the red card out of his own pocket. Ridgewell’s challenge was also clearly red-card worthy, but it wasn’t as egregious as Delem’s. Still, moments after letting Delem off the hook, there was no way Sibiga could come back and appropriately punish Ridgewell’s tackle. Moreover, even though Sibiga went to the monitor to take a second look at Blanco’s tackle (also on Delem, who had a rough go after he took his pound of flesh from Valeri), he really couldn’t issue a red card for what was pretty clearly only the third-worst challenge on the day. You’re not going to find a much clearer example of a referee losing control of a game by botching an early call than we saw with Sibiga on Sunday.</li>
<li id="ohggG8">There’s another element to Ridgewell’s tackle that’s notable from the Timbers’ perspective. First, let’s be clear: Although it wasn’t as dangerous as Delem’s challenge before it, Ridgewell’s tackle wasn’t safe, and it at very least toed the line of what is acceptable in any game. If you take the position that there isn’t any place in the game for Ridgewell’s challenge, I can’t really disagree with you. But in a season in which there have been bona fide questions about Ridgewell’s commitment to the team, you can bet more than a few players in the Timbers’ locker room will take note of that play. Make no mistake, Ridgewell remembered it was Delem who cleaned out Valeri moments before when he saw an opportunity to put a tackle in on the Sounders’ midfielder and knew Sibiga couldn’t send him off for anything short of a de Jong-style horror challenge. Ridgewell, in short, knew exactly what he was doing when he went in hard and two-footed on Delem. If there was any question in the locker room about whether Ridgewell was invested in the team (and I can all-but guarantee there was), that play — regardless whether you think it’s a fair one for Ridgewell to make — will help put those questions to rest in the minds of at least some of Ridgewell’s teammates. </li>
<li id="Yjsrtf">Samuel Armenteros had an eventful, but ultimately effective 13-minute run on Sunday during which he frittered away a good chance by going down far too easy and made up for it by brilliantly playing Blanco through for the winner. Armenteros wasn’t perfect on Sunday, and there were moments in which he was far from it. But he changed the game and had a huge hand in earning the Timbers the result. <span>Fanendo Adi</span> didn’t have his worst day at the office on Sunday, but the difference in the energy and movement that Armenteros brought in the final 13 minutes was notable. When asked about the status of the competition after the game, Gio Savarese responded with the coaching equivalent of “I love all my children equally.” But with a game-changing performance on Sunday against the Sounders, we may be getting close to seeing Armenteros get another shot at starting.</li>
<li id="t7dFrg">I don’t know how to explain this, but it really is something else.</li>
</ul>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">It took 8 days to do it again. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCTID?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCTID</a> <a href="https://t.co/CUb12jgsLf">https://t.co/CUb12jgsLf</a></p>— Mike Donovan (@TheMikeDonovan) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMikeDonovan/status/995787661293088769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a>
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<ul><li id="fRp6is">And this profoundly disturbs me.</li></ul>
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<cite>Bennett Dewan</cite>
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<ul><li id="brsZbM">I’m more okay with this, though.</li></ul>
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https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/14/17350382/timber-cruise-portland-timbers-1-seattle-sounders-0ChrisRifer2018-05-13T15:56:14-07:002018-05-13T15:56:14-07:00WATCH: Chucky chips Frei for game winner
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<figcaption>Bennet Dewan, 2018</figcaption>
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<p>The stuff of nightmares..</p> <div id="yzKC7R"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.mlssoccer.com/iframe-video?brightcove_player_id=default&brightcove_id=5784282808001&brightcove_account_id=5530036774001" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div>
<p id="bWijKa">For most of the match it was a cagey affair, but things broken open in the 86th minute. Samuel Armenteros would receive the ball from Larrys Mabiala. He would take a touch and send a beautiful through pass to the running Sebastian Blanco. The <a href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/">Seattle Sounders</a> goalkeeper <span>Stefan Frei</span> would come off his line and go to ground, Blanco then chipped it up and over Frei to put the <a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/">Portland Timbers</a> ahead in the late minutes of the Cascadia Derby.</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/13/17350398/sebastian-blanco-chips-stefan-frei-for-the-game-winner-portland-timbers-seattle-sounders-mlsTimm Higgins2018-05-13T15:12:16-07:002018-05-13T15:12:16-07:00Portland Timbers Win 100th Match Against Seattle Sounders 1-0
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<img alt="MLS: Seattle Sounders at Portland Timbers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lXe0lJ0h7OuBgCn9J5dThVUli8U=/157x0:3243x2057/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59720913/usa_today_10834484.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="mE4LU0">The <a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/">Portland Timbers</a> are now on a four game winning streak after taking down the <a href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/">Seattle Sounders</a> 1-0 in the 100th match between the two sides. The Timbers left it late, but <span>Sebastian Blanco</span> came through with the late goal to secure all three points over their rivals.</p>
<p id="qDujk8">With both sides bringing a defense-first attitude to the pitch, the 100th iteration of the Timbers-Sounders rivalry started slowly. As the Timbers worked the ball around the pitch, probing for a weakness in the packed-in Sounders formation, Seattle looked for a quick break down the pitch but neither side were able to create a chance.</p>
<p id="EGvixC">Ten minutes into the match, the cracks began to show for both sides. First, the Timbers found an extended run of possession that saw them send a series of crosses and moves into the Sounders box, only for the final touch to elude them. Then, the Sounders had their turn, capitalizing on a blown corner kick from the Timbers and pinning the home side back; but failing to create much of their own.</p>
<p id="r8gesa">Late in the first half, the Timbers came close to the first major chance of the afternoon after Cristhian Paredes wove his way through a mass of Sounders defenders before finding <span>Diego Valeri</span> out wide on the right. Valeri took his touch forward before flashing a low ball across the face of goal, only for his cross to roll just out of reach of the Timbers crashing the net.</p>
<p id="nTNhbR">Befitting the balanced nature of the match, the Sounders also managed a chance before the half wound down. After working the ball down the pitch in the 44th minute, the Sounders found left back <span>Nouhou Tolo</span> on the outside of the box and the young Camaroonian hit a low shot that skipped through the box and took a slight deflection on its way, ending up wide of the post.</p>
<p id="hj8WBD">As the half wound down, what had largely been a placid match-up between the players on the pitch was kicked up a notch by a pair of card-worthy fouls from Sounders midfield <span>Jordy Delem</span> and Timbers center back Liam Ridgewell. In the 34th minute, Delem went in hard on Diego Valeri, sliding into the Maestro’s legs from behind in what Steve Zakuani — an authority on such matters — would call a “potential leg breaker”. Despite the violent nature of the foul, Delem was let go with a yellow card. Ten minutes later, Ridgewell took an obvious run at Delem, taking him down from behind in an only marginally less egregious manner and earning a yellow card of his own.</p>
<p id="aZZKOP">After the half, the Sounders came out of the locker room looking like the more dangerous side, capitalizing on the forays forward of Tolo and right back Kelvin Leerdam to create chances. In just the 48th minute, it was a shot from Tolo inside the Timbers box that yielded the first shot on goal of the match, but the attempt was put within easy range of <span>Jeff Attinella</span> and the Timbers keeper made the save.</p>
<p id="4jZExs">The chance served as a wake-up call for the Timbers and soon the home side were back in it and even managed a shot of their own in the 59th minute. Carrying the ball across the top of the Sounders box, Diego Valeri found the feet of <span>Fanendo Adi</span> and cut hard toward goal where he was rewarded with a well-placed return pass that put him in on goal. Taking a touch, Valeri found space for a shot only for a last second slide from <span>Gustav Svensson</span> to block the ball away as it came off his foot.</p>
<p id="pHG6MP">The Timbers came close again in the 68th minute as they worked the ball around the Sounders box, looking for an opening. A long switch found <span>Zarek Valentin</span> deep in the Sounders end and, with the away side’s defense rotating to him, Valentin dropped a simple pass to Andy Polo at the top of the box. With space around him, Polo stepped up and hit a curling ball on goal that looked likely to sneak inside the far post until Sounders keeper <span>Stefan Frei</span> laid out to get a touch to the ball and force it wide.</p>
<p id="jfnkd5">With the pressure still on, the Timbers came close again in the 85th minute. After Alvas Powell was taken down deep in the Sounders end, Diego Valeri stepped up and hit a curling free kick into the box that dropped over the Sounders defense and into the path of Larrys Mabiala. Mabiala dove forward and put a head on the ball, but could not steer it on goal and his attempt went wide.</p>
<p id="4kuL0h">As their momentum built, however, the Timbers would not be denied. In the 86th minute, substitute Samuel Armenteros received the ball in the midfield and spun on his man, bodying the Sounders player out of the way, before playing a weighted through ball into the Seattle box for Sebastian Blanco. Breaking through the Sounders back line, Blanco was in on goal with the ball at his feet. As Frei closed him down, Blanco hit a beautifully chipped shot over the slide of the Sounders keeper that skipped once off the turf before crossing the goal line to give the Timbers a 1-0 lead.</p>
<p id="NxXP4C">There was one more moment of drama to come, however, as a reckless tackle from Sebastian Blanco on Delem was awarded a yellow card bordering on red. A nervy moment of review from referee Robert Sibiga resulted in the yellow being upheld.</p>
<p id="0XMXQ2">With the win, the Timbers move into fourth place in the Western conference, ahead of the <a href="https://www.eightysixforever.com/">Vancouver Whitecaps</a> on the goal differential tiebreaker. The Timbers are at home again next Saturday when they will take on expansion side Los Angeles FC.</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/13/17349992/portland-timbers-win-100th-match-against-seattle-sounders-1-0William Conwell2018-05-13T10:15:02-07:002018-05-13T10:15:02-07:00Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders: How to Watch, Preview, Match Chat [1:00]
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<img alt="Match Gallery: Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AlDotLIzt6y-WiKVkOv4BHwrN-k=/721x659:4610x3252/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59719459/two-stick-shotboxer.com-1.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Roscoe Myrick</figcaption>
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<p id="KuK9BS">The <a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/">Portland Timbers</a> have ground through their first eight matches of the 2018 season, stumbling at first on the road before collecting themselves and righting the ship with three wins in a row. However, in this afternoon’s match against their most bitter rivals, the <a href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/">Seattle Sounders</a>, this season is only the backdrop to a match that has been played out 99 times before.</p>
<p id="zkj1Iw">In a rivalry match, form does not matter.</p>
<p id="4c8W5B">For the Timbers, today is a chance to move up above the red line and show that they are not the same ill-connected group that started the season on a five match winless streak. For the Sounders, today is a chance to show that their slowest start to a season yet is just another hiccup before they roar back up the standing as they have done for the last several years.</p>
<p id="IJSz0c">But really for both teams today is about about the derby and about the tifo and about the fans that will pack Providence Park. And more than anything it is about pride.</p>
<h4 id="3FZQxa">Previews</h4>
<p id="nZOyF2"><a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/12/17347796/scouting-report-portland-timbers-v-seattle-sounders"><strong>Scouting Report</strong></a><strong>:</strong> “Even if the Timbers come out looking to dictate the game on Sunday — as I think they will — Gio Savarese’s side needs to be careful not to overcommit. The defensive midfield balance between <span><strong>Diego Chara</strong></span> and Cristhian Paredes will be important, as will taking only calculated risks with the fullbacks. For that reason, even if Vytas is healthy and fit, Sunday may not be the day to move on from <span><strong>Zarek Valentin</strong></span> at left back.”</p>
<p id="thXcxh"><a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/11/17345166/portland-timbers-v-seattle-sounders-clint-dempsey-cascadia-derby-diego-valeri-cascadia-cup-mls"><strong>Storylines</strong></a><strong>:</strong> “This is really a good chance to take advantage of the fact that the Sounders played last weekend, then on Wednesday, and now they fly back from the East Coast to Seattle before bussing to Portland. I’m going to guess there are going to be some tired legs in their 18. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they rotate, but I also won’t be totally surprised if they come at the Timbers with their (as close to) first-choice 11 as they can.”</p>
<p id="c1Xkh0"><em>And stop by the </em><a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/11/17343164/prediction-thread-rose-city-forecast-9-portland-timbers-vs-seattle-sounders-cascadia-rivalry-mls-cup"><em>Rose City Forecast</em></a><em> to make your predictions about today’s match.</em></p>
<h4 id="FTglL6">Match Information</h4>
<p id="4N0eBF"><strong>Watch it on:</strong> ESPN</p>
<p id="EjE4vD"><strong>Where:</strong> Providence Park in Portland, OR</p>
<p id="NwThms"><strong>When:</strong> Sunday, May 12th at 1:00 p.m. PT</p>
<p id="LVWMfV"><strong>Portland Timbers:</strong> 3-3-2, 8th place in the Western Conference, won 1-0 at <a href="https://www.centerlinesoccer.com/">San Jose Earthquakes</a></p>
<p id="5jFCVH"><strong>Seattle Sounders:</strong> 2-4-2, 12th place in the Western Conference, won 2-1 at <a href="https://www.wakingthered.com/">Toronto FC</a></p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/13/17349702/portland-timbers-vs-seattle-sounders-how-to-watch-preview-match-chat-1-00William Conwell2018-05-12T16:00:02-07:002018-05-12T16:00:02-07:00Scouting Report: Portland Timbers v. Seattle Sounders
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<img alt="MLS: Seattle Sounders FC at Portland Timbers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Me7wXMjDPbpHFEawl26gH5N1WsA=/0x0:2205x1470/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59715061/usa_today_9389614.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="LGcNFa">Timbers versus Sounders. Well, part one, at least.</p>
<p id="LkAbes">Although the Cascadia Cup isn’t on the line on Sunday due to the imbalanced Cascadian schedule this season, Sunday’s game comes at an important point for both teams. The Timbers are looking to continue their recent run of strong form, win their fourth straight, and plant their flag firmly in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. Seattle, on the other hand, hope to build off their unlikely midweek win in Toronto and pull off a semi-miraculous one-week turnaround after a nightmarish first couple months to the season.</p>
<p id="41vMEo">Unlike the Timbers, who enter Sunday’s derby in pretty good health, the Sounders are dealing with a slew of both long-term and short-term injuries. Each of <span>Jordan Morris</span>, <span>Nicolas Lodeiro</span>, <span>Roman Torres</span>, and <span>Victor Rodriguez</span> will miss Sunday’s fixture at Providence Park. Moreover, likely Sunday starters Chad Marshall, <span>Gustav Svensson</span>, <span>Cristian Roldan</span>, and <span>Will Bruin</span> each travelled to Toronto and played significant minutes against the Reds midweek.</p>
<p id="fI4RvZ">Simply put: The Timbers really should win this game. Here’s how I expect the Sounders to line up on Sunday:</p>
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<p id="Rvt7wx">Although they rolled out a five-man backline in Toronto midweek, expect the Sounders to return to their familiar (albeit relatively ambiguous) 4-2-3-1/4-4-1-1 on Sunday. The biggest question in Seattle’s lineup will be who occupies the wide midfield position opposite Roldan. If he’s recovered well from his midweek effort, <span>Magnus Wolff Eikrem</span> provides the most playmaking; something the Sounders have sorely lacked at times, especially with Lodeiro out. Brian Schmetzer, however, could go to the fresh legs of <span>Alex Roldan</span> or the youth and pace of <span>Handwalla Bwana</span>, the later of whom could provide an element of pace and penetration that can be lacking in the Sounders setup above.</p>
<p id="Mq1Wf1">Assuming Schmetzer goes with Wolff, though, the Sounders will look to sit relatively deep and play on the counter, not unlike how they approached their midweek fixture in Toronto. The reason for that is pretty simple: Everything about the Sounders’ front four screams getting bogged down against organized defensive lines. The elder Roldan — for all his qualities — is really a box-to-box central midfielder biding his time on the wing until he can take up Ozzie Alonso’s position in central midfield. Bruin punches significantly under his weight class as a true target nine, but can be dangerous in the open field as he was on Wednesday’s opener. Meanwhile, Dempsey, who made a career of finding goals from nowhere, has looked like Father Time is catching up to him in his relatively few minutes thus far in 2018.</p>
<p id="oCbQOR">All of that adds up to a Seattle team that can be pretty well managed when its opponent stays compact, as they were in a deflating 0-0 home draw against the ten-man Columbus Crew a week ago. Despite playing up a man for well over an hour, the Sounders failed to create chances while settling for whipping in 43 crosses. In space, though, this is a team that can be dangerous, as they were midweek. </p>
<p id="bIaDAE">Even if the Timbers come out looking to dictate the game on Sunday — as I think they will — Gio Savarese’s side needs to be careful not to overcommit. The defensive midfield balance between <span>Diego Chara</span> and Cristhian Paredes will be important, as will taking only calculated risks with the fullbacks. For that reason, even if Vytas is healthy and fit, Sunday may not be the day to move on from <span>Zarek Valentin</span> at left back.</p>
<p id="0EOg22">This Sounders team is also a team that can tempt its opponents to push too aggressively. For as nightmarish as the Sounders have been in the attack for much of 2018, they’ve been solid defensively, only conceding 10 times in 8 games. Chad Marshall remains among the better centerbacks in MLS, while Kelvin Leerdam is quietly among the top fullbacks in the league. Kim Kee-hee hasn’t seen a ton of action at centerback, but the TAM defender and South Korean international has shown fairly well in his minutes on the field. At left back, the 20-year-old <span>Nouhou Tolo</span> is the Sounders’ answer to Alvas Powell; he can at times be a two-way menace who looks the part of an elite fullback, or, at other times, a liability prone to mental lapses.</p>
<p id="QwhFnG">Don’t be surprised, though, to see the Timbers test the freshness of Marshall’s legs early. Although Fanendo Adi and Marshall have had some fairly epic battles in the past, the Nigerian striker should like his chances against the 33-year-old centerback coming off a difficult 90-minute outing on Wednesday and some cross-country travel. If the Timbers can grind down the likes of Marshall and the 31-year-old defensive midfielder in Svensson, there should be opportunities for <span>Diego Valeri</span>, <span>Sebastian Blanco</span>, and Adi to pepper <span>Stefan Frei</span>.</p>
<p id="K0sWqn">And if they can do that, the Timbers will be in great shape to take the first Cascadian clash of the season.</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/12/17347796/scouting-report-portland-timbers-v-seattle-soundersChrisRifer2018-05-11T16:00:01-07:002018-05-11T16:00:01-07:00Storylines: Portland Timbers v Seattle Sounders
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<img alt="MLS: Portland Timbers at Seattle Sounders FC" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1B0GQcjysDjMQ4IQ60czX1XuBNs=/0x0:4297x2865/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59709381/usa_today_10243350.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The guppies swim south</p> <h3 id="dmoTWx">The Story So Far</h3>
<p id="j1mkeE">The <a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/">Portland Timbers</a> took time out of their home stand to head south down I-5 to San Jose. Thanks to the maestro sinking a curling free kick in the late moments of the match, the Timbers walked away from Avaya Stadium with all three <em>road</em> points; knowing the comforts of home awaited them. </p>
<p id="XTLa9M">The Fish are riding the wave of their first road win of 2018 into Providence Park. Midweek, they beat <a href="https://www.wakingthered.com/">Toronto FC</a> 2-1 at BMO Field. Currently the Sounders occupy second bottom in the Western Conference. They are there by virtue of goal differential (-3 to -4), just ahead of the dead last <a href="https://www.centerlinesoccer.com/">San Jose Earthquakes</a>. </p>
<p id="1t4fyk">The Fish bring a 1-2-1 road record into Providence Park and are bottom of the league in goals scored with 7, averaging less than a goal a match. The Sounders are known to be slow starters, but their fan base is getting twitchy.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-video">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two teams. One rivalry.<br>This is what it's all about. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PDXSEA100?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDXSEA100</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCTID?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCTID</a> <a href="https://t.co/gEfBlB94ut">pic.twitter.com/gEfBlB94ut</a></p>— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimbersFC/status/994984000027439104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2018</a>
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<p id="vMhtrx"></p>
<h3 id="nSq4Tj">The 100</h3>
<p id="SvbF3p">The century mark. Blood, sweat, and cheers. </p>
<p id="SnyQok">100 matches, and decades of animosity on and off the pitch. Unfortunately because of LAFC entering the league - it made for a unbalanced schedule between the three Cascadia clubs. Thus, this Sunday’s battle is outside the realm of the Cascadia Cup standings. </p>
<p id="IEYcL8">This will still bring a lot of intrigue as a Cascadia Derby is anything but boring, even if the team from up North can’t seem to buy a goal. The Timbers can make this a special 100 by sending the Sounders back home with their tails between their legs.</p>
<p id="AJ2B5l">We beat them to an MLS Cup, we have the Cascadia Cup - why not add more to the Timbers history by winning the 100th match between the two storied clubs.</p>
<p id="hH2fuO"></p>
<h3 id="Tsrp3Y">Deuce isn’t so loose</h3>
<p id="0NveAi">The AARP bound failed rapper has only one assist from league play, no goals and has only gone the full 90 twice, outside of that he’s either come off the bench or been in the stands serving a red card suspension. </p>
<p id="QXIrbS"><span>Clint Dempsey</span> isn’t getting any younger - he just turned 35, on a team that the average age is just over 27 years old, which also includes a 33-year-old center-back in Chad Marshall and they rely on <span>Will Bruin</span> (28) for their goals in the absence of <span>Jordan Morris</span> who is out for the season with a torn ACL. So you can see why they’ve only posted just 7 goals in eight matches. In Toronto, it was rookie youngster <span>Handwalla Bwana</span> that scored the game winner, notching Seattle’s second victory of the season.</p>
<p id="k8UW8O">What role will Dempsey play Sunday? Not sure, and hope it’s a small one. Though this guy, especially in Cascadia Derbies, tends to make something out of nothing to the Timbers dismay. Blech.</p>
<p id="k7E6f8"></p>
<h3 id="1UwZ1H">You Can’t Rewrite History </h3>
<p id="CT8tua">The Timbers come into this match riding a three-match win streak, our longest streak is 4 matches. With a win we tie that record and with the rest of the homestand could break that record. </p>
<p id="t5bgYb">Right now they’re having a good time; scoring goals and playing well. <span>Diego Valeri</span> and <span>Sebastian Blanco</span> are tied for the team lead in goals with four. Thanks to <span>Jeff Attinella</span> and his consecutive clean sheets they’ve brought their goal differential to -1, which is just holding them out of sixth place; the <a href="https://www.dynamotheory.com/">Houston Dynamo</a> currently hold that spot with a goal differential of +5.</p>
<p id="HENrgu">I’m liking the direction this team is starting to go, and Gio’s use of the 4-3-2-1/4-2-3-1 hybrid is starting to show results. Since Portland’s introduction into Major League Soccer in 2011, 65 goals have been scored total between the two teams. That’s 3.25 goals per-match, so defense will play a large role.</p>
<p id="mTkMHo">This is really a good chance to take advantage of the fact that the Sounders played last weekend, then on Wednesday, and now they fly back from the East Coast to Seattle before bussing to Portland. I’m going to guess there are going to be some tired legs in their 18. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they rotate, but I also won’t be totally surprised if they come at the Timbers with their (as close to) first-choice 11 as they can. Not only do we have a tired Seattle club, but history is with us, the Timbers are 6-2-3 at Providence Park against the Fish.</p>
<p id="obRHsP">Things I want to see: clean sheet, three points, and the defense getting even better. Who would you pick to be the center-back next to Mabiala - <span>Liam Ridgewell</span> or give <span>Bill Tuiloma</span> his job back? Ridgewell is in a good run of form right now and you can’t argue with that. I’m of the mind that you ride a streak out, because you don’t mess with a streak. </p>
<p id="w1WdN5">At a some point they’re going to have to decide who is the man going forward. If Ridgewell keeps up his good play, then it could be tough for Tuiloma to get back into the starting eleven. But, that’s a discussion all it’s own.</p>
<p id="BQdOxR">So why not do a poll?</p>
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<p id="X9kyLd"></p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/11/17345166/portland-timbers-v-seattle-sounders-clint-dempsey-cascadia-derby-diego-valeri-cascadia-cup-mlsTimm Higgins