While one of these players will not feature on Saturday, the first Cascadia derby of 2017 will still continue at CenturyLink Field. (Photo by Diego Diaz)
By Ed Pham and Mark Lee
Saturday marks the first game that the last two MLS Cup winners face off this season. The Seattle Sounders, after their victorious 2016 MLS campaign, will seek to to compound the misery for their arch-rivals Portland Timbers with a win on Saturday at CenturyLink Field. Both teams are struggling to find form, with both teams having only one win in their last five games. If there’s a time to get a win for either side, what better way than in a Cascadia derby?
Looking ahead to Saturday, Seattle Prost writer Mark Lee and I decided to engage in a friendly little conversation about the two teams and see what’s to come for the game.
Ed Pham: What would you say is the Sounders’ biggest concern coming into Saturday’s match?
Mark Lee: I think the Sounders’ biggest concern is their defense. Portland currently stand as joint leading scorers in the Western Conference, and their attack looks set to put the Seattle back line under a lot of pressure. Brad Evans, Chad Marshall, and Gustav Svensson are all likely to start, which means there could be a distinct lack of pace for the Timbers to exploit.
Ed: Given how Portland’s been struggling defensively and will be missing one of their key defensive midfielders in Diego Chara, do you think the Sounders could build some confidence in their attack? What’s been the key issue in the last few games offensively?
Mark: The key issue recently has been lack of sharpness and cutting edge in the final third. Seattle has kept possession better than most teams in the league, but often haven’t managed to turn that possession into dangerous chances on goal. With Portland’s poor defensive form and Chara out, I think the Sounders will be able to find some more space in the attacking midfield and hopefully create some clear-cut chances. Look for Nico Lodeiro to take up positions between the Timbers’ defensive and midfield lines and cause all sorts of problems.
While both teams have very dynamic offenses, the question coming into Saturday with their defenses. Both Seattle and Portland defenses have been struggling with injuries and stability over the last several games. (Photo by Matt Warso)
Mark: With Diego Chara out, who will step up for Portland to fill his role? Do you think the Timbers might consider changing formations to compensate for his loss?
Ed: Good question. I don’t think that the Timbers will stray away from their usual 4-2-3-1 formation. My guess will be Amobi Okugo comes in as the other central defensive mid. He’s got the pace and the physicality to keep up and cause problems for Dempsey or Nicolas Lodeiro. However, if the Timbers do decide to run with Roy Miller in the back with Liam Ridgewell, there is the slim possibility that Lawrence Olum could be in the discussion to deputize the role in Chara’s absence. Would they swap to a 4-3-3? I wouldn’t rule it out, but it’s doubtful. Nagbe would play central and either Dairon Asprilla or Darren Mattocks play out wide.
Mark: Do you think the Timbers will sit back and soak up Seattle’s possession? Or will they try to put the Sounders under pressure and force mistakes?
Ed: I think they will. It’s not common for Porter to come to CenturyLink and want to dominate possession. I think he will want to give the Sounders the opportunity to let the Sounders’ defense play higher. This will help the Timbers to exploit the Sounders’ slower backline like you mentioned.
Mark: Which of the Sounders’ attacking threats do you think is most important to nullify?
Ed: Nicolas Lodeiro is obvious. He’s the cog that gets everything going offensively for the Sounders. His distribution is solid and has good vision of the game. However, I think it’s crucial that the Timbers nullify the Sounders’ left flank of Jordan Morris and Joevin Jones. The latter especially has been important in delivering the ball in dangerous spaces. Jones alone has five assists to his name this early in the season… as a wingback. Alvas Powell will also need to be disciplined and work hard to contain Jordan Morris as well. If the Timbers are caught with a high line, Morris could exploit them with his speed with a dangerous long ball. That would really stretch the field and give him the opportunity to make a back pass to Lodeiro or Dempsey.
Ed: If you were in Portland’s shoes, how would you go about attacking against the Sounders?
Mark: If I were Portland, I would look to exploit the space vacated by Seattle’s wing backs. Joevin Jones in particular tends to find himself pushed high up the field, and this can create some large spaces for counter attacks to get into dangerous areas. I would stay away from attacking straight down the middle of the field too often, as Ozzie Alonso and Cristian Roldan have been arguably Seattle’s most solid players defensively.
Ed: I want to add something here to that. I feel like Fanendo Adi could have a good game and be the point of attack here. While Marshall creates some problems for him physically, Adi could take advantage of Svensson with his size and get a goal in the process. If Roman Torres does play for the Sounders on Saturday though, that could all change. Who do you think is the player to keep an eye on in this match for either side?
Mark: For the Sounders, I would keep an eye on Clint Dempsey. If he’s in the mood, as he often is against Portland, his involvement could make or break the game for Seattle. He can tend to drift out of games, but at his best he’s a vital cog in the Sounder’s offense. As for Portland, keep an eye on Sebastian Blanco. He will have free reign to roam the field and find space wherever it opens up, and there has been plenty of space to exploit in recent weeks for Seattle. If Seattle’s defensive shape doesn’t change, Blanco will have many opportunities to work his way into dangerous areas.
Mark Lee notes Sounders’ Clint Dempsey as a player to keep an eye on Saturday. His form in the derby has been particularly impressive, scoring eight goals in eight games against Timbers since 2013. (Photo by Max Aquino)
Mark: It’s still relatively early in the season, but what long-term impact do you think this game might have for each of these teams?
Ed: For the regular season sake, I think there’s some impact. The Timbers twice in the last three years missed out on playoffs by two or less points. In terms of form, Timbers could really use a win right now. They’ve gone four straight without a win after their 5-2-1 start. For the Sounders sake, a win would be a relief for fans. Remember there’s still over 20 games left in the season. Both teams know that it just takes one “surge” of good form to lift the cup, as we’ve seen in the last two years by both clubs… For Cascadia Cup sake, it’s pretty big. Timbers winning would give them a three point cushion over Vancouver and a huge six point lead over Seattle. An away win here Timbers to do that would help their chances at Cascadia bragging rights.
Mark: Fair enough. Any predictions on the final score? I can’t see either defense holding the opposing offense to less than 2 goals, so I’m going to go with a 3-2 win for the Sounders.
Ed: I agree with you that both defenses have their holes. It’s hard to imagine a low scoring game. I fancy the Timbers’ chances though and predict a 3-2 win for them.
Mark: Do you expect the Sounders’ tifo to be better or worse than last years?
Ed: I mean, it’s hard to do worse than last year’s Rickroll attempt… (laugh) I mean, could it be any worse than that? Made backpage news in other countries for how bad it was!
The derby Saturday should prove to be an exciting one, as there’s definitely Cascadia pride on the line for the two teams. Having a win could jumpstart either team’s chances. We’ll have to see what adjustments Portland makes with Chara gone and how Seattle responds. There are plenty of storylines and match-ups to follow. Saturday’s match will hopefully continue to showcase the fiercest and best rivalry in MLS.
