MATCH RECAP: Seattle gets back in the win column, dominates Portland 6-2 in Cascadia Clash

In a memorable performance in a rivalry stretching back to 1975, Seattle Sounders FC (10-3-6, 36 points) defeated the Portland Timbers (7-9-2, 23 points) on Sunday evening at Providence Park by a final score of 6-2. Fredy Montero and Raúl Ruidíaz each recorded a brace in the 113th all-time meeting between Seattle and Portland. It marked the first match in a stretch of three road games in seven days for Seattle, as the club travels to face FC Dallas on Wednesday, August 18 (5:30 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Prime Video, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM) and the Columbus Crew on Saturday, August 21 (2:30 p.m. PT / FOX, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).

Montero put Seattle on the board first in the 13th minute, poaching a loose ball in the six-yard-box after a dangerous cross from Alex Roldan was punched away by Portland goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic. He completed his first-half brace in the 29th minute, receiving a ball from João Paulo at the top of the area, cutting inside and lofting a curving shot into the top far corner of the net. The pair of scores give Montero six goals on the season and 67 across all competitions for Seattle, the most in club history. Montero has now scored seven goals in regular-season play against Portland, good for second all-time, tied with Raúl Ruidíaz.

The home side responded quickly, with Sebastian Blanco breaking away and scoring on a deflected ball that bounced over Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland in the 32nd minute. The Timbers evened the score early in the second half, with George Fochive barely beating Cleveland with a bouncing shot after the goalkeeper stopped Portland’s initial attempt from distance. 

Ruidíaz’s second-half brace began in stunning fashion in the 55th minute, scoring directly on a free kick after Nicolás Lodeiro was fouled just outside the area. With both Lodeiro and Ruidíaz lining up over the ball, the Peruvian smashed a right-footed shot into the far corner over a motionless Ivacic. The second goal also came from a free kick, with Lodeiro’s initial shot saved and Ruidíaz pouncing on the rebound to make it 4-2.

Jimmy Medranda made it 5-2 in the 77th minute with a sensational volley from about 20 yards out following a corner kick from João Paulo. It marked the second goal scored for the Colombian this season. Nicolas Benezet made his Rave Green debut in the 87th minute and scored four minutes into stoppage time off a through ball from Cristian Roldan to bring the final score to 6-2.

MATCH NOTES

• Sunday’s match was the 113th all-time matchup between Seattle and Portland dating back to 1975 and their days in the North America Soccer League. Seattle Sounders FC is now 56-42-15 all-time against Portland. In the history of U.S. professional soccer, no two teams have met more.

• Seattle is now 14-10-7 all-time against Portland in MLS regular-season play.

• Six is the most away goals Sounders FC has scored since it recorded six strikes against Chivas USA on August 25, 2012.

• The eight combined goals on the night matches the most tallies between Seattle and Portland in regular-season MLS play. The other instance was on April 5, 2014, a contest that ended in a 4-4 draw at Providence Park.

• Tonight’s six Seattle goals are the most strikes Portland has allowed at home since the team’s founding year in 1975. 

• After being called off last year due to the pandemic, the Cascadia Cup Council recently determined there would be a Cascadia Cup champion in 2021, with tonight’s match being the first in that competition. The Cascadia Cup is an annual competition between Seattle Sounders FC, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

• The road team has won eight of the last 10 matches in the rivalry, dating back to 2018.

• With tonight’s result, Seattle moves to second in the Western Conference standings on 36 points, one point behind Sporting Kansas City and one point ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy.

• With his goals tonight, Fredy Montero is now second all-time in regular-season scoring against Portland with seven goals, tied with Raúl Ruidíaz. Clint Dempsey leads this category with nine goals in 12 games. 

• In addition to the goals notes above, Montero has also scored twice against Portland as a member of Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

• Tonight also marked Montero’s fifth and sixth goals of the season in regular-season play this year, and his second and third goals against Portland. He found the back of the net in the 79th minute on May 9 at Providence Park. The Colombian has a club-leading 67 goals in all competitions. 

• Raul Ruidíaz’s opening goal was his first direct free kick strike for the Rave Green. His two goals tonight mark his sixth and seventh tallies the rivalry in eight regular-season appearances, and ten goals in all competitions, putting him level with Roger Levesque for most all-time dating back to 1975.

• Ruidíaz’s brace puts him on 13 goals for the campaign in 19 regular-season appearances. He is one goal ahead of the New England Revolution’s Gustavo Bou in the MLS Golden Boot race.

• With seven saves tonight, Stefan Cleveland ties the record for most saves in the rivalry in MLS regular-season play. Stefan Frei recorded seven saves on June 28, 2016 and Donovan Ricketts and Steve Clark have each also recorded seven stops for Portland. 

• With his two assists tonight, João Paulo is now second in MLS in assists with eight. The Brazilian also assisted on Montero’s goal in the first matchup of the season between the two sides. 

• Brian Schmetzer kept the same starting group as Tuesday’s Leagues Cup matchup versus Tigres UANL that saw the Sounders cruise to a 3-0 victory. Raúl Ruidíaz started up top, with a four-man midfield of João Paulo, Kelyn Rowe, Cristian Roldan and Fredy Montero. Alex Roldan played at the right wingback position opposite Brad Smith. Yeimar, Xavier Arreaga and Shane O’Neill played in a three-man back line. Stefan Cleveland got his 13th MLS start in goal this season.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 6 – Portland Timbers 2
Sunday, August 15, 2021

Venue: Providence Park
Referee: Jair Marrufo
Assistants: Frank Anderson, Kathryn Nesbitt
Fourth Official: Baldomero Toledo
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero
Attendance: 25,218
Weather: 90 degrees and clear

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Fredy Montero 13’
SEA – Fredy Montero (João Paulo) 29’
POR – Sebastian Blanco (Felipe Mora) 32’
POR – George Fochice 52’
SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz 55’
SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz 72’
SEA – Jimmy Medranda (João Paulo) 77’
SEA – Nicolas Benezet (Cristian Roldan) 90+4’ 

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

POR – Larrys Mabiala (caution) 54’
POR – Dario Zuparic (caution) 66’
SEA – João Paulo (caution) 69’
POR – Cristhian Paredes (caution) 76’ 

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Cleveland; Alex Roldan, Xavier Arreaga, Shane O’Neill, Yeimar, Brad Smith (Jimmy Medranda 62’); João Paulo (Nicolas Benezet 87’), Cristian Roldan, Kelyn Rowe (Nicolás Lodeiro HT); Raúl Ruidíaz (Danny Leyva 90’+2’), Fredy Montero (Josh Atencio 63’)

Substitutes not used: Spencer Richey, Ethan Dobbelaere, Reed Baker-Whiting, Will Bruin, Abdoulaye Cissoko

Total shots: 15
Shots on goal: 8
Fouls: 10
Offside: 3
Corner-kicks: 2
Saves: 7 

Portland Timbers – Aljaz Ivacic; Josecarlos Van Rankin (Bill Tuiloma 87’), Caludio Bravo, Dario Zuparic, Larrys Mabiala; Sebastian Blanco (Cristhian Paredes 63’), George Fochive (Deigo Valeri 73’), Diego Chara, Yimmi Chara (Jaroslaw Neizgoda 87’), Dairon Asprilla (Marvin Loria 73’); Felipe Mora

Substitutes not used: Steve Clark, Pablo Bonilla, Renzo Zambrano, Zachery McGraw

Total shots: 21
Shots on goal: 9
Fouls: 11
Offside: 1
Corner-kicks: 5
Saves: 2