TUKWILA, Wash. – Seattle Sounders FC 2 have their own date with the Rose City looming early next week when they take on Portland Timbers 2 on Monday, Aug. 29 (7:30 p.m. PT, livestream on SoundersFC.com) at Starfire Stadium.
After an impressive six-game unbeaten run that put them on the brink of the postseason picture, S2 have hit a rut with two straight losses and now find themselves back in 13th place in the Western Conference. All is not lost, however, as S2 have a two-game homestand to get back on the right track, and with a very tightly packed and competitive conference, S2 are looking up to one particular team for inspiration in turning their season around.
“If you look at the first team, three, four games ago, it’s not looking so good,” said head coach Ezra Hendrickson. “And then within four games, they’re in a position now where it’s looking very bright, and the same thing can happen here. If we can do likewise in the next three, four games, then we’ll find ourselves in a good position…That’s inspiring to us.”
S2 came out on top in T2’s last visit, when midfielder Mark O’Ojong scored a late goal to secure the 1-0 victory. Though the stakes are certainly heightened by the rivalry, Hendrickson stressed the importance of every game from here on out, calling the next two in particular “must wins.”
“Every game, whether it’s at home or it’s away, we have to take it to teams; every game is going to be big,” he said. “Maximum six points is needed; the guys are aware of that. We don’t want our season to come to an end in September.”
Midfielder Irvin Parra is settling into his new surroundings after making his S2 debut last Saturday in San Antonio. Parra played 72 minutes in the match and was able to build some chemistry with his new teammates. He has yet to play for the home fans however, and to add to the pressure, it’s against Portland in a must-win game.
Para is excited for the challenge though, saying, “I’m looking forward to coming to play in a rivalry game coming up this Monday… I want to help this team go to the playoffs, that’s my goal.”
