Matches between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers are nothing if not dramatic, but the Timbers have never gotten the best of the Sounders in the Emerald City in regular-season MLS play. The Sounders own unbeaten home record vs. Portland (5-0-2) and a plus-eight goal differential.
As the two sides prepare to square off in Seattle for the only time this regular season on Sunday (6:30 p.m. PT; FS1/KIRO 97.3 FM/El Rey 1360AM), we’re looking back at the Sounders’ top three MLS regular-season home games vs. the Timbers.
3. July 13, 2014 - Sounders 2, Timbers 0
Fresh off his World Cup stint with the United States national team, Clint Dempsey scored the game-winner in the 74th minute in front an attendance of 64,207. Marco Pappa iced the three points in the 86th minute to give Seattle their 12th win of the year and improve its first-place standing in the Western Conference.
2. Aug. 25, 2013 - Sounders 1, Timbers 0
Seattle defeated Portland in front of a crowd of 67,385 fans, the largest Sounders crowd in CenturyLink Field history and the second-largest crowd in MLS history. Dempsey made his home debut, while Eddie Johnson scored the game-winner in the 60th minute on a beautiful glancing header off a Mauro Rosales free kick. The goal was Johnson’s fourth in five career games against the Timbers.
1. Oct. 7, 2012 - Sounders 3, Timbers 0
Seattle dominated from start to finish in front of 66,452 fans in the largest home margin of victory in the rivalry’s MLS history. The Sounders opened the scoring in the 25th minute off an own goal from Futty Danso, who deflected the ball into the net while trying to fend off Fredy Montero. Seattle doubled the lead just three minutes later on a brilliant finish from Johnson off a cross from Brad Evans.
Montero nearly made it 3-0 two minutes later when his shot was deflected off the post by a great diving save from Donovan Ricketts, but Montero would find the back of the net in the 62nd minute after he deflected a clearance from Jack Jewsbury into the net.
