We have to focus on the game. It’s the type of refrain you might hear, to varying degrees, from every Portland Timbers or Seattle Sounders FC player heading into Sunday’s game (1pm PT, ESPN). It’s a special occasion, the 100th meeting between the two clubs across all eras, but at the end of all the pronounced pomp and amplified circumstance, there with be a whistle, there will be a kickoff, and the latest edition of the United States’ most famous derby will be upon us.
“Those who have been here, they know what to expect,” Portland head coach Giovanni Savarese said, on Tuesday, ahead of Sunday’s match.