It was always going to be a tough afternoon for Seattle in Portland, especially given the lack of Clint Dempsey, who relishes matches like this. Nelson Valdez started up top alongside Jordan Morris, and Tyrone Mears came back into the lineup for Oniel Fisher—the rest of the lineup was unchanged from Wednesday’s 5-0 win over FC Dallas. In what was naturally a raucous Portland atmosphere, the Sounders couldn’t make it happen and fell 3-1 to their Cascadia rivals.
The first half was emblematic of these derby matches, with challenges and chances flying from both sides.