Phil Neville believes the Portland Timbers haven’t picked up the factors their performances have warranted this season, however he is aware of the time has come for them to place their foot down forward of Sunday’s Cascadia Derby in opposition to the Seattle Sounders.
Portland sit twelfth within the Western Convention standings, beneath the Sounders on objective distinction, after going eight MLS matches with no victory.
Their 10 factors by means of 11 video games in 2024 represents their joint-worst return at this level of any MLS marketing campaign (alongside 2014).
Neville, nevertheless, believes they’ve deserved extra as they put together for a run of three dwelling video games of their subsequent 4.
“I feel the very first thing to say is we do not make any excuses – the outcomes haven’t been pretty much as good as we wished,” he mentioned.
“We’ve not received our simply rewards however now we sit up for a stretch the place we’ve received to carry out higher and get higher outcomes, we’ve received to place our foot down on the fuel.”
The Sounders have additionally struggled this time period, although they’ve taken 4 factors from their final two MLS video games in opposition to the Philadelphia Union (3-2) and LA Galaxy (0-0).
They then overcame Louisville Metropolis on penalties within the U.S. Open Cup in midweek, and coach Brian Schmetzer hopes they’ll stick with it their momentum from that recreation on Sunday.
“This membership has had a protracted historical past within the U.S. Open Cup, I just like the event. It was actually a problem in opposition to , well-coached Louisville crew,” Schmetzer mentioned.
“We got here out on prime and hopefully this propels us somewhat bit in our league play.”
Get to know the Cascadia Cup
There’s extra than simply three regular-season factors on the road once we face Seattle on Sunday. #RCTID
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) May 10, 2024
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Portland Timbers – Maxime Crepeau
Portland have conceded no less than as soon as in a club-record 17 successive regular-season matches, permitting 37 objectives in that point.
Goalkeeper Crepeau has confronted 41 photographs up to now in MLS this time period, stopping 1.13 objectives in keeping with Opta’s anticipated objectives on track (xGoT) mannequin, conceding 14 occasions from 15.8 xGoT confronted.
Seattle Sounders – Raul Ruidiaz
Ruidiaz has 12 objectives in 16 earlier MLS matches in opposition to Portland (together with playoffs), probably the most objectives scored by any participant in opposition to the Timbers in MLS play.
It’s additionally probably the most objectives scored by any MLS participant in opposition to a single opponent since Ruidiaz made his debut within the competitors in July 2018.
MATCH PREDICTION – PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN
The Timbers are unbeaten in six straight matches in opposition to the Sounders (4 wins, two attracts), the longest streak in all competitions by both crew within the MLS period of their rivalry.
Portland have additionally gained their final two dwelling matches in opposition to Seattle after the Sounders gained 4 of the earlier 5 conferences at Windfall Park.
Seattle’s 10 factors by means of 11 matches this season are tied for the second-worst begin in membership historical past, having solely collected eight factors at this stage in 2018. Although the Timbers have been in dismal kind themselves recently, this fixture may come at time for them.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Portland Timbers – 41.5%
Seattle Sounders – 30%
Draw – 28.5%
