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PORTLAND – How about a game that has it all?
The Seattle Sounders entered the first real Cascadia game of the season – a near-capacity crowd with points counting towards the Cascadia Cup standings – in the wake of a confidence-boosting 3-0 win against the team of Liga MX Tigres UANL. As impressive as this game was, the Sounders still had something to prove in the league. Tigers aside, the Sounders were still just one point in three games away, the Western Conference field was closing in, and the Supporters’ Shield leader was pulling away.
But a Sounders-Timbers match rarely fails to provide talking points, even entertainment. There was also no such shortage on a sweltering summer Sunday night in Rose City, where the two teams combined for one of the craziest games the teams have ever played. Combining eight goals between them, the Sounders tied their best away total of six, beating the Timbers in the second half en route to the 6-2 victory. The score also corresponded to the biggest margin of victory between the teams since they started playing against each other in 1975.
However, this is only the view at 1,000 feet. On the ground, the intrigues could provide the outline of a news. Indeed, it was a three-act story, with the Timbers able to fend off the Sounders early and often, and Brian Schmetzer’s team able to take a lead somewhat against the run of the game. The Timbers then came back in. strength, although the goals they scored were a bit tough for Stefan Cleveland, who played the game of his life especially in the first half. The final act unfolded in the last 35 minutes or so, with the Sounders stringing together a few golazos and some opportunistic strikes to put it away.
The victory itself will go a long way to calm the nerves of the Sounders and fans alike as they continue their trip this week to the Midwest. Getting one (or six) on the Timbers on the road is a good tonic for what ails any pollster.
To get by, the Timbers deserve a bit of credit for their first-half performance, which, to be fair, left them with what was probably a big deficit at half-time. A deficit that would probably have been an advance without the heroism of Stefan Cleveland. Put simply, Cleveland stood on the head, knocking down the Sounders multiple times as the Timbers gave the Sounders adjustments to both wide stances and set pieces. The Sounders’ problems weren’t helped by a few off-target passes, untimely turnovers and lax scoring on set pieces. Between the 19th and 27th minutes, Cleveland was called upon at least four times to get the Sounders out of trouble. Ultimately, Cleveland couldn’t get the Timbers completely off the scoreboard, thanks to a deflected goal from Blanco in 32 ‘and a free-kick rebound in the 52’, but few would find in complaining to Cleveland on either goal. It was a fantastic performance from a winning goalie.
Timbers fans probably thought (hoped) they saw the last Fredy Montero in a Sounders uniform when he left for greener pastures in 2013. He returned for a relatively uneventful stay in Vancouver, but the Colombian’s heart was always in the Emerald City. That the Sounders were able to convince Montero to come back with a veteran’s minimum wage may be one of the all-time coups in MLS history. Montero might not be a 30-game starter, giving the Sounders 90 minutes every week, but as Portland has learned, he still has that magic. No longer the constant goal threat he once was, Montero has shown he is still dangerous for goals from inside and outside the box. His first goal came when he was the first to round the area. He then created his own moment 20 yards away, beating Aljaz Ivacic, who must have wondered what he had gotten into.
Not to be outdone, Raúl Ruidíaz equaled the man he was chasing for the Sounders’ first goal. Without Jimmy Medranda, everyone would be talking about Ruidíaz’s 56th-minute free kick from the edge of the penalty area, a range that usually invites shooting straight into the defensive wall. Somehow Ruidíaz managed to generate both the power and placement of the shot that left Ivacic rooted in place. Ruidiaz’s second goal, fending off a rebound from a free-kick from Nico Lodeiro, won no votes for Goal of the Year, but it puts it ahead of the Golden Boot race and strengthens its position as MVP candidate , if not outright. forerunner.
The Sounders really missed it. Lodeiro, as he admitted, hasn’t been quite fit for the past 90 minutes. But his progress is on track, and after a short appearance against FC Dallas and a 25-minute run-out against Tigres, Lodeiro had his best time of the year at halftime. There’s something about what Lodiero provides that Sounders just can’t duplicate. Lodeiro’s quality on the ball was fully visible with his vision, passing and control. It is no coincidence that once he started to influence the debates, the Sounders were able to control the game. It is no coincidence that the Sounders scored six goals in just under. 100 minutes with Lodeiro in the field. After spending the entire second half against Portland, the next leg would appear to be 60 minutes, likely putting Lodeiro in a position to secure his first start of the year.
Prior to the Tigers’ explosion, the Sounders had struggled to score goals, failing to score multiple goals in five straight matches. Sounders fans are hoping they haven’t used too much mojo in this blast, especially when you nominate three candidates for the Goal of the Week, one of which can be shouted out as part of a courtesy vote. for the goal of the year. of Jimmy Medranda’s outrageous volley in the 77th minute. Of course, one could argue that the law of averages means pollsters are due for a succession of high-yielding performance given the midsummer drought. Opposing MLS defenses hope this is not the case.
Cristian Roldan will likely see his contributions buried under the avalanche of goals, but that shouldn’t go without saying his vital role in the Sounders’ performance. As usual, Roldan was all over the pitch, but his stint in opening up key attacking opportunities for his teammates was sublime, showing a vision and creativity he isn’t always credited with. Schmetzer attributed some of the team’s rise in performance to Roldan’s return from the national team, and it was clear the team were missing out on what he was delivering. With the return of Roldan and the other injured Sounders back in the fold, Schmetzer said he can imagine what his squad will look like for the rest of the season. Which, based on Sunday night, should create a very pretty picture.
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