Portland produce "best performance of the season" in Seattle shutout

The Portland Timbers proved a point when they earned three massive points in a pulsating Cascadia clash with the rival Seattle Sounders Saturday night.

“Nobody outside this football club, and probably some people in this football club, didn't think we could produce a performance like we did tonight,” Timbers coach Phil Neville said after Portland’s 1-0 win at Providence Park.

“We were dogged defensively, controlled the game out of possession, didn't allow them any spacing behind, didn't allow them to penetrate us, and were defending set plays incredibly well with determination.”

A week after grabbing a point from a chaotic 4-4 draw against St. Louis CITY SC, the Timbers were as good as they’ve been defensively all season, shutting down the Sounders' potent offense and earning their fifth clean sheet.

Even after Juan Mosquera scored the game’s lone goal in the 55th minute, the Timbers continued to dial in. This was perfectly illustrated when goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau headbutted Mason Toye in celebration — causing Toye to come off the pitch briefly with a nosebleed.

“Big games are decided by moments, moments of set plays, concentration and discipline. I thought all three phases of that was probably our best performance of the season in terms of what it takes to win and be successful,” the Timbers gaffer added. “It’s that type of performance that we want to have, not what we saw the week before.”

As for Mosquera, he couldn’t have picked a better time for his first goal of the season. Like past top performances since joining the Timbers in 2022, he was dominant against the Sounders. In addition to the goal, he made three clearances and won seven duels.

“I have to play like I play against Seattle all the time,” he said through a translator. “I started the season not doing great with goal contributions without scoring, but I'm very happy that I could do so today in front of our fans, who always show up.”

Neville’s first win over Seattle

Few MLS matches carry as much history as the Cascadia battles between Portland and Seattle. For Neville, it marked the first time he’s come out on top in the matchup, setting the stage for an emotional Decision Day on Oct. 19, when the sides clash for the final time this season.

“This derby game, it's not about who plays in the pocket, it was about which team was prepared to stick it out and through a moment of brilliance, we won the game," said Neville. "We knew we were going to score, and when we keep a clean sheet, it’s almost a guarantee that we’re going to win.”

While Neville may be in his first season on the Timbers’ sideline, he knows the history — and that the historic club has missed the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs by slim margins the last two years.

And on Saturday, they didn’t let the points slip away, vaulting up to sixth in the Western Conference on 40 points, ahead of the Sounders, in eighth, on goal differential.

“This team, at times, takes your breath away, and this team, at times, makes you frustrated,” Neville added. “But I can say that every day they want to work, every day they want to listen... there’s still seven games to go. We've got to play Seattle again. We've got to play Vancouver again, but at this moment, we've got six points in Cascadia, and that is important for our supporters.

Finding a way

Even without Felipe Mora and Jonathan Rodríguez, who were suspended, the Timbers earned a gritty victory. It may not have been as pretty as the often free-flowing football that's seen that duo combine for 26 goals — yet it was enough.

Portland are learning to win games through depth and find victories despite making adjustments on the fly. Antony stepped into Rodriguez’s role while Toye took on the Mora slot. It didn’t matter who played Saturday, though, the Timbers were up for the challenge.

“I think regardless of who was on the field, the biggest thing you saw was that it was obvious we were playing at a derby, and that's all that we cared about. We all played our best out there, and that's the same mentality that everyone on the field had.”

With their defensive prowess established after the eight-goal thriller on Matchday 29, the Timbers have a baseline for how they want to play as the race to Decision Day wraps up.

“First and foremost, I feel like I'm having the best time in my life. When we don't have games, we sit in our offices, and literally, we are bored because you cannot replicate that tonight,” Neville said.

“At the start of the season, I was excited. It was a little bit of an unknown coming to the Pacific Northwest. I must say it's something different for my family and me. I love working at this football club. I love the owner for whom I work. I love the people that I work for. I love the people in the city. They've made me and my family so welcome...I'm excited about the journey, but we're at work. We're nowhere near where we need to be. There's so much hard work still to do.