Similar to Western Conference counterparts LAFC and LA Galaxy's impending El Trafico, Saturday's Matchday 8 clash (10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass) between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders features two rivals on drastically different early-season trajectories.
The Timbers enter the fixture at Providence Park wounded, with a brutal rash of key injuries contributing to a 1W-4L-2D record (five points) that leaves them in 12th place on the Western Conference table. Seattle, meanwhile, have the look of a Western Conference juggernaut, with their 16 points leaving them first in the standings and just one point off FC Cincinnati's pace for the Supporters' Shield lead.
But derby matchups like these have a way of flipping narratives, and can even change a season. Take three points at the expense of their in-form rivals on Saturday, and Portland have the type of result that can act as a springboard.
"Of course. I think last year we were in the same situation. After the Seattle game, we start playing better," Portland midfielder Diego Chara pointed out this week, referencing his team's four-game winning streak that started after beating Seattle 2-1 last August. "Hopefully this year we could do the same."
Added head coach Giovanni Savarese: "It's a moment which can turn our season around and can give us the belief in now finding the right direction to move forward now that we're starting to get more players, now that we start getting hopefully stronger. This is a big match, winning this match besides the satisfaction that brings, besides the three points as well, it's just that you feel that the players will feel more, that they will believe more in the path going forward."
"We can't get complacent"
If the match could act as a springboard for Portland, it marks an opportunity for Seattle to add even more fuel to an already fast start.
Seattle's early form has been impressive, with forward Jordan Morris leading the early Golden Boot presented by Audi race and players like U22 Initiative winger Léo Chú and homegrown midfielder Josh Atencio experiencing breakout performances, adding critical depth for head coach Brian Schmetzer.'s group. Three points in the Rose City would only enhance the feeling that a special season might be in the cards after a historic Concacaf Champions League title in 2022 preceded the club's first-ever Audi MLS Cup Playoffs absence.
"If they can win against us, that's going to propel them forward. But same thing applies to us," Seattle right back Alex Roldan said on Thursday. "We're looking at it as a game that can keep us going top of the table, three points, just a confident showing out there to keep us going in this long season."
But the Sounders know as well as anyone that current form typically goes out the window in a derby game. And, as Morris pointed out Wednesday, it's the Timbers who got the better of the Cascadia rivalry last season, sweeping the season series 2-0 and taking home the regional Cascadia Cup trophy the clubs compete for every season alongside Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
"Obviously rivalry week adds a little bit of intensity," Morris said. "We've been playing well, but we can't get complacent and rest on that. We know they're going to be a little bit desperate with the results they've been having. And especially at home, they need to get a result against us, so they're going to come out flying. I think they've gotten the better of us the last couple of games, so we need to switch that up."
With that in mind, Alex's brother Cristian Roldan said this matchup is all about ensuring they capitalize on the opportunity presented by their rival's early woes.
"I think it's more of an opportunity to win, right? They have excuses, they can easily go one goal\] down and go, 'Hey, it's just one of those games," the [US international midfielder told MLSsoccer.com on Thursday.
"So for us it's about taking full advantage of a team that's wounded, a team that's desperate, a team that needs points. To be able to go in there and make the gap even bigger. ... This is an opportunity for them just as much as us. It's an opportunity to start their season over. They get a win against us, all of the sudden they feel the momentum. So it's about killing that momentum and making sure they don't get going this season."
More than just three points
It all sets a compelling stage for what many still believe is the top rivalry in MLS, even with the emergence of El Trafico as a strong competitor in recent years. These matches date back to the NASL days of the 1970s, meaning there's decades of regional slugfests that have fostered a mutual dislike between the fanbases that is anything but fabricated.
Like those in Seattle's camp, Savarese noted that dynamic ensures that come kickoff on Saturday, this season's past results should have little bearing on how the match plays out.
"I mean, it doesn't matter how we arrived. If we're winning every game, if we're in the situation that we are right now, it's still always Seattle against Portland," Savarese said. "So it's huge. But the fact that this moment for us has been sensitive for not getting the results that we were looking for, for having to play with a limited group, which we never put as an excuse because we still have to perform, makes it more important for us and hopefully we can use this game to turn things around."
That's also why Alex Roldan said his team has to come ready for an all-out blitz, no matter how shorthanded the opposition might be.
"It's an even playing field, no matter who's on that field for them," the El Salvador international said. "Yeah, they might've had a lot of injuries but it's a rivalry game. They're going to treat it as such. I think we should prepare as if we're going against their best lineup. These games can be a little bit chaotic at times so you've got to be prepared for anything. We're treating it as a normal rivalry game, normal game. Must-win, three points, just keeping going on this momentum."
