- Team form: Seattle have been the better team this season, but both of these clubs have been in mixed form heading into this game.
- Defence stats: Seattle have averaged 1.33 goals conceded at home in all competitions, which is nothing special, but also not terrible.
- Away stats: Portland have averaged 1.00 scored and 2.00 conceded away from home across all competitions.
Derby day in the West Coast
Seattle Sounders are 1.52 favourites ahead of this derby game against Portland Timbers at Seattle Stadium, with the visitors a huge 5.97 underdogs and the draw listed at 4.89, so this looks like a game that is Seattle's to win.
Jack Cassidy's men are on a two-match losing run, having followed up a 2-2 draw at CF Montreal with a 2-0 defeat to Inter Miami CF and a 1-3 reverse at home to San Jose Earthquakes. That's three defeats, one draw and one win in their last five MLS outings.
But Seattle are not much better off after going down 2-0 at home to LA Galaxy and losing 1-0 away to Los Angeles FC. So, 5-2-3 across the last ten in all competitions, but it's the visitors that have the worse return at 3-2-5, so the hosts arrive with the superior recent form.
Style clash
Seattle like to play through the thirds in a controlled manner with two pivot midfielders that rotate, keeping possession and probing for openings to unlock the opposition defence. Portland are a much more compact, pressing outfit that try to sting on the counter attack, so this could be a chess match of the midfield.
Players to watch
- David Da Costa has been the best supplier for Portland recently, contributing three assists in the last five matches, but Kevin Kelsy is the man to watch for the away team with five MLS goals in 14 games and three of the Timbers' last eight strikes.
Sounders have the better foundation
Portland are 1-1-3 in their last five with a poor return of one win, one draw and three defeats. They have won only once on their travels across all competitions, which is a poor record for a derby trip, and have scored just one goal and conceded twice per game on average in their away games.
Seattle have a better all-round record of four wins, one draw and one defeat from six at home across all competitions and have the foundation to take all three points from this fixture, but Portland can sting on the break so the match should stay close.
Over 2.5 goals is a good pick for this game at 1.36, but the odds and the form suggest that a Seattle win is the best way to go. Both teams to score has plenty of derby game appeal at 1.5, but we'll settle for the win here.
