Phil Neville knows the Portland Timbers meeting with the Seattle Sounders on Saturday will be pivotal to the outcome of their season as the Cascadia Cup rivals battle for a playoff place.
Portland enter Saturday s game seventh in the Western Conference standings, two places and three points behind the in-form Sounders.
The Timbers were beaten 2-1 on home soil by their rivals when they last faced off in May, but they have not lost a regular-season home game since, winning seven and drawing two of their last nine.
Neville knows the importance of carrying that form into this weekend, saying: We re looking forward to another big game.
When we looked at the fixtures at the start of the season, to play Seattle home and away in the last eight games, we knew these games would be pivotal to our success.
That s how it s panned out and we re all excited for it. When you get into football, you want to be involved in the biggest games.
It s against our biggest rivals. I think both teams are in really good form, outstanding form. They get success with their group of players but this is about us. We re playing for three big points.
Seattle, meanwhile, have only lost one regular-season game since early June, though they were dumped out of the U.S. Open Cup at the semi-final stage by Los Angeles FC in midweek, losing 1-0 on home soil.
Boss Brian Schmetzer, though, senses a desire to set the record straight in this week s derby.
They understand the importance of Portland. This is a proud group that has overcome a lot of adversity already this year, he said.
I don t see any reason why they can t continue that and do it again.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Portland Timbers – Evander
Evander has recorded an assist in seven straight home matches, equalling the longest single-season streak in MLS history.
The only player to record an assist in eight straight regular-season home matches was Eric Wynalda, who did so spanning the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
TRGET PRACTICE THURSDAY.
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC)
Seattle Sounders – Raul Ruidiaz
Ruidiaz has scored 13 goals against the Timbers in the regular season and playoffs. No other player has more than 10 goals against a single opponent since Ruidiaz made his MLS debut in July 2018.
MATCH PREDICTION – PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN
The Sounders are unbeaten in three straight matches against Portland (one win, two draws) including a 2-1 road win on May 12. Seattle haven t gone four straight MLS matches without defeat against Portland since 2014-15, though.
The Sounders have won six of their last seven regular-season matches (one loss), but they are facing a Timbers team that have won seven of their last nine at home (two draws), scoring 28 goals throughout that run.
Portland drew 4-4 with St. Louis City last week, marking the fourth time they have scored four goals in a match but failed to win since joining MLS in 2011. If they can tighten things up at the other end, they could continue their fine record on home turf.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Portland Timbers – 42.9%
Seattle Sounders – 30.4%
Draw – 26.7%
