Phil Neville believes the Portland Logs have no longer picked up the issues their performances have warranted this season, however he is aware of the future has come for them to position their understructure indisposed forward of Sunday’s Cascadia Derby in opposition to the Seattle Sounders.
Portland sit down twelfth within the Western Convention standings, underneath the Sounders on purpose excess, nearest going 8 MLS suits and not using a victory.
Their 10 issues thru 11 video games in 2024 represents their joint-worst go back at this level of any MLS marketing campaign (along 2014).
Neville, on the other hand, believes they have got deserved extra as they get ready for a run of 3 house video games of their then 4.
“I think the first thing to say is we are not making any excuses – the results have not been as good as we wanted,” he stated.
“We’ve not got our just rewards but now we look forward to a stretch where we’ve got to perform better and get better results, we’ve got to put our foot down on the gas.”
The Sounders have additionally struggled this time period, even though they have got taken 4 issues from their endmost two MLS video games in opposition to the Philadelphia Union (3-2) and LA Galaxy (0-0).
They later overcame Louisville Town on consequences within the U.S. Unhidden Cup in midweek, and professor Brian Schmetzer hopes they are able to elevate on their momentum from that sport on Sunday.
“This club has had a long history in the U.S. Open Cup, I like the tournament. It was certainly a challenge against a good, well-coached Louisville team,” Schmetzer stated.
“We came out on top and hopefully this propels us a little bit in our league play.”
Get to grasp the Cascadia Cup
There’s extra than simply 3 regular-season issues at the form when we are facing Seattle on Sunday. #RCTID
— Portland Logs (@TimbersFC) Might 10, 2024
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Portland Logs – Maxime Crepeau
Portland have conceded once or more in a club-record 17 successive regular-season suits, permitting 37 objectives in that future.
Goalkeeper Crepeau has confronted 41 photographs up to now in MLS this time period, fighting 1.13 objectives in keeping with Opta’s anticipated objectives heading in the right direction (xGoT) style, conceding 14 instances from 15.8 xGoT confronted.
Seattle Sounders – Raul Ruidiaz
Ruidiaz has 12 objectives in 16 earlier MLS suits in opposition to Portland (together with playoffs), probably the most objectives scored by way of any participant in opposition to the Logs in MLS play games.
It’s additionally probably the most objectives scored by way of any MLS participant in opposition to a unmarried opponent since Ruidiaz made his debut within the festival in July 2018.
MATCH PREDICTION – PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN
The Logs are unbeaten in six directly suits in opposition to the Sounders (4 wins, two attracts), the longest streak in all competitions by way of both workforce within the MLS date in their competition.
Portland have additionally gained their endmost two house suits in opposition to Seattle nearest the Sounders gained 4 of the former 5 conferences at Windfall Soil.
Seattle’s 10 issues thru 11 suits this season are join for the second-worst get started in membership historical past, having most effective accrued 8 issues at this level in 2018. Regardless that the Logs were in dismal mode themselves in recent years, this fixture may just come at a just right future for them.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Portland Logs – 41.5%
Seattle Sounders – 30%
Draw – 28.5%
