MATCH RECAP | Seattle Sounders FC 0, Portland Timbers 2

SEATTLE, Wash. – Felipe Mora had a goal and an assist, Sebastián Blanco scored on his return to the pitch where he was injured and the Portland Timbers shutout Seattle Sounders FC with a massive 2-0 win Sunday night at Lumen Field.

• MATCHCENTER: Stats and Boxscore

Goalkeeper Steve Clark made five saves and he and the team defense earned their fourth clean sheet of the year.

The win also puts Portland with Seattle atop the Cascadia Cup standings with both teams on even three points each.

Match Moments

6' - CHANCE (POR) - Portland threatened early as midfielder Dairon Asprilla hammered a 30-yard shot from distance that clanged off the right post.

34' - CHANCE (POR) - Putting pressure into the attacking third, Josecarlos Van Rankin and Yimmi Chara combined to free Chara into the box. As he dribbled forward, Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland came off his line to deflect the ball and while Chara attempted to recover, the Sounders defense cleared.

53' - SAVE (POR) - Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark narrowly tipped a dangerous shot from Seattle's João Paulo off the crossbar.

54' - CHANCE (POR) - A bad back pass from the Seattle defense was played to Cleveland with Portland's Felipe Mora bearing down on him. Cleveland attempted to clear the ball but it deflected off of Mora before getting tangled in the forward's own legs and the 'keeper managed to recover and gather the ball.

58' - GOAL (POR) - The Timbers took a 1-0 lead in the 58th minute on a goal from Sebastián Blanco. On another poorly played Seattle back pass, Mora sprinted down and beat Cleveland to the ball. With the 'keeper out of position, Mora went down to the endline and sent a ball back across the face of goal to a wide open Blanco who tapped it into the back of the net.

61' - BLOCK AND SAVE (POR) - Off a corner, a blistering Seattle header from Shane O'Neill hit the Portland crossbar and the follow up shot from Kelyn Rowe was blocked off the line by Diego Chara. On the ensuing corner, the ball was punched out of the box only to fall for Paulo to shoot again but his attempt was denied with a diving save from Clark.

68' - BLOCK - (POR) - Another Seattle corner kick was sent in and headed on frame but defender Claudio Bravo knocked it up and over the net.

86' - SAVE (POR) - Clark made a diving save as Seattle's Raúl Ruidíaz hit a shot from just outside the 18-yard box.

90+5' - GOAL (POR) - With Seattle pushing forward attempting to equalize, Diego Valeri played a ball over the top that Cleveland misjudged and tried to head. Mora raced in, stole the ball from a Seattle defender before rounding on goal and chipping the goalkeeper to seal the 2-0 win.

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The Portland Timbers continue their road trip with a journey to Texas Friday, Sept. 3 to face the Houston Dash (5pm PT, FOX 12 PLUS).

Portland Timbers (8-10-3, 27pts) vs. Seattle Sounders FC (12-4-6, 42pts)
August 29, 2021 – Lumen Field (Seattle, Was.)

Scoring Summary:
POR: Blanco (Mora), 58
POR: Mora, 90+5

Misconduct Summary:
POR: Van Rankin (caution), 44
POR: Savarese (caution), 45
POR: Valeri (caution), 76

Lineups:
POR: GK Clark, D Van Rankin (Fochive, 74), D Mabiala, D Zuparic, D Bravo, M D. Chara ©, M Williamson (Paredes, 12; Tuiloma 65), M Y. Chara (Moreno, 74), F Blanco (Valeri, 65), F Mora, F Asprilla
Substitutes Not Used: GK Ivacic, M Bodily, M Loría, F Niezgoda

TOTAL SHOTS: 10 (Asprilla, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Blanco, Mora, 1); FOULS: 12 (Blanco, D. Chara, 3); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 5

SEA: GK Cleveland, D Y. Gómez, D Arreaga, D O’Neill (Montero, 74), M A. Roldan (Benezet, 73), M Rowe (Bruin, 88), M João Paulo, M Smith (Medranda, 73), M C. Roldan, M Lodeiro, F Ruidiaz

Substitutes Not Used: GK Richey, D Cissoko, D Nouhou, M Atencio, M Levya

TOTAL SHOTS: 16 (Roldan, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Paulo, Ruidíaz, 2); FOULS: 14 (Rowe, 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 12; SAVES: 0

Referee: Alan Kelly
Assistant Referees: Logan Brown, Michael Barwegen
Fourth official: Nima Saghafi
VAR: Timothy Ford
Attendance: 45,737
Weather: Sunny, 76 degrees

Notes

• Portland is undefeated against the Sounders in the last six regular season games when playing at Seattle (4-0-2), including four wins in its last five matches at Lumen Field.
• The Timbers have scored two or more goals in four of their last five road matches against Sounders FC.
• Sebastián Blanco scored his second goal this regular season and his 28th goal for the Timbers.
• Both of Blanco’s goals this season have come against Seattle.
• Blanco made his second start of the 2021 campaign, both of which have been against the Sounders. 
• Felipe Mora scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season.
• Four of Mora’s goals this season have been game winners.
• Mora has tallied six goals and two assists in Portland’s last nine games. 
• Mora tallied his fourth assist of the regular season, which is the second-most on the team.
• Two of Mora’s assists this season have come against the Sounders.
• Portland recorded their fourth clean sheet of the season. 
• Clark earned his 15th regular season career shutout with the Timbers.
• Santiago Moreno made his MLS debut in the match, logging 16 minutes.