Unfulfilled

*Cover photo credit to Sean Meagher/The Oregonian.*

For the first time since 2017, a Timbers-Sounders game at Providence Park ended in a draw.

Recap

Let me begin this by praising both sets of fans for creating an excellent atmosphere prior to kickoff. However, once the game began, only one set of voices could be heard. My spot in the press box is slightly south of the halfway line, which gives me a pretty good opportunity to hear the away fans. You shouldn’t be surprised to hear that traveling LAFC fans blew Seattle’s away contingent out of the water. And, folks, fish famously don’t do well out of water.

But the Sounders, who had more players available with decent rest, began this game by attacking. Once the Timbers grew into the game, it became a back-and-forth affair until the first goal. That goal was scored by Albert Rusnak in the 30th minute, and it was pretty preventable. Cristian Roldan’s entry pass was superb, yes, but Kamal Miller was unable to keep up with Danny Musovski. The striker’s square pass to Rusnak found the Slovakian DP at the top of the box, and no one closed him down before the shot was unleashed. Fishy, but not undeserved. This put Portland in a bind. Seattle kept the pressure on (because the Timbers still have trouble “snapping out of it” after any goal is scored) but it was Portland who scored the next goal. David Da Costa received a good pass from Juan Mosquera on the right wing, and he dribbled it into the box before cutting it back to Santiago Moreno. More on this later. Moreno’s goal was in the 36th minute; six minutes after Rusnak’s opener. It was their first shot on target of the game, and it would also be their last.

Each team’s substitutes were going to have to step into the “match-winner” role. None of them did. As the strain of the three-match week began to take its toll, Portland became more and more sloppy while the Sounders continued to do what they do best: farm xG through tons of middling chances. However, as the clock ticked down towards the final whistle, the Sounders had more impetus to win the game. Several late attacks were thrown back by Portland’s defense (mostly Finn Surman) and the Timbers held on for a 1-1 draw.

Hypothesis Update

You probably won’t be surprised, but the Timbers lost the field tilt battle again. This time it was 64-36, and even that seems a little low considering how poor the second half was.

Yikes. Portland’s lone second-half shot was taken by Santiago Moreno off of a corner kick and it was blocked after traveling a distance of 3 yards. Even that estimated distance is generous. This is what happens when getting the ball into the final third turns into a near-impossible task. The Timbers needed to do better here, but their performance only strengthens the Hypothesis. I think that there are several reasons why the goals are starting to dry up, but tonight’s game also gave an example of what the Timbers need to keep doing.

More Of This, Please

After watching 14 games of Portuguese Dave, it has become clear that he’s much more effective on the wing than through the middle. This could change, but I’d like to take this opportunity to compare him to Evander again. Yes, I know that I shouldn’t be doing this, but I kind of have to. I believe that comparing Da Costa’s production to Evander’s is very dumb, but analyzing the way he plays the game is necessary. As Phil Neville and the coaching staff surely understand, putting the Portuguese playmaker in the best spots to succeed is the most important step to strengthening the attack.

Da Costa hasn’t been using the middle of the field to maximum effectiveness. Evander’s off-ball movement usually moved from channel to channel, but he rarely ventured to the touchlines. With Evander’s presence in the middle of the field, the Timbers’ attacking shape was rarely unbalanced. Of course, it still revolved around a lot of individuality, but a standard structure allowed the Timbers to exploit individual matchups. The 2025 Timbers are geared towards getting the ball out wide instead of attacking through the middle. This is usually seen when Portland is progressing the ball from the middle third to the final third. I view it as indirect, and, therefore, pretty ineffective unless one key piece is achieved: there are multiple players in the box.

We’re going to begin here, one second after Santiago Moreno receives a great pass from Jimer Fory’s right foot. That’s his weaker foot, mind you, and Fory was hitting these kinds of passes all night. I’ve officially sat up a little bit more in my chair.

Moreno finds Da Costa, and now the Colombian does something I’ve been begging him to add to his game: he continues his run straight ahead. Cristian Roldan and Ryan Kent are both keyed in on Portuguese Dave, while Nouhou retreats to settle into the back four. Da Costa’s next pass is pretty easy to figure out, but it’s the right one to make. I’d love to see DDC run at the defense here, by the way. Not on this play, per se, but in similar situations in the future. This was a perfect opportunity to use the middle of the field.

After Da Costa finds Mosquera on the wing, both teams decide to completely switch their identities. Look at the giant gap between Nouhou and Kim Kee-Hee. This is a very Timbers thing to do, and the Sounders are about to get punished for copying their rivals. It’s also worth noting that Da Costa and Moreno have effectively switched positions. That’s a positive aspect of Portuguese Dave’s ability on the wing; the Timbers can effectively switch their front four around with fluidity.

Cristian Roldan seemed to be tracking Da Costa, but he backs off right before Mosquera passes it into Da Costa’s feet in the box. Moreno is fully prepared for this, and now he begins his box-crashing run. Felipe Mora has Yeimar under control, and Alex Roldan has to keep an eye on Antony. None of them see Moreno. Obed Vargas is the only player who can stop him.

Here’s where the fun really begins. This is Da Costa’s first touch after receiving the return pass from Mosquera. The weight on Mosquera’s pass is perfect, and it allows Da Costa to run onto it so his first touch can become a dangerous ground cross. Mora is doing the unsung hero’s work of occupying Yeimar, and Cristian Roldan is ball-watching. Those two players (and a charging Obed Vargas, who is the only one who knows what is happening) are in the best position to make a play on the ball.

Vargas doesn’t recover in time, but Alex Roldan comes *thissss* close to doing so. The lesser Roldan does a great job here. But Da Costa has created a golden chance, and Moreno just has to slam it past a washed Stefan Frei. Since this ball can be categorized as a “cutback,” the Timbers have just beaten Seattle at their own game. This would end up being the best chance created by either team. And this isn’t a chance that’s unfamiliar to the Timbers either. They do this exact play over and over again in practice each week. The next step is consistently doing it in competitive games.

Here’s the last Da Costa-Evander comparison: that rotation between DDC and Moreno wouldn’t have occurred if Evander was in Da Costa’s shoes. This is why Da Costa’s tendency to float out wide can be very dangerous if utilized correctly. Although this was Portland’s only attacking bright spot during a rivalry game, it’s the most repeatable goal they’ve scored all year. And it can be executed from either wing. Da Costa is not going to be the box-crasher like Evander; he’ll be the provider. Once again, shoutout to Felipe Mora who deserves an assist on this goal. For one brief moment, Portland’s attack looked outstanding.

Player Ratings

Maxime Crepeau: 7.8

There will be people who try to blame Crepeau for allowing Rusnak’s goal. I think it’s pretty nonsensical considering Surman absolutely should have blocked the shot. Other than that one concession (which broke Crepeau’s clean sheet streak), the Great Wall of Montreal did a great job of stopping shots. However, I thought his distribution was rather subpar, with several attempted long balls getting kicked directly out of bounds with very little pressure on the goalkeeper. If he’s able to complete more of those long balls, this rating shoots up to an 8. Even though the clean sheet streak is gone, Crepeau deserves his flowers for a 3rd consecutive quality start.

Juan Mosquera: 8.8

Did you have any doubts that Mosquera would show up in a big way for this game? Me neither. I’ve surely mentioned this before, but the first game Juan Mosquera watched in Providence Park was 2022’s 2-1 win against the Sounders that clinched the Cascadia Cup for Portland. I think that game left quite an impression on him, and he usually plays some of his best ball of the year against Seattle. Someone needed to put a stop to the Ryan Kent hype train, and Mosquera put him in jail. In addition, his attacking contributions were a breath of fresh air after a few middling performances in the past couple of weeks. If his 8th-minute shot is just a little less wide, Portland would have taken the lead.

Quick Ryan Kent note: I’m so impressed that Brian Schmetzer found another perfect Sounder on such short notice. Kent plays a style that I can only describe as “directly indirect.” There were several moments where the Englishman could have driven directly at Portland’s backline, but he decided to slow it down and wait for an overlapping Nouhou to do anything. His touches and off-ball movement are dangerous, but he doesn’t want to go for the kill. I expected more from him, especially with so much hype.

Finn Surman: 9

I’d like to take this opportunity to spew a freezing hot take.

Finn Surman is the best center back on the Timbers. He is the best young center back in the league, and I wouldn’t disagree if the word “young” was removed from that statement. The Portland Timbers have an All-Star caliber player, and he’s a 21-year-old center back. You know what? I don’t need to elaborate. I’ll let the tape do the talking for me.

This isn’t the only time he’s pulled off a sequence like that in 2025. In Colorado, he became a pillar in the box during the first 10 minutes of the second half. But given the stakes and the opponent, he earned the loudest roar of the crowd in this game outside of Moreno’s goal. “I know my level can be higher than that,” Surman said post-game. And he is correct. Rusnak’s goal snuck through his legs, but he spent the rest of the game making up for it. If his body of work in 2025 didn’t immediately pique the attention of the national media, this game certainly will.

Kamal Miller: 6.6

First, the good: Miller did an excellent job of keeping possession when he was on the pitch. This included completing 32/34 passes, including 4 out of 5 long balls. But he was badly burnt by Musovski on Seattle’s goal, and earned a pretty deserved yellow card four minutes after the Sounders took the lead. It was the right decision to substitute him at halftime, especially with fresher legs on the bench and a big Open Cup game on Tuesday.

Jimer Fory: 7.4

Despite Claudio Bravo’s uptick in form over the past week, starting Fory was the right decision in this game. He immediately understood the importance of the rivalry, and barely put a foot wrong. This included several weak-footed passes that I didn’t know were in his arsenal and a stellar back-post header to save a likely goal from a Ryan Kent cross in the 38th minute. However, his night ended early after a clash of heads with Alex Roldan that necessitated a concussion sub. After the game, Neville said that he was “OK.” The starting spot is still his as long as he’s healthy, but having Bravo as a backup/spot starter is a pretty good luxury.

Joao Ortiz: 6.7

The next evolution of Joao Ortiz needs to be undertaken quickly. As the Ecuadorian has blossomed over the past couple of weeks due to his tireless motor and excellent defensive work, the offensive part of his game has come into question. I’ve seen glimpses of an Ortiz who can make good, quick decisions and quickly progress the ball. But when the Timbers are in buildup mode, Ortiz tends to take too long on the ball, and that leads him into trouble. I still don’t think he’s a bad player, but that part of his game needs serious improvement.

David Ayala: 7.2

Lodeiro vs. Chara. Valeri vs. Alonso. Throughout this rivalry, there have been legendary battles between holding midfielders and attackers. Now it’s time for the David Ayala vs. Pedro De la Vega chapter to begin. We saw glimpses of it last year, as the two young Argentines battled at length during the latter two Portland-Seattle matches. I’m looking forward to seeing this subplot in every rivalry game for the near future. Especially as De la Vega continues his quest to become a key contributor for the Sounders. 7 million dollar player, remember. I like how his ears perk up like a puppy when he realizes that he can make a challenge for the ball. Does Schmetzer keep a laser pointer on him during training sessions to get him to focus?

Meanwhile, Ayala’s midweek rest led to a fully charged Argentine being unleashed upon the Seattle Sounders. This led to him getting into foul trouble, and he received a yellow card in the 23rd minute for a hard challenge on Obed Vargas. First of all, since Vargas stayed on the ground for a while after the tackle, I’d like to suggest that he made a kid’s meal out of a relatively routine challenge in a rivalry such as this. More milk jugs for Obed. But this early booking gave me a little bit of worry, especially as Ayala’s fouls didn’t stop. You could make the case that he deserved a second yellow, but Rosendo Mendoza understood that only the Sounders could get second yellow cards in this game. Either way, Ayala was everywhere and didn’t seem to tire as the match went on. This rating could’ve been higher, but those fouls were more worrisome than I would’ve cared for.

Santiago Moreno: 7.5

Outside of the goal, Moreno had a hard time finding space and being effective in the attack. I’ll give him a pass due to this week’s heavy workload.

Antony: 6.6

It’s safe to say that Antony’s hot streak is over. But the starting spot is still his as Jonathan Rodriguez works his way back from injury. I’d like to see more box-crashing runs from him like Moreno’s. He’s still an off-ball demon, but he’s also played a lot of minutes this week.

David Da Costa: 7

Da Costa’s turnovers became more and more costly as the match went on, but it was his cutback ball that led to Portland’s equalizer. I’m sure the heavy workload is also taking a toll on him. But I would like to talk about one more Da Costa item: killer instinct.

I would like to see him take more shots. Sure, his finishing hasn’t been incredible, but a game like tonight needed a DP moment. That didn’t come, but he certainly didn’t look out of place in his first Portland-Seattle game.

Felipe Mora: 8.3

This was the toughest grade for me to give. How do you hand out such a high grade to a striker who didn’t take a single shot? Because he was doing everything else.

I counted 3 Mora defensive headers in the first half; all coming off of corner kicks. The run to open space for Moreno? Perfection. I’m a little worried that he played 90 minutes, but I think he can be proud of his off-ball work tonight. But I’m sure he’s going to want something back.

Add it to the “can’t keep getting away with it” list. Roldan should’ve been punished for this arrogance, but he knew he’d get away with it. I’m furious.

Dario Zuparic: 7.6

Zuparic’s substitution was a really good move from Neville, and it reunited the Zuparic-Surman pairing from the last Portland-Seattle game. Both players look really comfortable playing next to each other.

Cristhian Paredes: 7.3

He’s a grizzled veteran of these matches by now, and he added another dimension to Portland’s attack tonight.

Very few of Portland’s midfielders will try this pass. Hell, very few of Portland’s players will try this pass. Paredes hit it on the money. I would like more of them, especially in games where they’re failing to complete short passes in the middle third. Why not bypass it entirely?

Jonathan Rodriguez: 6.4

I’m going to touch on Rodriguez a lot more during the coach rating section, but I’m hovering over the panic button. I’m officially concerned, but not flat out panicking. How serious was last year’s injury that he played through?

Eric Miller: 6.8

He did a good job of helping Portland keep possession, but didn’t do much else. Still, you can’t disagree with a Mr. Reliable cameo.

Claudio Bravo & Omir Fernandez: Cameo

Both players came on too late to make a meaningful difference. So I’m not going to judge any of their actions. Fernandez was a rare 6th sub after Fory left after the clash of heads with Alex Roldan. I wish he came on earlier.

Coach Rating: 6.8

Four subs were correct: Zuparic, Paredes, Bravo and Eric Miller. Per Neville, the decision to leave the yellow-carded Ayala on the pitch was due to Diego Chara’s absence from the squad due to injury. That’s sound logic, but it nearly backfired. However, I am disappointed about Rodriguez and Fernandez’s entrances to this game.

Jonathan Rodriguez has been dealing with a leg injury for the entirety of 2025. It’s a carryover from 2024, when he played through the pain. Neville’s tune changed from the RSL game, when he said that Rodriguez was in contention to start tonight. However, I am officially worried about him entering games as a winger.

Neville’s system requires a TON of running from his wingers. Not only are they expected to be key attackers, they double as support defenders. Rodriguez, pretty obviously, is being asked to do a lot in that role which can sap his stamina when the team needs it most. I would have much rather seen him come on as a striker alongside Mora as Da Costa moved out to the wing. Fernandez, on the other hand, has become the team’s most impactful attacking substitute in his short time with the team. Bringing him on (with very fresh legs) to try and find a winning goal was imperative by the 75th minute. However, Neville decided to use him as the concussion sub. I don’t want that to be ignored. Usually Neville is very good with his substitutes. But the team did leave two points on the table, and those two attacking subs are a big reason why.

Table Time

By the end of the weekend, the Timbers could be out of the top 4 in the West. But their unbeaten streak has increased to three games. Next weekend’s opponents (Orlando) are on a 10-match (11 in all competitions) unbeaten streak. Four of those results are 0-0 draws. Like Portland, the Lions also have an Open Cup match this week. Their game is on Wednesday (vs. Nashville), while the Timbers play on Tuesday.

The Cascadia Cup table hasn’t been updated yet, but Portland is in second place with 1 point in two games. On June 8th, Vancouver hosts Seattle and any result can go Portland’s way if you are a scenario junkie like myself. I would like to take this opportunity to point out how annoying the scheduling of these first two rivalry games has been. It’s ludicrous that the Timbers had to open the season with a rivalry game, and even dumber that they had to play the Sounders on a short week. MLS refuses to give this rivalry the respect it deserves. Even tonight’s 6:30 PM kickoff time was due to FS1 instead of Apple TV. Did you know this game was being broadcast on FS1? I didn’t. But it was!

Final Whistle

One person who always gives this rivalry the respect it deserves is Brian Schmetzer. I’m sure that he was just as annoyed that MLS scheduled this game at the end of a 3-match week. As I exited the conference room after Phil Neville and Finn Surman got their podium time, I noticed Schmetzer walking down the hallway with a team employee on his way to another press conference after another failure to beat the Portland Timbers. Let me set the scene for you.

Portland’s press conference room is underneath the North End in a cavernous service level surrounded by concrete. It’s a few steps from a door that opens out onto the field. After every home game, I put my belongings into my backpack and begin the descent down several flights of stairs until I reach the service level. A member of the security staff checks my badge, and I begin the walk towards the double doors leading to the podium. On the way, I pass another door that opens into a small room. That’s where the visiting coach has their press conference. Most teams do not have reporters that travel for games, but the proximity of this rivalry usually causes the press box to fill up. I’m pretty sure that coaches prefer press conferences with actual reporters in the room instead of speaking out of a laptop on a Zoom call. As I walk by this room that Schmetzer will soon occupy, my footsteps echo in the spacious hallway. Fifteen minutes later, after Neville and Surman have finished speaking, it’s time for me to head back up those stairs. But not before the Ocean Man himself is marching towards that room.

I respectfully wave to him as he passes by. This wasn’t meant in a mocking way in the slightest. I wouldn’t have anyone else be the manager of the Sounders. He is the perfect person for the job that he has. No one involved in this rivalry is so desperate to deliver victory for his side. And yet, with so many personal stakes, he started Jesus Ferreira on the wing tonight. Perfection. He’s stoic and ignores my wave. He’s silent. Except for one sound that is echoing throughout the vast hollowness of the service level: a clicking pen.

Everyone on both sides had different primary emotions as they left Providence Park tonight, but there was one underlying feeling: unfulfillment. Those Sounders fans and players who circled this game on the calendar the second the schedule dropped were desperate for a win tonight to erase the midweek embarrassment at the hands of LAFC. They left with a moral victory from the balance of play, but no three points and bragging rights to cling on to. Timbers fans were pining for another fish gutting and headed home with an exciting equalizer and disappointment. What if the Sounders converted one of their chances? What if the Timbers stopped giving the ball away. Those questions will go unanswered, but one thing is clear: this is the draw-iest draw that ever drew.

Portland’s schedule is relentless. It’s time for their third consecutive three match week as they travel to San Jose for the Open Cup Round of 16. That’s a chance at revenge. Then it’s time to head to Florida for the first time since 2022 to play Orlando. This stretch finishes the following Wednesday at home against the Colorado Rapids. Finally, a much-needed break will occur as the Timbers don’t take the field again until June 8th at Providence Park against St. Louis. The knocks are piling up. The performances aren’t up to standard. But despite all of that, they’re picking up results. And in that little room underneath the North End, the pen clicking refuses to cease. The climb continues.