• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Seattle, Portland renew rivalry at Jeld-Wen

Jul 8, 2011 - 7:48 PM Portland, OR (Sports Network) - An intense atmosphere is expected at Jeld-Wen Field on Sunday when Seattle Sounders FC meets the Portland Timbers in another installment of the Cascadia Cup.

The two sides played to a 1-1 draw in Seattle the first time around, but the two sides are headed in opposite directions ahead of this showdown.

Seattle has put together a seven-game unbeaten streak, including a 2-0-3 mark away from home, while Portland has claimed only one point from its last six games and has seen its once formidable form at home disappear.

The latest result for the Sounders was a 0-0 draw against the Galaxy in Los Angeles on Monday, but Sigi Schmid's team claimed wins in its previous three games, and Schmid believes that success on the road is down to a certain mentality.

"It's been a good run and our mentality has always been the same," Schmid said. "The way I've always approached the road with this team and with every other team I've coached in MLS is that we are going to try and play the same way we play at home. It's served us well. I think the team's confident when they step on the field on the road and I think they're excited for this road game."

This road game will be unlike any other Seattle has experienced this season with a passionate crowd expected to fill Jeld-Wen in an effort to help their struggling side.

After starting the season with wins in its first five home games, Portland is 0-3-1 in its last four matches in front of the home crowd, and coach John Spencer thinks his team needs to rediscover its confidence to turn things around.

"We're lacking a lot of confidence right now," Spencer said. "When you get out of the gates like we did at home, going five (games) unbeaten, I think guys get the feeling that we could go unbeaten at home all season and they're young. Experience-wise we've got a lot to learn. We've got tremendous young players, if you look at the top young players in the league right now, it took them a while to get where they're at right now."

Based on form, Seattle should have no trouble extending its unbeaten streak against a struggling Portland side.

But this is no ordinary game. It is one that Timbers fans have no doubt had circled for a while and they will be sure to make their presence felt on Sunday.