Portland Timbers v Seattle Sounders: Neville taking confidence from clean sheets

Phil Neville wants his Portland Timbers side to use their defensive stability as a platform to push on against rivals Seattle Sounders this weekend.

The Timbers played out a 0-0 draw with Real Salt Lake in midweek on the back of a 1-0 shutout win against Sporting Kansas City.

While Neville was disappointed not to have made it back-to-back league wins, the Englishman is taking confidence from another clean sheet.

“The players are playing to their gameplan and we’re taking pride in clean sheets,” he said. “There’s an incredible spirit.

“We’ve lost one of our last 11, so confidence is building and that comes from clean sheets.

“We have another quick turnaround in games, but every team is in the same boat and the adrenaline of a derby will get these players through.”

Final. pic.twitter.com/1CfrITM6SH

— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) May 15, 2025

Portland occupy fourth place in the Western Conference, sitting three points above sixth-place opponents and fierce rivals Seattle.

The Sounders saw a five-match unbeaten run – four of those being victories – snapped with a 4-0 thrashing away at Los Angeles FC in midweek.

With a quick turnaround in games, Brian Schmetzer knows there are lessons to be learned.

“I obviously wasn’t pleased with the outcome of the last match, but I can’t kill the players because they worked until the end,” he said.

“The quality wasn’t there, but we use these losses as teaching lessons. The guys understand that performance wasn’t up to standards.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Portland – Maxime Crepeau

Crepeau has played his part in back-to-back clean sheets for Portland, which they had not previously managed since June 2023.

Neville will want more of the same from his goalkeeper and defence this weekend, while hoping the attackers can then make the difference at the other end.

Clean sheet Crépeau x2 pic.twitter.com/WN3uNbJa0n

— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) May 15, 2025

Seattle – Ryan Kent

Schmetzer heavily rotated for the loss to LAFC, with recent g Kent only coming on for the final 20 minutes of the match.

Kent has impressed since ing, assisting three goals in just 143 minutes in football, and he will be restored to the starting line-up on Saturday.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Seattle’s 4-0 loss to LAFC was their heaviest margin of defeat since going down 5-0 to New England Revolution in May 2014.

However, the Sounders were previously unbeaten in five games and have not lost two successive league matches in over a year.

The home side has managed a victory in only four of the 18 meetings between Portland and Seattle since the start of the 2019 season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Portland – 37.9%

Seattle – 35.7%

Draw – 26.4%