August 26, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Portland Timbers News Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers earned a hard-fought 2-1 comeback win against Cascadia rival Seattle Sounders FC at Providence Park on Friday night. After conceding in the eighth minute, Dairon Asprilla responded with a penalty-kick goal just before halftime and Sebastián Blanco sealed the result early into the second half. Portland reclaimed the Cascadia Cup for the first time since 2017 with the win, having gone unbeaten (3-0-1) against Cascadia rivals Seattle and Vancouver Whitecaps FC this season.
Blanco & Asprilla Connection
Blanco and Asprilla connected on a goal in back-to-back matches, seeing Asprilla assist a goal to Blanco tonight and in their match against Sporting Kansas City on Aug. 21. Blanco registered his seventh goal of the campaign tonight, totaling his team-leading 22nd point (7g, 8a). Blanco has recorded a goal or an assist in Portland’s last three matches (2g, 1a). Asprilla’s penalty-kick goal was his sixth goal of the season while he tallied his second assist in a second consecutive match. Asprilla registered a goal and an assist in the same match for the sixth time in his career and for a second time against Seattle.
Portland Sweeps Seattle
Tonight’s win marked just the second time the home team has won between the Timbers and Sounders in their last 11 regular season matchups. Portland is unbeaten in three straight matches against the Sounders (3-0-0), dating back to Aug. 29, 2021, outscoring them 7-1 in that stretch. The Timbers swept the series against Seattle this campaign (2-0), marking the first time the Timbers have gone unbeaten against the Sounders in a season since 1981. Blanco and Asprilla both scored against Seattle in a second straight match.
Cascadia Cup Winners
With the win, the Timbers held an unbeaten record against their Cascadia rivals Seattle (2-0-0) and Vancouver (1-0-1) in the 2022 season. Tonight’s victory secured the 2022 Cascadia Cup for Portland for the first time since 2017 and the third time in club history (2022, 2017, 2012). The Timbers scored nine goals in four matches played against Cascadia rivals, the most goals scored by a team against their opponents so far. Dairon Asprilla currently leads the golden boot race with three scored against Seattle and Vancouver this season.
Goal-Scoring Plays
SEA: Yéimar Gómez (Alex Roldán, Nicolas Lodeiro), 8th minute: Nicolas Lodeiro played it wide for Alex Roldán, who set a cross…
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