The Portland Timbers absolutely demolished their bitter rivals the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field on Thursday night, administering a historic 5-1 beatdown in the Sounders' house under interim coach Jack Cassidy.
Kevin Kelsy started the party in the first half, and Portland exploded for three goals in quick succession from Kamal Miller, Cole Bassett, and Kelsy in the second half. Seattle stole a meager consolation goal via Hassani Dotson, but Alexander Aravena completed the gutting in in second half stoppage time with his first Timbers goal.
Lineups & Prematch
With Portland still yet to announce their new permanent head coach, interim head coach Jack Cassidy was set to make his MLS coaching debut as he led the team against Seattle.
Jack kept it simple, starting a familiar XI. With Juan Mosquera and Kristoffer Velde unavailable, Brandon Bye slotted into right back and Ariel Lassiter got the start opposite Antony on the wing. Kamal Miller got the nod next to returning World Cup hero Finn Surman, and the ageless Diego Chara got the start in the midfield.
With the down nature of Portland's season, combined with the odd nature of the game on a Thursday, this edition of the Great Cascadia Rivalry didn't feel like it had the same level of energy or excitement around it that it usually had.
And yet, as the cannons went off and the stadium filled, the anticipation started to rise. Whatever the form chart or calendar or standings said, this was still the Portland Timbers vs the Seattle Sounders.
Recap & Highlights
Under the discordant din of coordinated claps the second half of Portland's 2026 MLS season got underway in Seattle.
And in case you were under any misconceptions that the first half of the year was good, the literal first minute of the game reminded you that it was indeed: bad
2' Block POR – Surman
Seattle released a winger into an acre of space behind the Portland defense, and after the working the ball around Finn Surman did Finn Surman things and made a key block on a shot that looked destined for the back of the net.
5' Offside SEA – Rothrock
Portland's midfield was once again caught out, as a simple passing sequence carved open the Timbers' shape and release Jesus Ferreira into space. He drove at the backline and laid the ball off, and after James Pantemis saved but spilled the shot Paul Rothrock was there to put away the rebound – only for the goal to be chalked off for offside.
The first ten minutes of the game suggested that we were in for 90 minutes of Seattle running circles around the Timbers. The Sounders were able to exploit space in behind Portland's midfield and fullbacks on multiple occasions. If you were like me, you thought the Timbers were in for a long night.
But fortunately, neither of us are the Timbers. Because after enduing a rough opening they hiked up their pants and buckled down and fought their way back into the match.
And it wasn't just a "scrap your way back into the game" type of fight. No, the Timbers got back into it by playing some soccer.
There was a structure (!) and intention (!!) with the way Portland was playing, and the offense looked like it had a real coordinated plan (!!!) of how they wanted to attack. Kevin Kelsy especially looked lively and impressive, making a great channel run in the 12th minute to get off a shot after a nice feed from Antony.
The Timbers were able to push back the Sounders and limit the space that they had found early in the match. Cole Bassett wreaked havoc on Seattle's backline as he pushed high and cut out the midfield options on the buildout.
Portland fully wrestled back control through some nice soccer. And it paid off for Kelsy.
19' GOAL TIMBERS! – Kelsy (0-1)
After winning the ball back in their own end, the Timbers went back to front in a nice coordinated passing move. The ball pinged around to Fory on the left wing, who put his head down and drove into space. Kelsy got on his horse and made a lung-busting run from almost 70 yards from goal, and sprinted right in between Seattle's centerbacks. The defenders were caught with their pants down, and Fory delivered a sumptuous cross for the onrushing Venezuelan, and Kelsy deftly headed the ball past Andrew Thomas for an astounding opening goal.
It was not undeserved for Portland, as they were dominating the flow of play.
24' Save SEA – Thomas
Portland almost grabbed a second as Antony uncorked a belter from distance. Thomas was equal to it as he tipped it over the bar, but it showed that Portland's control of the game was not a fluke.
However, Seattle would not just roll over, especially in their own house (well, at least not yet).
29' Blocks POR – Pantemis & K. Miller
Paul Rothrock was able to work past Surman and cut a ball into the Timbers' box and to the far post. Pantemis came flying off his line to make an excellent save. The ball spilled to the top of the box and the rebound was sent towards the open goal – only to be met by the head of Kamal Miller who cleared it off the line. Miller celebrated like he had just scored, and by maintaining Portland's one goal lead he had done just as good as one.
He would wind up doing even more and get on the scoresheet – but we'll get to that in a bit.
Back and forth the first half went, with Seattle pushing higher and Portland trying to hit back on the counterrattack. On one of those counters Antony was wrestled down by Jackson Ragen, who was shown a yellow card. The ensuing free kick was inches away from doubling Portland's advantage.
43' Post POR – Lassiter
Ari's free kick banged off the post, and the rebound caught Antony unawares who sent it into the stands.
Even after losing the initiative and enduring Seattle pushing ahead with fervor, Portland held their mettle and showed that they were not set to "pull a Thomas Tuchel" and bunker for their lives. And thus, the Timbers went into the locker room with a more than deserved halftime lead.
HALFTIME: Sounders 0, Timbers 1
For the first time in a long time – maybe for the first time in 2026 – there was much to gush about in a Timbers first half performance. Passes with purpose, attacks with direction, and great on-field adjustments to plug holes and keep the Sounders at bay. And of course, Kelsy's incredible opener of a goal.
But what I want to highlight is exactly what Jack Cassidy talked about during the week: winning the duels. Portland were leading the stat sheet in ground duels won and aerial duels won at halftime. It was an emphasis during the week, and it was something the team executed very well in the first half.
Jeremy Peterman𓅪
I point this out because for one, it encompasses the fight and drive required for a game like this. And for two, because it showcased how this team transformed in just a month's time into an actually well-drilled unit.
All told, Portland had built a great platform on which to build off of in the second half.
And from that platform they would absolutely erupt and lift off in the second half.
The Sounders put in a renewed push to get into the game, but the Timbers were up and ready for it. Ari Lassiter made a key intervention to block a shot from Rothrock at the far post in he 53rd minute, and it was emblematic of the fact that Portland was set to continue their focus and effort they exhibited in the first half.
Three minutes after that block, the Timbers began a visceral gutting of the Seattle Sounders, scoring three goals in seven minutes. Let's run through them all, shall we?
56' GOAL TIMBERS!! – K. Miller (0-2)
After David Da Costa won a free kick in the attacking third, Lassiter lofted a ball towards the back post. Brandon Bye headed it back across the face of goal, and Kamal Miller muscled past his defender to sweep the ball home. A textbook set piece, and Kamal would have his goal to follow up his block, and double Portland's advantage.
Lassiter's set piece service was excellent all night, and it was a just reward that it finally hit paydirt and produced a goal.
60' GOAL TIMBERS!!! – Bassett (0-3)
With Seattle reeling, Portland was all too happy to absorb pressure and hit on the counter attack. And for the first time all season, their counters looked devastatingly lethal. A flowing move saw Portland go back to front, with Chara connecting with Kelsy, who played through Da Costa. David drove into the box and across the top of the penalty area, where he laid the ball off to a wide open Cole Bassett. The midfielder fired home the third goal, and the Timbers were well and truly in dreamland.
That type of textbook and perfectly executed counters was something not seen since the heydays of 2018 or 2021, and Portland chose the perfect night to bring them back.
63' GOAL TIMBERS!!!! – Kelsy (0-4)
Kelsy snagged his brace to complete the flurry. Another great drive forward by Da Costa opened up space for Antony, who DDC found streaking in behind. Antony fizzed in a cross that Thomas got a fingertip to, but the rebound spilled right to Kelsy who tapped it home, putting Nouhou on his backside in the process.
Kelsy (who, no, before you ask, did not get the mythical hat trick tonight) left his stamp on the game with his brace. He also sent dozens, if not hundreds, of Sounders fans heading to the exits with almost a half hour left to play.
At this point, the result was academic. Despite a third of the game left to play, at that point nobody in Lumen Field thought the result would be anything except a Timbers victory.
Things still got a bit spicy in the 80th minute when Seattle was initially awarded a penalty after Antony made contact with Rothrock in the box. But after a VAR intervention, it was adjudged that the contact was outside of the box and the call was changed to a free kick (Rothrock dove anyway and should have been sent off with a second yellow, but hey I guess you can't have everything).
87' Goal Seattle – Dotson (1-4)
It looked like Seattle was going to be able to scrap a small consolation on the evening, as a looping header from Hassani Dotson pulled a goal back and ruined Portland's clean sheet. It was a very good header, to Dotson's credit, that pinged off the far post and in to reduce the margin to three.
But don't you worry, the Timbers would have the last laugh. And it was the one that push the night from legendary to the rarefied air of historic.
90'+8 GOAL TIMBERS!!!!! – Aravena (1-5)
One last counter from the Timbers once again fell to the magic feet of David Da Costa. He drove at the beleaguered Sounders backline and crossed the ball on the deck for Alexander Aravena, who slotted home into the empty net to put a nice little bow on the gutting.
The goal was significant for many reasons. First, it ensured that the last memory Sounders fans would have of the night was a Timbers goal. Second, it brought the margin of victory to four, which equals the greatest margin of a win in this storied win. Third, it made tonight the first time the Timbers had ever scored five goals on the Seattle Sounders.
And fourth, perhaps most importantly, it made history. Tonight was the first time that any team had scored five goals on the Sounders in Lumen Field. Ever. And it was done by the Timbers, the most hated rivals.
If that's not the best note to end on, I don't know what is. Fish. Gutted.
FULL TIME: Sounders 1, Timbers 5
