Portland Timbers (13th in MLS, 14 pts) take on Seattle Sounders in a Cascadia Cup clash Thursday, with Jack Cassidy making his debut as interim head coach after Phil Neville’s departure. The Timbers, struggling with a -6 goal difference and winless in their last three meetings with Seattle, could extend their losing streak to three if they fail to break their recent slump.

What’s at stake for Portland Timbers?

This match marks Cassidy’s first game in charge, replacing Phil Neville after the club parted ways during the break. The Timbers sit 18 points behind league leaders Vancouver Whitecaps and have lost their last two matches, including a 3-1 home defeat to San Jose Earthquakes. Their next fixture is an away trip to Sporting Kansas City on October 11, where they’ll need to climb the table fast.

How Seattle Sounders are faring

Seattle, meanwhile, have dropped points in four of their last five league games and sit sixth in the Western Conference. Their attack has been stifled, scoring just 17 goals this season—the third-fewest in the conference—and failing to find the net in their last two matches. A win here would be crucial to avoid consecutive home defeats in the Cascadia Cup for the first time since May 2023.

Key injuries and lineups

Seattle’s Paul Arriola, Yeimar Gomez Andrade, and Pedro De la Vega are all dealing with injuries, while Portland’s Omir Fernandez, Diego Chara, and Jose Caicedo face doubts. Seattle’s lineup includes Albert Rusnak and Cristian Roldan, who made their debuts against LAFC. Portland’s starting XI features Antony, who scored his second goal of the season in their loss to San Jose.

Prediction: Portland Timbers edge Seattle Sounders

With Seattle struggling for creativity and Portland’s new coaching dynamic, the visitors could capitalize. The Timbers have only gone pointless once in their last four meetings with Seattle, and Cassidy’s arrival might provide the spark needed to break their recent run of poor results.

Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup: Thomas; Kossa-Rienzi, Kee-Hee, Ragen, Tolo; C. Roldan, Dotson; Ferreira, Rusnak, A. Roldan; Morris Portland Timbers possible starting lineup: Pantemis; Bye, Surman, Miller, Fory; Ortiz, Da Costa, Bassett; Lassiter, Kelsy, Antony