Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers: Everything You Need to Know

The Seattle Sounders are playing the Portland Timbers on Thursday. This is the first of two times they will meet during the regular season (the main part of the year where teams play to see who is best). Here is a super simple guide to the game and all the fun stuff around it!

When and Where

• Kickoff (start time): 7:30 p.m. PT (Pacific Time)
• Place: Lumen Field (the Sounders’ home stadium)
• Tickets: You can grab them here

Where to Watch and Listen

• Watch: The match is on Apple TV — like Netflix but for this game!
• Listen (English): 93.3 KJR FM radio
• Listen (Spanish): El Rey 1360AM radio

Team Stats (Like Report Cards)

2026 MLS Standings (how teams rank in the league):

• Sounders: 7 wins, 3 losses, 3 ties (24 points, 6th in the West)
• Timbers: 4 wins, 8 losses, 2 ties (14 points, 13th in the West)

Form Guide (their last 5 games, newest first):

• Seattle: LLWDD (Lost, Lost, Won, Drew, Drew)
• Portland: LLDWL (Lost, Lost, Drew, Won, Lost)

Important Point: A "draw" (shown as D) means the game ended in a tie. "PT" means Pacific Time, the time zone on the West Coast of the U.S.

Previous Meeting

The Sounders beat the Timbers 1-0 at Lumen Field on October 4, 2025. The only goal was scored in the 16th minute by Pedro de la Vega. You can read about him here.

Back to the Field After a Break

• Return to MLS Action: Thursday is the Sounders’ first game in 53 days! Their last game was vs. LAFC on May 24. Then MLS (the league) paused so players could go to the FIFA World Cup (the biggest soccer tournament in the world).
• Seattle Shows Off: Seattle hosted six World Cup matches, including two U.S. games. The stadium had four group games, a Round of 32 game, and the U.S. loss to Belgium in the Round of 16. It was like a big show-and-tell for Seattle’s beauty and soccer fans! More here.
• World Cup Returnees: Both teams sent one player to the World Cup (a league-record 45 MLS players went). Seattle’s Cristian Roldan made the U.S. team for the second time. Portland’s Finn Surman started all three games for New Zealand and scored their only goal in a 3-1 loss to Egypt.
• Ragen Makes All-Star Team: Sounders defender Jackson Ragen is having a great year and made his first MLS All-Star Game (a game with the best players). He helped Seattle allow only 11 goals — the fewest in the league!

Special Ceremony

Circle of Legends: Kasey Keller (Player), Sigi Schmid (Coach), and Jimmy Gabriel (Builder) were elected to the Eternal Sounders Circle of Legends. They are the first picked by the full fan/club process. They will be honored before Thursday’s match. They join the 1974 NASL Sounders team from 2024. Info here.

Rivalry Week Fun

• Build a Bonfire: Both Seattle teams beat Portland teams this week! The Seattle Reign (women’s team) won 2-0 over Portland Thorns on Sunday.
• New Man in Charge (Timbers): Portland fired Coach Phil Neville last month. New temporary coach Jack Cassidy takes over for this game. He was coaching the Timbers’ young team earlier this year.
• Defensive Holes (Timbers): Portland has allowed 28 goals (3rd worst in the West) and only kept a clean sheet (no goals allowed) once in 14 games.

Player to Watch: Cole Bassett (Midfielder)

Portland got Bassett in the offseason (break between seasons) for up to $3.7M. He previously played for Colorado and in the Netherlands. With Portland, he has 2 goals and 3 assists in 10 games.

Summary

The Seattle Sounders host the Portland Timbers on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. PT at Lumen Field. Watch on Apple TV or listen on radio. Seattle is higher in the standings and just hosted the World Cup. Portland has a new coach and shaky defense. Before the game, three legends will be honored. It’s a big rivalry match after a long break!

FAQ

1. What time is the Sounders vs. Timbers game?
It starts at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday at Lumen Field.

2. How can I watch the match if I don’t have cable?
You can stream it on Apple TV using the link provided above.

3. Why haven’t the Sounders played in 53 days?
MLS paused for the FIFA World Cup, and Seattle hosted matches during that break.

4. Who is the new Timbers coach?
Jack Cassidy is the interim (temporary) head coach for this game after Phil Neville left.

5. What is the Circle of Legends?
It’s a hall of fame for Seattle Sounders greats; three new people are added before Thursday’s match.