The Seattle Sounders took a while to get going on Sunday, but once they did, the Portland Timbers had no answer.
The Seattle Sounders got off to a rough start on Sunday, were robbed by Donovan Ricketts on a couple of occasions and failed to take their early chances. And yet, the Portland Timbers were no match for their Cascadia rivals, who were able to coast to a 2-0 victory once they scored.
Clint Dempsey returned for Seattle in this game and scored the winner, finishing off a set piece scramble on Seattle's third shot on goal in the 70th minute. He wasn't particularly dangerous in the first half, but the Sounders -- and Dempsey in particular -- started to look excellent going forward once Obafemi Martins replaced Chad Barrett in the 51st minute.
Barrett provided some serious work rate, but not much else in a first half that featured very few chances for either team. By the time halftime rolled around, it was clear that both teams were going to have to make changes if they wanted to score.
Seattle did just that, and they looked sharp even before their substitution. Ricketts made a great stop on a header by Gonzalo Pineda in the 47th minute, uncharacteristically set up by an overlapping run and left-footed cross by Jalil Anibaba. Lamar Neagle had a nice chance of his own from the edge of the box three minutes later, but didn't hit his shot hard enough, making for an easy save.
Dempsey had a pair of chances to score just before the hour mark, but failed to take both. He had a shot parried away by Ricketts in the 55th minute, then missed what should have been a tap-in four minutes later, reacting slowly to a header by Zach Scott towards the far post that he should have been able to get to.
But Deuce eventually got his goal, capitalizing on a mistake by Portland midfielder Will Johnson. Ricketts made a pair of saves after a free kick into the box from the left wing, resulting in the ball being cleared to the edge of the box, but Johnson never left the post. His slow reaction kept Dempsey onside when the ball was hit back towards goal, and he was in the perfect spot to finish.
Portland almost scored a brilliant equalizer when substitute Gaston Fernandez struck the post from 30 yards, but they were caught admiring their own work. Less than a minute later, their defense was caught in shambles as Marco Pappa dribbled through a crowd, cut back to fool Ricketts, then passed an easy finish into the back of the net to seal Seattle's win.
Seattle: Frei, Anibaba, Scott, Marshall, Yedlin, Pappa (Azira 87'), Pineda, Alonso, Neagle, Dempsey (Remick 90'), Barrett (Martins 51')
Goals: Dempsey (70'), Pappa (86')
Portland: Ricketts, Villafaña, McKenzie, O'Rourke, Harrington (Alhassan 83'), Johnson, Jewsbury, Zakuani (Wallace 63'), Valeri (Fernandez 74'), Nagbe, Adi
Goals: None