On Saturday, Seattle Sounders will face Portland Timbers, who are separated by ten points in the Major League Soccer Western Conference table.
Despite a loss to San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, the hosts remain at the top of the division, while their visitors are in 10th place following back-to-back defeats.
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Following a disappointing season in which they finished 11th in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs, Seattle Sounders have had a far more positive start to the 2023 MLS season, currently sitting atop their division with 26 points from 16 league games.
Brian Schmetzer's team has won eight of those games, including five in the first seven games of the season, but they have been unable to maintain that pace afterwards, with 10 points coming from the following nine games.
After having lost to San Jose Earthquakes in midweek, Seattle Sounders' position at the top of the Conference is far from secure, having played the joint-most matches thus far, and with St Louis City and Los Angeles FC both just a point behind with three and four games in hand, they must focus on correcting their form and at the very least ensure they remain at the right end of the table in the coming weeks.
They face a team that is also looking to improve and has not yet found its groove this season.
After collecting just five points in their first seven MLS games, Giovanni Savarese's men saw some improvement between mid-April and mid-May. They picked up three wins in a five-match span culminating in a 3-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps thanks to Franck Boli's early opener and an Evander brace, but they have been unable to sustain that form since.
After dropping to 10th place with only 16 points from 15 games, Savarese's side will be eager to jumpstart their season with a surge in form beginning on Saturday, when they go to the Conference leaders.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers kick-off time
| Date: | Jun 3, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 10:30 pm ET / 7:30 pm PT |
| Venue: | Lumen Field |
Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers face off on Jun 3 at Lumen Field. Kickoff is set for 4:30 pm Eastern Time (ET), or 1:30 pm Pacific Time (PT).
How to watch Sounders vs Portland online - TV channels & live streams
 | Sling TV | Watch here |
 | fuboTV | Watch here |
 | Apple TV | Watch here |
 | FOX | Watch here |
The game will be broadcast live on TV on FS1 and will be available to stream live online through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, Fubo and Sling TV.
Team news & squads
Sounders team news
Seattle Sounders saw their top scorer Jordan Morris suffer an injury midweek and he is expected to miss at least a couple weeks of action.
Seattle Sounders possible XI: Frei; A Roldan, Ragen, Arreaga, Tolo; Rusnak, Paulo; Teves, Lodeiro, Chu; Ruidiaz
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Frei, Cleveland |
| Defenders | Tolo, Arreaga, Andrade, A. Roldan, Cissoko |
| Midfielders | Lodeiro, Rusnak, Chu, Roldan, Paulo, Leyva, Teves |
| Forwards | Montero, Heber, Ruidiaz |
Portland team news
Midfielder David Ayala suffered an ACL injury in Portland’s game against St Louis City and is the latest addition to the team's list of long-term absentees. He will join Tega Ikoba, Eryk Williamson and Felipe Mora in the treatment room at the club and will play no part in the upcoming fixtures.
Portland Timbers possible XI: Ivacic; Mosquera, McGraw, Mabiala, Bravo; D Chara, Paredes; Niezgoda, Evander, Loria; Boli
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Ivacic, Bingham |
| Defenders: | Bravo, Mosquera, Bonila, Zuparic, McGraw, Mabiala, Miller, Rasmussen |
| Midfielders: | Moreno, Asparilla, Blanco, D. Chara, Fogaca |
| Forwards: | Niezgoda |
Head-to-Head Record
The last five games between Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers have ended with four wins for the Timbers and one for the Sounders. It has generally been a high-scoring affair, with 21 goals scored across those five games.