Season sweep.
The Portland Timbers made memories on Saturday night, securing a second-straight win over the Seattle Sounders to complete the 2026 sweep of their Cascadia Cup foes, with an impressive 2–1 win in front of the Providence Park faithful.
Just over two weeks after throttling the Sounders 5–1 at Lumen Field, the Timbers secured a third win in the last four games, with major moments seemingly coming in every match.
Three games ago it was the historic win at Seattle, last week an emotional goodbye to club legend Felipe Mora, who scored a brace in a 2–1 win over Real Salt Lake, and now, another win over Seattle, to give their biggest rivals a sixth-straight loss for the first time in MLS history.
Under interim head coach Jack Cassidy, who took over after the club parted ways with former boss Phil Nevile in May, the Timbers sit eighth in the Western Conference, moving ahead of the Sounders and into an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spot.
“I've heard I won't have to buy a drink anymore. That's the rumor,” said Cassidy, who is set to leave his post once newly appointed permanent boss Marti Cifuentes arrives.
“It's been an amazing time... we were a little bit more adrift than we wanted to at the [start of the World Cup] break, so it's just credit to [the players’] hard work.”
Bye’s special winner
For offseason acquisition Brandon Bye, Saturday’s win was a moment he won’t soon forget. With the game trekking towards a draw after Kevin Kelsy had tied the match ahead of halftime, the former New England Revolution fullback smashed a shot from distance, beating Andrew Thomas and securing all three points.
“It's fun. I was checking out the goal, since guys are playing it on the TV and in the locker room, so seeing that again was cool, because honestly, in the moment, you kind of understand how it happens, but not really. You're just, you feel it hit the back of the net, and you go celebrate,” he said of his first goal since 2024 and 11th in 210 career MLS matches.
“It's been a while; I didn't get one last year, so I'm excited to score.”
Atmosphere never fails
After scoring his first goal with the Timbers, Bye got the famous opportunity to hold a wooden slab in front of the Timbers’ Army in celebration after the victory, after being stunned by the atmosphere that Providence Park offers on a Cascadia night.
“When Brandon's goal hit the back of the net, I had a perfect view, and I just sat in my seat at the time, and I just saw it whistle in the bottom corner,” Cassidy said. “It was an amazing moment, amazing noise. It's a special atmosphere here. It's different from any other stadium, and we could hear it even before the lads came out to warm up, and I will remember that moment for a long time.”
While the stadium is far from the largest in MLS, it was packed to the brim with over 24,000 fans, with ample Seattle support on one end and the passionate Timbers fans gleefully enjoying a walk in a Timbers wonderland at the other.
“It was electric,” said Bye. “Every game has been, but particularly tonight, it was amazing...The fans really came out and showed out.”
Now in immense form, hope only rises for Portland, as they seek a deep run in Leagues Cup 2026 with Phase One matches against Puebla, Club América, and Club Tijuana.
