It was a Cascadia clash for the ages, with the buzz from the Seattle Sounders' stunning 6-2 win over the Portland Timbers lasting well into the night and over Monday morning coffee.
We’ve given you three takeaways from the match, and you can watch the highlights here. But what are some of the biggest talking points from Providence Park?
Here are a few.
He wasn’t brought to Seattle for his goal-scoring prowess, but Jimmy Medranda's ability to score a banger was on full display in the 77th minute. Medranda connected with Joao Paulo's corner kick, thrashing a left-footed volley in off the crossbar to extend the Sounders' lead to 4-2.
Before Medranda’s golazo, Raul Ruidiaz broke a 2-2 deadlock with a right-footed free kick that nearly broke the crossbar. Ruidiaz later added another to give him a league-leading 13 tallies on the year, though his first rifle left Portland goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic rooted to his spot.
After their stunning second-half goals output turned a tense derby match into a lopsided road victory, Seattle players took to social media to bask in the glory. Wouldn’t you?
And lest we forget, a post-match sing-a-long.
It wasn’t just players and fans talking about the match, though. Former players, some of whom have made the transition to punditry, expressed their opinions on the memorable 90-plus minutes in Portland.
There are a few necessary ingredients to any good rivalry match – a general dislike between the teams, a loud, passionate fan base, and a giant tifo unfurled before the encounter.
After too many matches played behind closed doors or in front of limited crowds, a pregame tifo in front of a packed house had all the feels (and a Sounders dig).
