Sounders tie bitter rival Portland

The Seattle Sounders weren't able to get a win against their bitter rivals, the Portland Timbers, instead settling for the 1-1 tie May 14 at Quest field.

Even with the tie, the Sounders are only six points away from the top spot in the MLS Western Conference. The highly-anticipated game between the Sounders and Portland Timbers broke the attendance record for a soccer match at Qwest field, with 36,593 fans in attendance.

Mid-fielder Alvaro Fern¡ndez scored the first goal in the game, 7 minutes into the second half. The Timbers didn't stay down for long, thanks to a well-played header by Mamadou Danso. Those would be the only two points of the game, as both teams struggled finding the back of the net.

The Sounders would have probably lost their May 14 encounter with the Timbers, without the impressive performance of veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Keller was tested multiple times, coming up with several big saves.

Offensively, the Sounders were able to move the ball up the field but they struggled with the accuracy of their shots. The Sounders managed to take twelve shots at Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins, but only two were on target.

Injuries were also a factor for the Sounders since a couple of players on their roster did not play against the Timbers. Erik Friberg and Mauro Rosales missed the encounter with the Timbers, while Brad Evans had to leave the game due to a groin injury.

For the Sounders, they can't be satisfied with the fact they haven't been able to do more with their current home stretch. Sounders coach Sigi Schmid expressed his disappointment while speaking to reporters after the game.

Schmid said: "The atmosphere was great. You had their fans, which is something you normally don't have, a loud group from the opposing team, so that added to the pageantry of the game, but at the end of the day, we're at home and we need to get three points at home."

Luckily for the Sounders, they still have two more games at home; more than enough to push them right back in the top half of the MLS Western Conference standings.

David has been a fan of the Seattle Sounders for the past 2 years.

Sources:

Anne Peterson,"Timbers and Sounders play to 1-all draw" Associated Press

Player and game information from espn.com