Nothing like a first-place battle in late August to throw some added spice on to a Sounders rivalry with the Portland Timbers that doesn’t need much script-making to begin with.
It’s the first time the two teams have played a head-to-head match this late in the season when ranked 1-2 in the Western Conference. And for Sounders star Clint Dempsey — leading the series with nine goals scored since 2013 — Sunday night’s CenturyLink Field battle for supremacy in the standings has him revved up even more than usual.
“It’s a game that means a lot because of where we sit at the table,’’ Dempsey said.