After somewhat slow starts by both teams, the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers head into their first meeting of 2022 in some solid form. The Sounders are 6-2-1 since May 12, have climbed into a playoff spot and are just three points out of third place. The Timbers are 2-0-2 in their last four and are just three points out of a playoff spot, albeit with one or two more games played than virtually the entire field.
For the Timbers, their form seems to have been helped by the return of Jarosu0142aw Niezgoda to the starting lineup.