PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Raul Ruidiaz scored the go-ahead goal directly off a free kick and the Seattle Sounders went on to beat the rival Portland Timbers 6-2 in a Cascadia Cup match Sunday night.
Ruidiaz and Fredy Montero each scored twice. The Sounders moved into second in the Western Conference behind Sporting Kansas City. Seattle has conceded just 16 goals this season, fewest in the league.
Jimmy Medranda and Nicolas Benezet, in his Sounders debut, also scored. Keeper Stefan Cleveland made seven saves for Seattle (10-3-6, 36 points).
The game marked the return of the Cascadia Cup, the three-way competition between the Sounders, Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. The supporter-created award, decided on points from head-to-head matchups, was suspended last season because the coronavirus prevented capacity crowds from attending matches.
