PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — They say big players show up for big games. Portland Timbers striker Brian Fernandez lived up to that and more Sunday night against the Sounders in what the MLS dubs “Rivarlry Weekend.” The Timbers beat Seattle 2-1 in a heated match that saw both teams pushing and shoving after the final whistle.
The Argentinian forward signed for the Timbers several games into the 2019 season. He has been nothing short of a revelation ever since, scoring his seventh and eighth goals in just nine MLS matches this season, overtaking fellow forward Jeremy Ebobisse top top the Timbers goal scoring list.
Fernandez now has four goals against the Sounders this season, when factoring in the brace he scored against Portland’s Cascadia rivals in the U.S. Open Cup match on June 12. Fernandez has now scored 11 goals in all competitions since joining the Timbers in May.
The win in Seattle Sunday night set a bit of team history for the Timbers. It’s the first time since Portland joined MLS that the team has won back-to-back regular season games in Seattle. Portland has won four in a row against their rivals to the north, when including last season’s playoff match and this year’s U.S. Open Cup game.