Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders: Preview, TV schedule and how to watch online

Major League Soccer's most high-profile rivalry resumes on Saturday when the Portland Timbers take on the Seattle Sounders. At the moment, it doesn't look like a battle between two of the league's elite, but rather one between two fringe playoff sides struggling to figure out their best team.

Neither side has looked like an MLS Cup contender in the early going, with Portland looking particularly disappointing. They drew their first two games of the season at home against average opposition -- Philadelphia and Chicago -- then proceeded to lose consecutive road games against the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas, two teams that might rival them for a playoff spot this season. Seattle have been slightly better, but disappointed in losses to Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew. If either side gets all three points on Saturday, it could be the catalyst that gets their season going. A loss -- for Portland more so than Seattle -- could be disastrous, even in a league with as many playoff spots as MLS.

All of Steven Evans, Rodney Wallace and Donovan Ricketts is out for Portland. Kalif Alhassan, Darlington Nagbe and Steve Zakuani have been listed as questionable. One of Alhassan or Zakuani will probably be rested simply because they're both wingers, but it would be stunning to see Nagbe not start this match. Seattle's only certain absence is backup defender Damian Lowe, but Andy Rose and Brad Evans are questionable. Evans was pulled from USMNT camp because of injury, presumably because Schmid wanted to make sure he was fit to play this match. Clint Dempsey has missed the last two matches for Seattle but returns from suspension for this game.