Sounders get Dallas next

The Seattle Sounders were doubly interested observers Thursday when the Portland Timbers faced Sporting Kansas City in an MLS Western Conference play-in game.

Not only were the Sounders entertained by the Timbers’ win on penalty kicks, but the result also determined their next playoff opponent. The result sends the Sounders into a home-and-away, aggregate-score conference semifinal series with top-seeded FC Dallas.

The first match will be played at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at CenturyLink Field before resolving Nov. 8 in Texas. A Portland loss would have paired the Sounders with Vancouver.

“I don’t think there was a lot of difference between Dallas and Vancouver,” Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. “They’re both teams with similar traits. They both play a 4-3-2-1. They both rely on fast wingers. They both look to counterattack. So I think it was very similar. It just means we’ve got a farther flight, where we’ve got to fly instead of busing.”