For a midweek U.S. Open Cup match, Seattle Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer left his regulars on the bench, and it worked out just fine.
Zach Mathers, who hasn't played for the Sounders during the MLS regular season, and Aaron Kover, who has logged just 36 minutes, each scored a goal as Seattle beat Portland 2-1.
Now Schmetzer has a rested and ready team for Saturday's trip to Yankee Stadium for a meeting with New York City FC.
NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira took a different approach with the Blues' Tuesday Open Cup match with the New York Red Bulls.
Vieira played mostly starters -- including 90 minutes from star David Villa -- but NYCFC lost 1-0.
"When you look at the first half that we played, I think we were well disciplined, well organized. We had chances to score goals," Vieira told the team's website. "When we lost that concentration, we couldn't (score).
"(Seattle) will be an exciting challenge for us. If we are not working together, defending as a team, we are going to have problems."
The Blues (7-5-3) will be without midfielder Maxi Moralez, who was injured in the loss to the Red Bulls.
Villa, the reigning MLS MVP, has scored four of his eight goals this season at home. He said he expects a challenge when the 2016 MLS champs come to town.
"We need the three points," Villa said. "The Sounders are a great team, one of the best in the league. We need to give our best to beat them. We are ready for this challenge."
NYCFC trails first-place Toronto by five points and second-place Chicago by four in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Sounders (5-6-4) enter Saturday's contest in sixth place in the Western Conference, just above the playoffs cut line.
Seattle is just 1-5-2 on the road this season, but has won four of its past five games overall, including Tuesday's U.S. Open Cup victory. In addition, the Sounders get five international players back.
"It's good to have everybody back," Schmetzer told the team's website. "It makes my job a little more difficult, but hopefully results will follow on the field if we have everybody healthy, ready to go."
Clint Dempsey will be back in action for Seattle after playing in two qualifiers with the U.S. National Team. The striker needs two more goals in international play to pass Landon Donovan as the all-time leading U.S. goal scorer.
Dempsey, who missed four months last season after he was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, has four goals in 12 games this season.
"I've always been someone who's been competitive. I'm still competitive now," Dempsey told the Seattle Times. "After going through what I went through, I still want to make the most of my career in the time I have left."
Seattle defender Joevin Jones -- who, playing for his home country of Trinidad and Tobago, faced the U.S. National Team on June 8 -- is also back with the Sounders.
"I'm happy to get back into a rhythm with my teammates," Jones told the team's website. "I think (NYCFC) has a very good attack, they score a lot of goals at home. We have to be aware of that and try to stop the counterattacks."
The Sounders return home on Wednesday to face Orlando City, while New York City has a rematch with the Red Bulls on June 24.
