Seattle Sounders vs Minnesota United

Lumen Field sets the stage for a top-half Western Conference clash between familiar Major League Soccer rivals Seattle Sounders and Minnesota United. 

Primed for another playoff qualification, Seattle Sounders headed into this round in fourth in the Western Conference table after winning their last two league matches via an identical 1-0 scoreline. Despite narrow victories, the Sounders are back on track after back-to-back winless games (D1, L1) and could overthrow third-placed Minnesota with another win. However, they’d have to do something they’ve failed all season and win three consecutive MLS outings! There’s no better place than Lumen Field to achieve that milestone, as they’ve won their last four home league fixtures – three of which without conceding. Furthermore, they’ve won all nine MLS H2Hs on this ground, suggesting this could be a walk in the park for Brian Schmetzer’s side. 

Lumen Field has not been a happy hunting ground for Minnesota United by any stretch of the imagination. However, they’ll look to turn their fortunes around after stitching together a four-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W2, D2). That said, the visitors have only won one of their last four MLS games (D2, L1), scoring just once in those three winless outings! Moreover, Eric Ramsay’s men have delivered a mixed bag of performance on the road this season (W3, D3, L2) despite conceding an average of 0.87 goals per away league match. Indeed, a lack of firepower has seen them fail to find the net on three of their last four MLS travels (W1, D2, L1).