The 2013 schedule hasn't been released, but most Sounder fans should already know Seattle has a difficult regular season ahead of them.

The MLS regular season will have the same format in 2013, since there are no expansion teams this year. Seattle will face opponents from their own conference three times and teams from the opposing conference once. Seattle will either have two games at home and one game away versus conference opponents or vice verse. This conference format is what the Sounders will struggle with because they will face San Jose, Los Angeles, Salt Lake, and Colorado (four worthy contenders) twice away, since they faced those opponents twice at home last year.

In the Eastern Conference, Seattle will face lethal rivals Sporting KC away in an atmosphere that is typically hard to play in. The other three opponents that will worry Seattle on the road are; rebuilt Philly Union who recently re-recruited franchise leading goal-scorer Sebastian Le Toux, defending Eastern Conference champions Houston Dynamo who are yet to be defeated at their new home venue, and Columbus Crew who have high expectations for 2013. As for home, Eastern Conferences opponents include; New York Red Bulls, a dominate DC United, talented Chicago Fire, and Montreal Impact to kickoff the season.