What You’ll Watch

The Seattle Sounders will head east to take on the Philadelphia Union. This will be the one and only regular season meeting between the two teams.

The Union currently sit in second place in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 7-3-2 (23 points in 12 games played; 1.92 ppg) and the Sounders currently sit in second place in the Western Conference with a record of 7-1-4 (25 points in 12 games played; 2.08 ppg). Last time out, Seattle defeated Orlando 2-1 and Philadelphia defeated Toronto 2-1 last Saturday.

This will be the 12th all-time regular season meetings. Overall, Seattle is 4-5-2 with 11 goals scored and 14 conceded. In Chester, Seattle is 0-3-2 with four goals scored and nine conceded, although they did win the U.S. Open Cup final there in 2014.

Tale of the Tape

Seattle

Last Five: W-W-T-T-T

Leading Goal Scorer: Raul Ruidiaz and Jordan Morris, four goals

Assist Leader: Nicolas Lodeiro, seven assists

Philadelphia

Last Five: W-W-W-T-W

Leading Goal Scorer: David Accam, four goals

Assist Leader: Haris Medunjanin, four assists

Injury Report, Suspensions and International Duty

Philadelphia

Out: Matt Freese (oblique strain)

Questionable: Warren Creavalle (left hamstring strain) and Marco Fabian (left ankle sprain/strain)

Suspensions: N/A

International Duty: N/A

Seattle

Out: Jordan Morris (right hamstring strain), Victor Rodríguez (left hamstring strain) and Gustav Svensson (left hamstring strain)

Questionable: Chad Marshall (right knee inflammation)

Suspensions: N/A

International Duty: N/A

Match Officials

REFEREE: Marcos de Oliveira

AR1: Jose da Silva

AR2: Eric Boria

4th: Lorant Varga

VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero

AVAR: Craig Lowry

What to Watch

• Quick: Which team in the Eastern Conference has the most goals? There’s probably a decent chance that you guessed the Union if only because this is their scouting report, but that’s sorta surprising no? Can you name their leading scorer? It’s David Accam, who was just traded ... twice. Their active leading scorer is someone named Kacper Przybylko, who has three goals in just five appearances. After him six different players — most of who you’ve probably not heard of, either — have two. Marco Fabian, the Mexican international who was their big offseason signing, is one of the players with two goals, but they were both penalties and he’s not scored since March 31.
• The point? This team has sorta come out of nowhere to put together one of the best starts to the 2019 season. Most pundits figured this was going to be yet another rebuilding year, especially with Ernst Tanner taking over as the technical director and instituting a new vision that was expected to take some time to produce anything.
• Their defense has also been very good, allowing the fourth fewest goals in the league, despite being down to their third-choice goalkeeper. Carlos Miguel Coronel has started the last two games and has now won all four his MLS appearances after being signed from the Union’s USL affiliate.
• One key has been a remarkable level of stability along their back six. They’ve been able to start the same four defenders in 9 of 12 games and their two more defensive midfielders have each started every game.
• This is not a team that blows you away with skill or speed. But they’ve been very effective and have already beaten some good teams. Especially on short rest, the Sounders may have their hands full.

Projected lineups

Union (4-1-2-1-2): Coronel; Wagner, Trusty, Elliott, Gaddis; Medunjanin, Bedoya, Aaronson, Monteiro; Picault, Przybylko

Sounders (4-2-3-1): Frei; Nouhou, Kim, Torres, Abdul-Salaam; Delem, Roldan; Bwana, Lodeiro, Shipp; Bruin.

How to Watch

Date/Time: Saturday, May 18 @ 4:30 PM

Location: Talen Energy Stadium — Chester, PA

TV: JOEtv

Streaming: YouTube TV, ESPN-plus (out of market)

Radio: 950 KJR AM (English), El Rey 1360AM (Spanish)