FULL-TIME: The Sounders’ playoff hopes are hanging by the thinnest thread after they came-from-behind to salvage a 1-1 tie with FC Cincinnati while playing much of the second half down a man on Tuesday. The Sounders will be eliminated from playoff contention if they drop another point and would still need several teams to slip up rather significantly.

SOUNDERS 1, FC CINCINNATI 1: Fredy Montero scored an absolute banger, taking a pass from Kelyn Rowe near the top of the box, spinning and beating FCC goalkeeper Roman Celentano to the near post.

SOUNDERS 0, FC CINCINNATI 1: Brenner got behind the Sounders defense far too easily and slotted his shot past Stefan Frei in the 25th minute.

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As if playing without six of their regular starters wasn’t enough of a challenge, the Seattle Sounders will also face an FC Cincinnati side that is among the hottest in MLS. Yes, the team that was coming off three straight last-place finishes — the first time that’s ever happened in MLS history — seems to be hitting their stride for what looks to be their first-ever postseason.

Since dropping a 4-3 decision away to CF Montreal on May 28, FC Cincinnati has lost just one game. That’s a stretch of 17 in which they’ve gone 5-1-11, including a 10-game unbeaten run in which they’re 4-0-6.

That’s mostly on the strength of their offense, which has scored 56 goals, including 25 during this 10-game stretch. They’re a bit weaker on defense, having allowed 50 goals.

Notes

• The only other time the Sounders have faced FC Cincinnati was in 2019. The Sounders won that game 4-1, the first match in Cincinnati’s MLS history.
• Having already set a club record for most losses in a season (16), the Sounders would need to win out in order to avoid finishing with their lowest point total in a full season (47 in 2009, when they only played 30 matches).

Absences: Injury, international duty and suspension

Seattle

QUESTIONABLE: Cristian Roldan (groin surgery)

OUT: João Paulo (R ACL tear); Andrew Thomas (lower back stress fracture); Obed Vargas (lower back stress fracture); Nicolas Lodeiro (yellow card accumulation)

INTERNATIONAL DUTY: Raul Ruidiaz (Peru); Jordan Morris (USA); Nouhou (Cameroon); Xavier Arreaga (Ecuador); Alex Roldan (El Salvador); Reed Baker-Whiting (USA U-19s)

Cincinnati

QUESTIONABLE: Allan Cruz (leg)

OUT: Ronald Matarrita (leg); Beckham Sunderland (concussion protocol); Kenneth Vermeer (torn pectoral muscle)

INTERNATIONAL DUTY: None

Officials

REF: Rubiel Vazquez; AR1: Mike Rottersman; AR2: Jeremy Hanson; 4TH: Alex Chilowicz; VAR: Malik Badawi; AVAR: Nick Uranga

How to Watch

Match date/kickoff time: Tuesday, 7:08 PM PT

Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle

Online Streaming: Amazon Prime (affiliate link, in-market), ESPN+ (affiliate link, out of market)

Local English TV: Fox13+ (Costigan, Keller, Zakuani)

Local Radio: 93.3 KJR-FM Seattle, iHeartMedia (Costigan, Keller, Zakuani)

National radio: SiriusXMFC

Local Spanish Radio: El Rey 1360 AM (Rodriguez, Maqueda, Tapia)

Local Spanish TV: KUNS-TV Univision-Seattle

International TV:

Australia & New Zealand: beIN Sports Australia

Brazil: DAZN (Brazil)

China: China Sports Media

China (Closed-Circuit TV): Star Sports

Czech Republic: Czech Republic & Slovakia

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain: DAZN (Europe)

Hungary: Network4

India: Eurosport

Isreal: Charlton

Latin America: ESPN Latin America

Netherlands: ESPN Netherlands

Southeast Asia: beIN Sports Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa: ESPN Africa

Sweden: C-More

Ukraine: Football 1

United Kingdom & Ireland: Sky Sports & Free Sports

Lineups

Highlights will be posted as the match progresses.

This is Seattle Sounders vs. FC Cincinnati; watch with us

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