The Seattle Sounders start a stretch of three road games in the span of about a week, first facing the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.

Based on how they’ve been training this week, there seems to be a good chance that Ryan Kent will get his first MLS start. It would be the first time since July that he has started a competitive match.

Here’s what you need to know:

Injury news

Sounders

OUT: Paul Arriola - Knee; Jordan Morris - Hamstring; Jackson Ragen - Hamstring

Dynamo

OUT: Lawrence Ennali – Knee; Nelson Quinones – Knee; Andrew Tarbell – Knee

QUESTIONABLE: Duane Holmes – Lower Leg; Jimmy Maurer – Lower Body; Erik Sviatchenko – Lower Body

Opposition players to watch

• Ondrej Lingr: The Designated Player has looked sharp since joining the Dynamo in mid-April. Lingr scored in his debut, followed that up with a goal in his first start and most recently had two assists off the bench in the U.S. Open Cup. Although he’s been playing mostly as a 10, he’s more of a goal-scorer than a facilitator but either way the Sounders will need to account for him.
• Jonathan Bond: The Dynamo goalkeeping situation has been a bit of a mess this year after they made the somewhat questionable decision to let Steve Clark walk. But Bond, who had a previous run in MLS with the LA Galaxy, was signed from Watford and immediately gave the position some stability. He’s a big man who isn’t necessarily the most agile, but he’ll command his box and make the saves he should make.

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Stats to look smart

• -2.3: The Dynamo have the third worst home xGD of any team in MLS at -2.3. That includes losing the xG battle in 4 of 6 games. Their actual record at home is 2-3-1.
• +1.5: Although they’ve been outscored 8-3 on the road, the underlying numbers say the Sounders have been pretty good, maybe even very good. Their xGD in six road games is +1.5, which is second only to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Tactics to impress

• The Dynamo roster was a bit incomplete at the start of the season and it showed in their tactics, as the most possession-heavy team in the league was forced to play against the ball more than they were used to. But in the six games since the Sounders last faced them, the Dynamo have won the possession battle in each game. Expect them to look much closer to the team that pushed the Sounders in last year’s playoffs.
• For most of the year, the Sounders have been playing in a 3-4-2-1 but after moving to a 4-2-3-1 last week it looks like that formation may stick around. Expect Ryan Kent and Paul Rothrock to act much more like traditional wingers in this game.

Kit matchup

Opposition research

Standings

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