The Seattle Sounders head to the Eastern time zone for the first time this season, visiting Atlanta United. It’s been a tough season for the Five Stripes as they currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference.

Here’s what you need to know:

Injury news

Sounders

OUT: Paul Arriola - Knee; Stefan Frei - Head; Stuart Hawkins - Quad; Jordan Morris - Shoulder; João Paulo - Knee; Paul Rothrock - Hand

Atlanta United

OUT: Josh Cohen - Arm; Jay Fortune - Foot

Opposition players to watch

Emmanuel Latte Lathe: After spending more than $20 million to bring in the forward, it’s fair to say that more was expected of Latte Lathe than his seven goals and one assist. Still, he’s a player that is as dangerous as anyone and is capable of a breakout any minute. He’s big, strong, fast and can finish. He’ll be a handful.
Miguel Almiron: Similarly disappointing with three goals and three assists, Almiron still shows flashes of the player he was during both his first stint with Atlanta and at Newcastle United. He likes to play in the pockets and can still run past guys if given a chance.

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Stats to look smart

-.70: How bad has Atlanta United been this year? Not only do they have a -16 goal difference (-.70 per game) but they are doing it while averaging fewer goals scored (1.17) and more goals against (1.87) than in any 34-game season before this. They really are a mess.

-.08: Although the Sounders’ road results haven’t been all that great, their xGD per 90 of -.08 is ninth best in all of MLS. They are currently underperforming their xGD by almost nine goals, which suggests they’ve actually been better than it may seem.

Tactics to impress

One of the calling cards of a Ronny Deila team is their willingness to press high, especially at home. It hasn’t quite worked this year. Despite Atlanta drawing an average line of confrontation at a reasonably high 39 yards from goal, their 27 tackles won in the attacking third ranks dead last. In other words, this is a press ripe for breaking.
The Sounders are one of the few teams in MLS who play very similarly whether they are home or away. Expect that to be even more true against Atlanta, who has struggled to control games. The Sounders won’t mind having the ball at all.