The Seattle Sounders begin their MLS Playoffs journey tonight when they play Minnesota United in Game 1 of their best-of-3 series. The Sounders finished the regular season as the No. 5 seed, with Minnesota coming in at No. 4.

Here’s what you need to know:

Injury news

Sounders

OUT: Paul Arriola - Knee; Pedro de la Vega - Knee

QUESTIONABLE: Ryan Kent - Hamstring; Kim Kee-hee - Calf

Minnesota

OUT: Carlos Harvey - Knee

Opposition players to watch

Joaquín Pereyra: No player is more important to the way the Loons attack than their No. 10. Pereyra had six goals and eight assists and is on the ball for virtually every attacking set-piece, which is the key component of United’s attack.

Kelvin Yeboah: After missing most of the last month of the season, it looks like the striker will be fit enough to start. Yeboah’s presence is key for the Loons as he gives them a genuine No. 9 that they are otherwise missing.

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Stats to look smart

14 — The Sounders went 14-1-2 against Minnesota United in their first 17 meetings. But this year, the Loons have won both meetings, scoring a 3-2 win at Seattle and more recently a 1-0 win at Allianz Field.

+9.7 — Dayne St. Clair posted the second best post-shot xGA in MLS this year, saving the Loons nearly 10 goals over what would otherwise be expected.

Tactics to impress

The Sounders’ natural tendency is to control the game through progression. But they’ve done that twice against Minnesota to frustrating results. In this game, the Sounders will most likely look for opportunities to get into transition, even if it means giving up some of their possession.
No team in MLS history has wanted less of the ball than Minnesota. Their general tactic is to defend deep, looking for counter-opportunities and be absolutely ruthless on set-pieces.