The 2026 MLS regular season is finally upon us. The Seattle Sounders will open the campaign at home against the Colorado Rapids, a team against whom they’ve enjoyed a ton of success against at home (compiling a 16-2-3 all-time record).

Here’s what you need to know:

Injury news

Sounders

OUT: Pedro de la Vega - Knee; Stuart Hawkins - Quad; Kim Kee-hee - Calf; Ryan Sailor - Knee

Rapids

OUT: Ali Fadal - Abdomen

Opposition players to watch

Rafael Navarro — The big Brazilian forward will once again lead the line. At 25 years old and just two full seasons, he already has 29 career MLS goals and is an absolute hand full. If the Rapids intend to play with the ball as much as new coach Matt Wells says, Navarro will need to be a strong presence.

Paxten Aaronson — The Rapids paid more than $7 million to sign the younger Aaronson brother from the Eredivisie and immediately made him the centerpiece of their offense. The jury remains out on how smart that decision was, as he only made seven appearances last year. At 21 years old, though, there’s probably no reason to panic. Aaronson is very good on the ball and a creative force that must be accounted for.

Stats to look smart

13 — The Sounders allowed 13 more goals in 2025 than they did in 2024. As improved as they were on offense, shoring up the defense is the No. 1 priority this year.

9 — The Sounders have a nine-game home unbeaten streak against the Rapids, dating back to 2016. But the Rapids have secured a point in each of their past two visits to Lumen Field.

Tactics to impress

Brian Schmetzer has talked this preseason about switching from a 3-2 build out to a 2-3 build out. Theoretically, that means the right back will likely join the midfield band while the left back will act as more of a winger. We’ve not had a ton of opportunity to observe this yet, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out or even if its fully implemented.
During the past two seasons, the Rapids built their roster around players who wanted to press and largely play against the ball. Wells has different ideas. He wants to use the Rapids’ elevation as an advantage, forcing opponents to chase. How quickly he’ll be able to implement that sort of change — and translate it to the road — will be a significant question.