Everything you need to know about Sounders-Austin FC

The Seattle Sounders will be trying to end a seven-game losing streak in league play and hoping to at least get a point for the first time in more than 100 days. They’ll be facing an Austin FC team that seems as good of a candidate to stop their skid as any they’ll face in the next six weeks or so.

Austin comes into this game without a road win in 11 tries across all competitions this year, the only MLS team to be winless away from home at this point in the season. They’re also in the midst of some serious fixture congestion, as they’ll be playing their sixth match in 19 days with three more scheduled in the next 10.

Here’s what you need to know:

Injury news

Sounders

OUT: Paul Arriola — Calf; Pedro de la Vega — Quad; Hassani Dotson — Hamstring; Jesús Ferreira — Hamstring; Yeimar Gómez Andrade — Calf; Jordan Morris — Quad; Nikola Petkovic — Knee

QUESTIONABLE: Cristian Roldan — Quad

Austin FC

OUT: Owen Wolff — Ankle

Opposition players to watch

Ervin Torres: The 18-year-old midfielder should be a familiar name to Sounders fans as it was his clever assist that set up the game-winner in their previous meeting. Torres also scored his first MLS goal in Austin's last game and could be in line for another start.

Brandon Vazquez: The big striker has mostly been a disappointment since returning to MLS on a DP contract, but he remains a handful. Vazquez has slowly been rounding himself into form.

Stats to look smart

11 – Austin FC have been absolutely dire on the road. Not only are they 0–7–3 in league play away from Q2 Stadium, but they also lost their only U.S. Open Cup road game when they fell to Louisville City.

3 – The Sounders are currently on a three-game home losing streak in league play, tying a record they set in 2016. They’ve never gone four straight league games at home without a point.

Tactics to impress

Austin FC has fallen in love with a 5–2–3 formation that uses two inverted wingbacks. It’s an odd system but one that has the potential to create dynamic play through the middle of the field.
The Sounders have at times toyed with their own version of the 3–4–3 but Brian Schmetzer has so far resisted calls to implement it to start the game. Will be interesting to see if today's the day he gives in.