The Seattle Sounders can potentially clinch a playoff spot tonight if they beat the Houston Dynamo and the Portland Timbers drop points at St. Louis City. Perhaps more important than simply clinching a spot, the Sounders can also keep alive their hopes of home-field advantage in the first round.
Here’s what you need to know:
Injury news
Sounders
OUT: Pedro de la Vega — Quad; Yeimar Gómez Andrade — Hamstring; Nikola Petković — Knee
QUESTIONABLE: Danny Musovski — Head; Paul Rothrock — Hamstring
Dynamo
OUT: Jimmy Maurer – Back; Marcelo Saracchi – Lower Body
QUESTIONABLE: Felipe Andrade – Lower Body; Guilherme – Lower Body; Hector Herrera – Lower Body
Opposition players to watch
Guilherme: The Brazilian midfielder has been an absolute revelation in his first MLS season. He’s a danger from open play, on set-pieces and just about anywhere on the field.
Mateusz Bogusz: The longtime thorn in the side of the Sounders hasn’t had quite the season many expected, but he’s still a dangerous player.
Stats to look smart
17 – The Dynamo have never won a game in their 17 previous trips to Lumen Field. They have a record of 0–13–4.
11 – The Sounders have an 11-game unbeaten streak against the Dynamo that dates back to 2021, a stretch of matches in which they hold a 7–0–4 record.
Tactics to impress
- Once an extremely possession-heavy team, the Dynamo have totally flipped their tactics and now possess the ball less than half the time. Rather than extend possession, they’ll attempt to get the ball in transition and take advantage of players like Guilherme and Bogusz in the open field.
- The Sounders have been pushing their line of confrontation higher and higher at home. Don’t expect that to change today as Houston has been struggling over the last couple of months and could be rattled.
Kit matchup
Opposition research
Edward Stratmann
Standings
Other reading
Sam Fromowitz
Jeremiah Oshan
Charles Boehm
