MLS: Seattle Sounders vs. LAFC Preview, Odds, Prediction

Seattle Sounders and LAFC met on Saturday night at the Lumen Field in Seattle. The guests are topping the Western Conference having a solid lead ahead of all the competitors. Meanwhile, Seattle is on the verge of the playoffs, currently holding the seventh place in the West, with one point more than the Houston Dynamo, but with a game in hand. This is one of those games that could define the entire season, and become a turning point for better or worse. These teams know one another very well, and there aren’t too many secrets between them.

Preview

Seattle Sounders (+115) are in solid shape lately, winning four of the past five events, significantly accelerating compared to the start of the season. But that slow beginning was understandable because Sounders went all-in in the CONCACAF Champions League, and that risk paid off.

They became the first MLS team to win this competition, and after a short break following the finals, they began pounding. Seattle was better than Minnesota United at home, 3-1, then the Dynamo on the road, 0-1, then losing in Denver to Rapids, 1-0, before winning back-to-back events at home, Charlotte, 2-1 and the Whitecaps, 4-0.

The Sounders are very confident at home, where they won four of the past five games and scored at least two goals in each of them. The only failure was in the US Open Cup, where Sounders played 2-2 with the Earthquakes during the regular 90 minutes but lost after the penalties.

LAFC (+210) is in total opposite shape than their upcoming rivals. After an excellent period of games, the boys from LA began losing grip. They were defeated three times in the past five events and won twice.

In all three losses, LA’s defense conceded at least two goals. However, when winning this year, they were scoring two or more hits. Overall, their games tend to have high efficiency, which is why many love watching LAFC.

Six of the past ten were with both teams scoring, and those same games were with over 2.5 hits. The only problem for Steve Cherundolo is the fact that Carlos Vela won’t play this game.

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A few of the Sounders’ players have been called up for the international duties, but all of them are back. Yeimar Gomez is out due to an injury, the same as Joao Paulo. Stefan Cleveland is questionable.

As said, Vela won’t play for the guests, and that is a big blow, because he is arguably the best player in the league. Erik Duenas is out too, the same as Julian Gaines. Franco Escobar and Ismael Tajouri are both doubtful.

Head to Head

The last these two teams met, in October 2021, we saw the LAFC beating the Sounders 3-0 in LA. The last game in Seattle was in May 2021, and the hosts won, 2-0.

Prediction

Seattle is on the rise, and they are in much better shape than the guests, which is why we bet on their win. Plus, Vela and several other valuable players won’t play, which is one more reason to pick the hosts.

Pick: Sounders +115

Here are more MLS previews:

• Nashville SC vs. Sporting Kansas City FC 
• New York Red Bulls vs. Toronto FC