It is nearing desperation time for the Seattle Sounders, who find themselves six points behind the Western Conference playoff line when they host Austin FC on Saturday at Lumen Field.
The Rave Green, who have never missed the MLS Cup playoffs, ended a five-match losing run last Sunday, beating the Houston Dynamo 2-1, while Austin have lost three of their previous four games, dropping a 3-0 decision to Nashville SC last weekend.
Match preview
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In a season which has never really got on track, the reigning CONCACAF Champions League winners showed in their last encounter that they are not ready to throw in the towel just yet.
When Daniel Steres put the Dynamo in front after 26 minutes, it appeared as though this team were headed to another defeat before a second-half substitution by Brian Schmetzer seemed to turn the tide in the Sounders favour.
There is still a long way to go for Seattle to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in their MLS history, as they have the Los Angeles Galaxy and Portland Timbers to overtake.
With five matches remaining for them in the regular season and a game in hand on Portland, the message from Schmetzer to his team should be simple, win.
When you look at their schedule down the stretch, you would not put it past this team to get hot in the nick of time, as three of their final five games are against teams who are currently behind them in the Western Conference table (the Vancouver Whitecaps, Sporting Kansas City and the San Jose Earthquakes).
An inability to elevate their play at critical junctures could prove to be their undoing as the Sounders have had numerous matches this year that were right there for the taking, losing 13 encounters by a single goal, which equates to 39 points dropped.
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After a statement victory over the Supporters' Shield leaders, Los Angeles FC (4-1), the Verde and Black have failed to keep that momentum alive, losing consecutive matches for the first time since early May.
They began the month of September poorly, failing to score in an MLS encounter for the first time in nearly four months (May 8), as their hopes of catching the Black and Gold for first place in the West are looking obsolete, seeing as Austin currently trail LAFC by nine points with five matches remaining.
In the big picture, though, those are minor hiccups in what has been a remarkable sophomore campaign for Josh Wolff and his team, who are two wins away from officially clinching their first postseason berth in franchise history.
Among the many keys to their success in 2022 has been their ability to move the ball out from the back quickly and efficiently, while their quality in the attacking third has rarely let them down, scoring the most goals (60) among Western Conference sides heading into this weekend's action.
Austin have only captured one of their last four domestic affairs on the road, while they have yet to earn a victory against the Sounders in three previous meetings, drawing them 0-0 in their lone visit to Lumen Field last year.
The Verde and Black have been contained for long stretches of numerous matches this season before exploding in the latter stages, scoring 10 goals in the final 10 minutes of an MLS affair over this campaign.
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Team News
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It must have felt like an eternity, but Nouhou Tolo scored his first MLS goal in his 149th appearance last weekend and it could not have come at a better time for the Sounders, with the Cameroonian defender also setting up the winner from Fredy Montero, who became the first Seattle substitute to score a winning goal for them in 35 straight contests including the playoffs.
The Sounders appeared to have missed an opportunity to win their match against Houston when Nicolas Lodeiro failed to convert from the spot in the 75th minute, the first penalty miss of his career.
Jordan Morris, who is tied with Raul Ruidiaz for the most tallies for the Rave Green this season (seven), saw his goalless streak extended to three consecutive games last weekend.
Cristian Roldan continues to recover from his groin surgery, Andrew Thomas and Obed Vargas are out with lower back stress fractures, while Joao Paulo will not see the field again this season because of a right ACL tear.
Austin striker Sebastian Driussi had his scoring streak halted at seven games last Saturday as Nashville talisman Hany Mukhtar stole the show, scoring a brace to move beyond the Argentine for first in the Golden Boot race, having tallied one more goal (21) than the number seven for the Verde and Black
Diego Fagundez leads Austin with 11 assists in 2022, one more than Ethan Finlay, while their second-leading scorer Maximiliano Urruti has not tallied away from home since July 4.
Moussa Djitte received a second caution deep into injury time against Nashville, which means that he will be suspended for this match, Freddy Kleemann remains out with a left knee injury and Emiliano Rigoni is still looking to make his first start since joining the Texans at the end of July from Sao Paulo.
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; Gomez, Arreaga, Tolo, A. Roldan; Rusnak; Rowe, Atencio, Lodeiro; Morris, Ruidiaz
Austin FC possible starting lineup:
Stuver; Kolmanic, Gabrielsen, Cascante, Gallagher; Pereira, Ring; Fagundez, Driussi, Finlay; Urruti
We say: Seattle Sounders 1-2 Austin FC
For whatever reason, the Sounders have not been nearly as sharp or consistent at Lumen Field in 2022, losing five home matches this season, and one comeback victory is not enough to convince us that this team have resolved all of their issues.
Keeping Driussi off the scoresheet for one game is quite an achievement given his form throughout the campaign, but he and his Austin teammates are rarely held in check for an extended period.
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