Minnesota United will set out to strengthen their standing in the Major League Soccer Western Conference's leading pack on Sunday, when they travel to Lumen Field to take on Seattle Sounders.
The visitors have moved back into the top three with a victory and a draw in their last two outings, while their hosts sit 10th with a three-point gap up to the playoff wildcard spots and a four-point gap to the top seven.
Match preview
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Seattle Sounders return to Lumen Field on Sunday with the aim of kickstarting their MLS campaign after enduring a slow start in the Western Conference, following their second-placed finish and run to the second round of the playoffs in 2023.
Indeed, the Sounders currently sit 10th having earned just 18 points from their first 17 outings in 2024, only managing four victories across those games while suffering seven defeats with only two teams in the division netting fewer than their 20 goals thus far.
Brian Schmetzer's side have started to show signs of improvement since the beginning of May, though, picking up three of those wins alongside two draws and a defeat in a six-match span, before most recently adding a single point to their tally in the last two attempts.
They firstly followed up their latest win St Louis City with a 1-1 draw at home to Real Salt Lake, having been pegged back by a 99th-minute leveller from Andres Gomez after Albert Rusnak looked to have fired them to another three-point haul, before most recently falling to a 2-1 defeat away at Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.
Jordan Morris had Schmetzer's men ahead early on in that game, but Johnny Russell's leveller and Alenis Vargas's 85th-minute winner saw them leave empty-handed, and now trailing the playoff spots by three points and the regular playoff places by four, Seattle Sounders will be desperate to put a winning run together for the first time this term in the coming weeks and take a place in the top seven.
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That will be no easy task, though, as the visitors arrive 11 points better off at the top end of the Conference, having enjoyed a pleasing start to the 2024 term after finishing 11th and missing out on the MLS playoffs last time around.
After 16 games of their campaign, the joint-fewest in the Western Conference at this stage, Minnesota United have accumulated 29 points, currently sitting third as a result having picked up eight victories along the way while only suffering three defeats.
The most recently of those losses came away at Los Angeles FC at the end of May, ending a six-match unbeaten streak which produced 14 points, and the Loons quickly bounced back at home to Sporting Kansas City, picking up a 3-1 victory at Allianz Field as Tani Oluwaseyi, Robin Lod and Kervin Arriaga had them 3-0 up before Johnny Russell pulled one back late on for the hosts.
Then aiming to make it back-to-back three-point hauls and a ninth of the campaign, Eric Ramsay's side most recently hosted Dallas last weekend, and they were only able to take a share of the spoils from a 1-1 draw, having gone ahead early through Hassani Dotson, only for Liam Fraser to quickly level the scores.
While a victory would have seen them move second in the table, Minnesota United do remain in a strong position in third spot, one point behind Los Angeles FC and four behind leaders Real Salt Lake with a game in hand, and they will look to extend another unbeaten streak and make a return to winning ways on their travels on Sunday.
Team News
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Seattle Sounders will be unable to call on versatile youngster Reed Baker-Whiting on Sunday, as he will serve a suspension after being sent off for a pair of bookable offences on the left-hand side of their back four in last week's defeat to Sporting Kansas City.
He featured in the absence of first-choice left-back Nouhou Tolo in that game, but the Cameroonian may return from international duty to rejoin Yeimar Gomez, Jackson Ragen and Alex Roldan at the back on Sunday, with Cody Baker primed to step in otherwise.
Joao Paulo and Josh Atencio will fight to join 18-year-old Obed Vargas in the midfield, while Jordan Morris, Albert Rusnak and Cristian Roldan may again line up in a supporting trio behind lone striker Raul Ruidiaz, who leads their scoring charts with seven MLS goals so far this term, taking his tally to 85 goals in 160 appearances for the club.
Minnesota will remain without Tani Oluwaseyi on Sunday, with the key forward, who has contributed seven goals and four assists in the MLS so far this season, away on international duty with Canada, while mainstay midfielder Will Trapp will serve a suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards and Emanuel Reynoso and DJ Taylor will likely remain confined to the treatment room.
In Oluwaseyi's absence, Jordan Adebayo-Smith led the line against Dallas last time out, although Teemu Pukki should return from international duty with Finland in time to start up top at the weekend, as should Robin Lod who may line up on the wing in support of his compatriot.
Bongokuhle Hlongwane may again complete the front line with Sang-bin Jeong offering further attacking support from a wing-back role, while Victor Eriksson will continue to join Michael Boxall and Devin Padelford in a back three in the absence of Kervin Arriaga, who is away with the Honduras national team.
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; A Roldan, Gomez, Ragen, Nouhou; Atencio, Vargas; C Roldan, Rusnak, Morris; Ruidiaz
Minnesota United possible starting lineup:
Irwin; Eriksson, Boxall, Padelford; Jeong, Dotson, Clark, Fragapane; Hlongwane, Pukki, Lod
We say: Seattle Sounders 1-2 Minnesota United
Even with several notable absences throughout their squad, Minnesota United will travel to Seattle with plenty of confidence in the midst of a pleasing run of form, and we see them still having enough to take three more points against a home side lacking any momentum.
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