The Seattle Sounders are hoping to build off an impressive 3-0 win against the LA Galaxy when they host the New England Revolution Saturday night.
Saturday’s cross-conference matchup features two teams sitting on nine points. The Sounders have played just two of their opening seven matches at home, so they will be looking to capitalize on two straight games within the friendly confines of CenturyLink Field.
New England will be without striker Kei Kamara as he has stayed home to await the birth of his child. While the Revs possess considerable talent in the likes of Juan Agudelo, Lee Nguyen, and Diego Fagundez, they face a tall task in being able to even steal a point from their trip to Seattle.
Seattle Sounders
- Current Record (W-L-D): 2-2-3
- Last Time Out: 3-0 win against the LA Galaxy
- Player to Watch for: Joevin Jones. Seattle’s left-back has allegedly drawn interest from teams in Europe and Mexico, and deservedly so. His ability to boost Seattle’s attack through bombing runs, clever through balls, and accurate crosses makes him arguably the best left-back in the league.
- Why They Win: The Sounders are at home and are confident following their best performance of the season. Look for Jordan Morris to perform well in front of the home crowd.
- Why They Won’t: Injury woes. The Sounders are without Brad Evans, Roman Torres, Oniel Fisher, and Chad Marshall for the second straight week. Although the makeshift defense played well last week, they face a stiff test against New England’s attacking talent, even without Kamara.
- Predicted Starting XI:
New England Revolution
- Current Record (W-L-D): 2-3-3
- Last Time Out: 2-2 against D.C. United
- Player to Watch for: Juan Agudelo. Agudelo has had a decent start to the 2017 season with four goals. He was vocal about the team’s disappointment after taking just two points from their last three games, so Saturday will be an opportunity for the forward to help right the ship in the absence of Kamara.
- Why They Win: New England’s best chance at getting a result comes at the expense of a patchwork Seattle back line. If they can absorb the waves of attack Seattle will likely throw at them early, they could find opportunities to punish the Sounders defense on the counter.
- Why They Won’t: Inconsistency in front of goal. While the Revs are capable of scoring goals, they have been incredibly inconsistent so far this season. They have failed to find the back of the net in matches against Colorado, Chicago, and San Jose.
- Predicted Starting XI:
Score Prediction:
How to Watch:
Where: CenturyLink Field
When: Saturday, April 29th, 7:00 pm PT
Channel: MLS Live