Article author:
Reuters
The Seattle Sounders have survived a hangover by winning the CONCACAF Champions League, undefeated in five of the last six MLS games.
When hosting Sporting Kansas City on Saturday afternoon, they try to continue that trend.
Last weekend, the Sounders visited Los Angeles FC, the leader of the Western Conference, to draw one-on-one, despite the exit of top scorer Raul Ruidías due to a hamstring injury.
The points earned moved the Sounders (6-6-2, 20 points) to the seventh and final playoff position in the west, but the Sounders had at least a game in every other club. I am doing it. meeting.
Sounders (4-1-1 in 6 games) weren't happy with the result yet, but LAFC scored in the 79th minute and Albert Rusnák in Seattle after the match. Rusnák scored in the first half.
"Currently, the match against one of the league's leading teams was very even," said Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei. "So it was a good measuring bar for us. Obviously, there were some disappointments there as we were able to lead, and you got rid of those games and got three points. I want to take it. "
Sporting Kansas City (4-9-4, 16 points) won a spectacular 2-1 win at Nashville SC on a long-distance strike at Grahamzushi last weekend. And got out of the conference cellar.
This was the first road win of the season in Kansas City, finishing 22 undefeated MLS Home wins in Nashville dating back to 2020.
Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes asked if his club was desperate for victory.
"I haven't talked about anything desperate since I came here," Fermes said. "It's what you play and you play in the spirit of winning. You fight for everything and try to get results. That's what we're trying to do weekly, weekly.
Kansas City does not have starters Alan Pulido (knees), Ozzie Cisneros (hamstrings), Nikolavnovich (calves), and Gaddy Kinda (knees).
Since the start of the 2015 season, SKC is the only Western Conference team with a record of winning against the Sounders, leading in eight out of 14 games.
– Field-level media
