- Betting odds: FC Cincinnati are the narrow betting favorites at 1.98.
- Away odds: Seattle Sounders are 3.57 to win with the draw 4.07.
- Recent form: FC Cincinnati have won three of their last five matches, drawing once and losing once.
Style clash should favour Cincinnati’s counter-punching
Recent form:
FC Cincinnati should edge out Seattle Sounders in a close game at TQL Stadium on Saturday when two clubs with very different styles and recent histories come face to face. The Orange and Blue come into this game off a 1-2 home defeat to CF Atlas Guadalajara in the CONCACAF Leagues Cup and a 1-1 draw away to Orlando City SC in the MLS, while the Rave Green have followed a 0-0 home win over Gallos Blancos Queretaro in the same competition with a 0-2 loss to CD Chivas de Guadalajara.
Coach and tactics:
Pat Noonan has been a remarkable addition to the Cincinnati staff since he took over in December 2021 and he has quickly transformed the Orange and Blue into a solid, compact 3-5-2 side that can overload wing-backs and play with enough tempo to counter-attack at pace.
Key points:
The Sounders' style could not be more different as Brian Schmetzer has been successful with a flexible system that can play build-out soccer, press effectively and play vertically with speed. Seattle's recent form is poor, however, with just one win and four defeats in their last five games, but Cincinnati are having a good season and enter this clash with a return of six wins, two draws and two defeats in their last 10 in all competitions.
- Evander Ferreira, who tops the Cincinnati scoring charts with 11 MLS goals in 17 appearances this season, is the catalyst for their play and gives the home side a real cutting edge in the final third.
- Cincinnati are the betting favorites and should take some beating at TQL, where they have won six and lost just one of their first seven home assignments in all competitions.
- Seattle are without an away win in five attempts in all competitions and have averaged just 0.40 goals a game while conceding 2.00 on their travels.
Home side the value
This matchup looks like a classic style battle on paper with Cincinnati most effective on the counter and Seattle more suited to possession-based pressing games. There are no standout bets to be found in the Asian Handicap or the goal markets, however, so we are looking to make some money on a straight wager.
The home base is strong enough to take the favorite tag, but at similar odds we would like to take Cincinnati or draw because the Sounders' struggles away from home have been too severe to ignore.
