- Seattle form: Seattle Sounders have drawn five consecutive games in all competitions (W1, D5, L4).
- Minnesota form: Minnesota United have lost four consecutive games in all competitions (W2, D2, L6).
Sounders can shut out the Loons at the Lumen Field
Recent form and context
Seattle Sounders have been a very tough team to beat in recent games, but they're also a team who have been unable to put games away of late and that could be a problem for them on Sunday when they take on a Minnesota United side who are coming off of four straight defeats. The Rave Green come into this game having drawn five straight games across all competitions, but with no win in four and no defeat in two, it's hard to really say which way this one will go with a home advantage.
Tactical outlook
Brian Schmetzer's side are possession-based and build from the back, with their midfield rotations and width from their wide players creating the chances in this set up. This game has a little bit of extra spice as the Loons ended Seattle's season in the playoffs last year, so there is something to play for. Minnesota are a pragmatic team who can play in many different ways, from a 4-2-3-1 with wing backs, to a 3-4-3 with five at the back and all different variations in between, so we could be in for a chess game rather than a race on Sunday.
Lack of goals could leave Seattle hanging
Seattle are a consistent draw team of late, but they have also seen Minnesota lose four on the trot, which could have an effect on the confidence of the visitors. Rave Green are 1-2-3 at home, which tells you that they're not the team with momentum going into this matchup, and they've averaged 1.17 scored and 1.33 conceded, so they can get in and slow it down.
The visitors have also lost to FC Dallas, St. Louis City and LA Galaxy in their last three, so they come into this clash on the downbeat. As for the final score, we're expecting a close win for the Sounders, but a draw wouldn't be a shock either given how many of these games have seen both teams play out low-margin results.
- The odds reflect the tight nature of this matchup with Seattle 2.12, Minnesota 2.96 and the draw 3.85.
- Over 2.5 goals is a heavy favorite at 1.5 and BTTS Yes sits at 1.44, but we're going against the grain and backing Seattle to nick this one.
- Minnesota's form is 1-1-3 on the road, and conceding 2.40 goals per-game is always a red flag when assessing the likelihood of an away win.
