Seattle Sounders return to Lumen Field in midweek MLS action with renewed confidence, aiming to extend their unbeaten streak when they host a struggling Colorado Rapids side in the Western Conference match.
The Sounders are riding a wave of momentum with three consecutive results without defeat, climbing into fourth place in the standings. Colorado, meanwhile, sit three spots lower and trail by four points in a tightly contested playoff race.
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Seattle appears to have turned a corner following their recent stint at the FIFA Club World Cup, where they struggled but seemingly rediscovered their sharpness upon returning to MLS duties.
Manager Brian Schmetzer’s squad exited the Club World Cup without securing a point, having suffered three group-stage losses. However, since that international run, the Sounders have picked up seven points from a possible nine, including an impressive 3-2 victory away to Sporting Kansas City in their most recent league fixture. The win brought their season tally to 33 points from 21 matches.
What’s noticeable in this resurgence is Seattle’s increased urgency from kickoff. They’ve scored in the first half of each of their last three games and went into halftime leading in two of those outings. That’s a stark contrast to their prior two MLS matches, in which they failed to find the net before the break.
Offensively, Seattle remains consistent with 31 goals scored across the campaign, but they’ve shown some vulnerability at the back. With 28 goals conceded and just six clean sheets, their defensive work still leaves room for improvement.
Lumen Field has provided a fortress-like edge for Seattle, though. They’ve earned five of those clean sheets at home and have taken maximum points in six of their 10 matches there, with just one defeat. Combined with their good record against Colorado, there’s every reason for the Sounders to feel confident.
Colorado, on the other hand, will be eager to break a six-game winless streak against Seattle that dates back several seasons. The recent form between these two teams leans heavily in the Sounders’ favor, with four wins and two draws in that span.
Still, there was cause for optimism in Colorado’s last outing as they cruised past the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0. That result ended a three-match winless run and lifted the Rapids to 29 points after 23 league matches.
Consistency has been elusive under head coach Chris Armas. His side has only managed to win back-to-back games twice all season, and after failing to build on a previous victory against the LA Galaxy, they’ll be hoping the Vancouver result is different.
Away from home, though, the Rapids have struggled badly. They haven’t seen victory in their last seven straight games, which has made them have only two points across that stretch. Defensive lapses have been a major issue; they have conceded two or more goals in each of those outings. It’s a far cry from their early-season resilience when they gave up just a single goal across their first three away fixtures.
