Sporting KC v Seattle Sounders: Preview, Predictions & How to Watch

Sporting KC @ Seattle Sounders

When: Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 3:30 PM CT (3:55 kickoff)

Where: Lumen Field

How to Watch/Stream: Apple MLS Season Pass (FREE) | FOX

Sunday Sporting Kansas City head to National TV. When this game was placed on the big FOX schedule, I can’t imagine anyone thought it would be a worst versus first situation. Yet, that is where we are. The Seattle Sounders sit in first place in the Western Conference with 20 points through 10 games, an impressive 2.0 points per game (PPG).

Sporting KC find themselves in dead last in the entire league with a mere three points through the same 10 games, with an abysmal 0.3 PPG. They now sit eight points out of the newly expanded MLS Cup playoffs. Many are calling for Peter Vermes to be fired, fans are chanting “Vermes Out” and the KC Cauldron put out a damning letter on the direction of the organization as a whole.

Yet the team has to find a way to try and fight for points, or at least develop something for the future, with an astonishing 26 league games to go, not to mention another US Open Cup game on Wednesday and the Leagues Cup against Liga MX just around the corner.

SKC will actually enter this match the healthiest they’ve been in weeks with Nemanja Radoja and Graham Zusi on the edge of returning, Gadi Kinda recently back in the lineup and Logan Ndenbe providing one healthy fullback on the roster entire roster.

The 11th game of the season could be one of the hardest. In their prior meeting with the Seattle Sounders, that one at Children’s Mercy Park, they actually led briefly before completely imploding and losing 1-4, before releasing Ben Sweat in the aftermath.

Whatever the outcome on Sunday, despite what you’ve heard, SKC still have time to avoid the worst start in MLS history. Through 11 games in 2019, the Colorado Rapids only had two points. At the end of Sunday’s game, KC will have at least three points and as many as six (ha!) but game 12 lingers during a triple game week, as Kansas City will host Minnesota United. It’s a disaster, but there is still time to avoid it being the worst ever, whatever consolation that provides.

Seattle’s Recent Form

• April 1st @ LA Galaxy – 2-1 Win
• April 8th vs. St. Louis City – 3-0 Win
• April 15th @ Portland Timbers – 1-4 Loss
• April 22nd vs. Minnesota United – 1-0 Win
• April 29th @ Real Salt Lake – 0-0 Draw

The Sounders also won a wild 5-4 game against San Diego Loyal SC (USL Championship) in the US Open Cup on April 26th.

What’s new in Seattle since these teams last met?

These teams met about five weeks ago, so there hasn’t been much time to change between now and then. For more, look at our prior preview.

IN: None

OUT: Danny Leyva, a promising Homegrown midfielder, went out on loan to the Colorado Rapids at the end of May. That’s the only subtraction.

Injury Report

Sporting KC:

Sporting KC Injury Updates & Lineup Predictions v Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders:

Sounders injury report is out, Nouhou is questionable while Roldan, Rowe and Ruidiaz are all listed as out. pic.twitter.com/6Jl5rCyw4z

— Jeremiah Oshan (@JeremiahOshan) May 4, 2023

Schmetzer rules out nouhou for Sunday but says he expects him to be available next week.

— Jeremiah Oshan (@JeremiahOshan) May 5, 2023

Stats

Sporting KC

Goals: Daniel Salloi, Willy Agada, Johnny Russell (1)

Assists: Daniel Salloi (1)

Seattle

Goals: Jordan Morris (8), Heber, Raul Ruidiaz (2), four with one (1)

Assists: Leo Chu, Nico Lodeiro (5), Alex Roldan (3), four with one (1)

Predictions

It’s usually at this point in the article where I’d look for historical trends against teams that usually play each other close. But I just can’t bring myself to look any further into the past than the 2023 season. This team is completely broken right now. They have no ideas. Their defense isn’t abysmal, but it’s not good. They made Jordan Morris look like a world class striker, when he usually plays on the wing, the last time they met (and propelled him to the MLS Golden Boot lead).

Anything can happen, but until this team shows signs of life, I’m being generous even saying they’ll find a way to score a goal.

PREDICTION: 3-1 SKC Loss