Seattle Sounders match rescheduled due to Seahawks season opener

The Venue Conflict

Major League Soccer rescheduled the Sporting Kansas City road match at Seattle Sounders FC to October 1. The league moved the contest from its original Wednesday, Sept. 9 date to 8:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Oct. 1. This change affects the match at Lumen Field. The National Football League announced the Seattle Seahawks would host their season opener on Sept. 9 at the same venue, forcing Major League Soccer to move the Sounders’ match to a different date. I find the scheduling conflict between the NFL and MLS quite frustrating for local supporters. The venue hosts the Seattle Reign and six FIFA World Cup 26 matches this summer, including a group stage fixture between the U.S. Men’s National Team and Australia. This Western Conference clash between Sporting Kansas City and Seattle Sounders FC is a rematch of the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. The new date falls within a 16-day FIFA international window spanning Sept. 21 to Oct. 6. Fans can watch the action on Apple TV or through the Sporting Pub Network.

Match Context

Fans must adjust to a Thursday kickoff. You should check your travel plans before assuming the original September date still holds. The match is a rematch of the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.

The Sounders recently played Inter Miami in a match that ended 3-1 in favor of the Miami side. Lionel Messi scored his 20th goal in 21 regular season appearances this year during that contest. This performance made him one of only five players in MLS history to record back-to-back 20-goal seasons. Jordi Alba also contributed a goal and an assist to the Miami victory. Inter Miami’s attacking unit accounts for 45 of the team’s 57 goals this season. Inter Miami currently holds 49 points in the Eastern Conference with a record of 14 wins, six losses, and seven draws. This result preceded the Sounders’ recent run of three consecutive victories. Will the Sounders maintain their momentum against Sporting Kansas City after such a heavy loss to Miami?

Playoff Outlook

Seattle Sounders FC enters the postseason with a 15-9-10 record and 55 points. This places them as the fifth seed in the West. They face fourth-seeded Minnesota United in a Best-of-Three, Round One series. Match 1 begins on Monday at 6 p.m. PT at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn. Game Two moves to Seattle at Lumen Field on Monday, Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. PT. If the series reaches a third match, Minnesota hosts that game on Saturday, Nov. 8. The playoff format dictates that the first team to win two matches advances to the Conference Semifinals. If a match ends in a tie at the end of regulation, no extra time occurs, and the contest goes straight to penalty kicks to decide a winner.

Minnesota enters the playoffs with just one win in its last five matches. The Loons finished the year with 58 points and a 16-8-10 record. The Loons defense allowed only 39 goals this season, which ranks third-best in the league behind the Vancouver Whitecaps and Philadelphia Union. Seattle lost to Minnesota twice this year, including a 3-2 defeat on June 1 and a 1-0 defeat on Aug. 16. Despite these losses, Seattle holds a 16-5-4 advantage over Minnesota since the Loons entered MLS in 2017. The Sounders enter the postseason after three consecutive victories. The defense allowed just one goal in those three wins. The Sounders will play without star playmaker Pedro de la Vega for the remainder of the season because he underwent successful knee surgery on Tuesday to repair a fractured right patella. Minnesota relies on goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, who holds a save percentage of just under 80%. Dayne St. Clair is a frontrunner for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.