FC Cincinnati can move closer to clinching their first-ever MLS playoff berth with a victory on Tuesday at Lumen Field against the Seattle Sounders.
The reigning CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) winners are in danger of missing the postseason for the first time in franchise history, six points behind the playoff line in the Western Conference, while Cincy have points in 10 successive domestic encounters after edging Real Salt Lake 2-1 last Saturday.
Match preview
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Over in the Pacific Northwest, the Rave Green are running out of chances to salvage their 2022 regular season, with only three matches remaining and three teams to overtake.
Their first defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps in over five years last weekend (2-1) could not have come at a worse time for Brian Schmetzer and his men.
Had Seattle been able to come away from that encounter victorious, they could now have the upper hand on the other teams in the hunt for a playoff spot, with Seattle playing the joint-fewest matches in the league (31).
Two of their final three regular-season contests will occur at Lumen Field, where the Sounders have earned maximum points nine times in 2022, currently on a two-match winning run on home soil.
Many began writing this team's obituary when they went winless in their final five domestic encounters last month, and there are likely to be more doubters down the stretch of the campaign, seeing as Seattle have only triumphed once in their final three regular-season encounters combined in 2020 and 2021.
Whether they make it into the playoffs or not, this regular season will be considered a poor one by the Sounders' high standards, as they can claim no more than 48 points by the end of the year, which would be their lowest total in a 34-match campaign since 2016.
In their last five fixtures in which the Rave Green had tallied the opening goal, this team have failed to win on three occasions, while they have also conceded a goal beyond the 90th minute in four matches this year, three of which were game-winners.
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As we head into the home stretch of the regular season, the Orange and Blue are experiencing something they have never encountered in their time in MLS, an opportunity to compete in meaningful games this late in the year.
Currently, on an 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions, Pat Noonan seems to have this team peaking at the right time and in a solid position to claim a first-ever postseason berth since entering the league in 2019.
While they are in fine form domestically, currently tied for the longest unbeaten run in MLS this year (10 games), one slip-up could change everything as the Orange and Blue are only three points above the Eastern Conference playoff line.
During this campaign, this team have benefitted from plenty of outstanding individual performances, enabling them to win six matches in 2022 by a single goal.
More often than not, they have needed those quality players to step up and earn them some points, with Cincinnati conceding multiple goals on 13 occasions but tallying two or more in 18 encounters.
A year littered with firsts for this franchise could see another one transpire on Tuesday, as the Orange and Blue have never defeated the Sounders in a regular-season affair, losing in their only previous visit to Lumen Field, 4-1 in 2019.
Team News
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Will Bruin had the lone Sounders goal in their defeat to the Whitecaps last Saturday, his third of the year, moving him into a tie for fifth on the team alongside Albert Rusnak and Fredy Montero, with the latter collecting his first assist on that tally.
Nouhou Tolo made his 100th career MLS regular-season start a week ago, Stefan Frei has four clean sheets at Lumen Field this season, and Jordan Morris, who had a brace in their first meeting versus Cincy, started over a week ago for the 150th time in all competitions.
Seattle will be missing numerous key components to their squad for this fixture, including Tolo, who is with the Cameroon national team, while Raul Ruidiaz is on duty with Peru.
Alex Roldan is with El Salvador, Morris has been making a solid case to be named to the US World Cup squad and Xavier Arreaga will try to make a lasting impression with Ecuador ahead of the finals.
Their assists leader Nicolas Lodeiro will miss this game due to yellow card accumulation, while Cristian Roldan is still recovering from his groin surgery.
Andrew Thomas and Obed Vargas are doubtful with lower back stress fractures, while Joao Paulo is finished for the year with a right ACL tear.
Brenner notched a brace for Cincy in their last domestic victory over RSL, putting him within two of Brandon Vazquez for the team lead.
Vazquez, Yuya Kubo and Calvin Harris all netted for the Orange and Blue in a 3-1 friendly win versus Guadalajara on Wednesday.
FC Cincinnati 2 defender Kai Thomas made his debut for the senior side in that midweek triumph, while Roman Celentano stopped Pablo Ruiz from the penalty spot last week, enabling his side to go into halftime all tied at one.
Luciano Acosta has 13 assists to lead the way for Cincinnati this season, Beckham Sunderland remains sidelined due to concussion protocol and Kenneth Vermeer is also out with a torn pectoral muscle.
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; Medranda, Ragen, Gomez, Dobbelaere; Rowe, Rusnak; Leyva, Bruin, Chu; Montero
FC Cincinnati possible starting lineup:
Celentano; Matarrita, Murphy, Miazga, Hagglund, Powell; Acosta, Moreno, Nwobodo; Brenner, Vazquez
We say: Seattle Sounders 1-2 FC Cincinnati
The Sounders have had a lot to contend with this season, not to mention numerous injuries, but as much as they have had to overcome to remain in the playoff hunt, losing your top goalscorer (Ruidiaz), playmaker (Lodeiro) and three of the most versatile players in the league (the Roldans and Joao Paulo), seems like a hill which is too steep to climb.
America's loss is Cincinnati's gain, and we believe that Brandon Vazquez being snubbed by the US national team for these international friendlies will light a fire in their top goalscorer, who has shown that he can carry this team on his shoulders.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
