Preview: Seattle Sounders vs Real Salt Lake - prediction, team news, lineups

In the only MLS fixture taking place on Wednesday, the Seattle Sounders will welcome Real Salt Lake to Lumen Field in the Pacific Northwest.

This match, originally scheduled for April, was moved due to the Sounders' advancement in the CONCACAF Champions Cup earlier in the year.

Match preview

With 10 regular-season games remaining, Seattle are below the playoff line, with four teams to catch if they are to get into the post-season once again.

Brian Schmetzer’s men have only ever missed the post-season once before and are not doing themselves any favours with their results of late, though they have games in hand on most of the teams above them.

The Rave Green will try to snap a 13-match winless run in this competition on Wednesday as they currently sit 13th in the Western Conference, three points below the playoff line.

They have been uncharacteristically poor at home in the competition this year, dropping points in six straight league outings at Lumen Field, while earning just two over that stretch.

Seattle have yet to lose at home in MLS this season after netting the opening goal, dropping just two points in that scenario.

On Wednesday, they can stretch their unbeaten run at home versus RSL in MLS to four matches, winning in two of those last three instances, including a 1-0 triumph in this exact fixture a year ago.

Like Seattle, Real Salt Lake also enter this match in a slump as they seek to get back above the post-season line in the Western Conference.

This week, they can snap an 11-match MLS winless run and avoid a fourth consecutive defeat in league play, which would be their longest of the campaign, after the Vancouver Whitecaps beat them 3-0 over the weekend.

Pablo Mastroeni’s side have won the joint-fewest away matches in the league this year (one), collecting just one point from their last six outings as the visitors.

They will enter this match even with the Sounders on 29 points, though they have one more win than the latter and Austin FC, who are a point above them in the table, something which could work in Salt Lake’s favour should those teams finish tied at the end of the campaign.

In 2026, Claret and Cobalt have dropped 12 points when scoring first away from home in the league, currently the difference between 12th and sixth in the West.

RSL have not beaten the Sounders in Seattle since 2022 (2-1) but have points in six of their last seven meetings against them across all competitions.

Seattle Sounders Major League Soccer form:

Real Salt Lake Major League Soccer form:

Real Salt Lake form (all competitions):

Team News

At Seattle, Yeimar Gomez Andrade will be a question mark due to a calf strain, Paul Rothrock and Jesus Ferreira are dealing with hamstring problems, while Nikola Petkovic has a knee issue and Pedro De la Vega has a sore quad.

Cristian Roldan, Dejan Joveljic and Caden Clark all found the back of the net in their draw with the Colorado Rapids this past weekend (3-3), with the latter finding the equaliser in stoppage time.

A sore ankle may keep Stijn Spierings out of the Real Salt Lake fold, Ariath Piol has an Achilles injury, while Diego Luna is dealing with a sore knee and Luc de Fougerolles is still awaiting his work visa.

Justen Glad has an adductor issue, Griffin Dillon is suffering from a foot problem, while Lukas Engel, Zach Booth and Juan Jose Arias are all doubtful because of hamstring strains.

Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:

Thomas; Kossa-Rienzi, A. Roldan, Hawkins, Tolo; C. Roldan, Rusnak, Dotson; Clark, Joveljic, Morris

Real Salt Lake possible starting lineup:

Cabral; Yedlin, Henry, Quinton, Sanabria; Marczuk, Booth, Guske, Guilavogui; Rodrigues, Solans

We say: Seattle Sounders 1-1 Real Salt Lake

A win would do either team a world of good, but with over a handful of matches remaining, we expect a cautious affair between them as first and foremost neither will want to go pointless at this stage of the campaign.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.