There is no pity in Major League Soccer for it is a results-oriented business and the proverbial what have you done for me lately line is always on the tip of fans and ownership league.  While no team is ever looking for a handout, a hand up is always welcome when available.

The Seattle Sounders (1-4-2, 5pts) will get neither Wednesday  Night when they take on Toronto FC ( 2-4-1, 7pts) in a rematch of the last two MLS Cups. The  Sounders won the cup in 2016 without registering a shot on goal due to their 5-4 penalty kick shootout. In 2017 Toronto hosted the Sounders for a second consecutive MLS Cup and walked away with a 2-0 win.

BMO Field is the last place the slumping Sounders need to search for goals to break out of their scoring drought. The Sounders have scored a league-low five games.

The last time the Sounders score a goal in Toronto was  July 2nd, 2016 in 1-1 tie.  The last time Seattle beat Toronto at home was a 2-1 scoreline on August 10th 2013.

 

While Toronto FC will be without talisman Jozy Altidore ( hamstring strain)  it still has the talented Sebastian Giovinco who is starting to find his scoring touch and in turn, help lift Toronto’s on-field performance.

After losses to Colorado (2-0), Guadalajara (2-1) Houston Dynamo (5-1) and Guadalajara (2-1, 5-4 penalties) to lose the CONCACAF Champions League penalty, Toronto tied the Chicago Fire  (2-2) on April 28th and beat the Philadelphia Union 3-0  May 4th. Giovinco is fifth in MLS with 32 shots taken ten of which have been on goal.

Sounders Scoring Woes

While the Sounders have been hit with injuries there is no reason for the two time Western Conference Champions to be the worst scoring team in the league. The Sounders are not creating space for each other once they reach the opponents final third. The timing of the fullbacks runs into the midfield is not in sync with the midfielders run towards the opponents final third.

In Saturdays 0-0  home draw against Columbus, the Rave Green had a man advantage for over 73 minutes and managed just one shot on goal. Seattle is winless in its last seven road games and has scored just three games in that time span. Clint Dempsey ( rest) and Nicolas Lodeiro ( fractured foot) will not play in the game making the search for goals and a victory more difficult.

 

PROJECTED LINEUPS

TORONTO  starting XI
(4-1-4-1, right to left)
GK: Clint Irwin — Auro, Gregory van der Wiel, Michael Bradley, Ashtone Morgan — Marky Delgado — Nicolas Hasler, Ager Aketxe, Victor Vazquez, Jonathan Osorio — Sebastian Giovinco

SEATTLE  starting  XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Stefan Frei — Kelvin Leerdam, Kim Kee-Hee, Chad Marshall, Nouhou Tolo — Osvaldo Alonso, Gustav Svensson— Alex Roldan, Magnus Wolf Eikrim, Cristian Roldan — Will Bruin