After a rough injury spell and, in all honesty, some lousy play, the Seattle Sounders (9-9-8, 35 pts) are looking to put a bow on a three-game win streak when they host Sporting Kansas City ( 6-17-3, 21pts) in Thursday night’s contest. After consecutive home wins over Real Salt Lake ( 2-0) and Minnesota( 3-1), the Rave Green are back at 9th in the Western Conference and hold the last playoff spot. The five goals in two games have sparked a resurgence in the Sounders’ offense and optimism, with just eight games left in the season.
RETURN OF INJURED PLAYERS
The return of several players from the trainer’s table has fueled the Sounders’ resurgence. Wingers Jordan Morris, midfielder Paul Arriola, and Jackson Ragen returned to make significant contributions. Yeimar Gomez played just minutes in the team’s win over Minnesota but should see more time, if not the start, against SPK.
QUICK KEYS TO A SOUNDERS VICTORY
If the Sounders are going to make it three in a row, they will need to keep attacking from the primary assist zones and get the ball into the goal box.
The Sounders are at their best when they attack with the three defenders and move the ball down the pitch with quick, swift passes. As the ball moves down the flanks, the Sounders will need Albert Rusnack to occupy the space behind Danny Musoviski and direct traffic, making decisive passes to Arriola, Morris, and the oncoming Cristian Roldan. In offensive transition, the Sounders will need to be quick and decisive. In defensive transition, the Sounders will need to slow Sporting KC’s counterattack. When defending, all three blocks have to stay compact.
GAME NOTES
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. PT at Lumen Field (TICKETS).
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to watch on Apple TV.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on iHeartMedia Seattle and in Spanish on El Rey 1360AM.
2026 MLS STANDINGS: Sounders: 9-9-8 (35 points, 9th West), SKC: 6-17-3 (21 points, 15th West)
FORM GUIDE (all competitions, most recent first): Seattle: WWDDD, Sporting KC: WLWLL
PREVIOUS MEETING: The Sounders and SKC played to a 1-1 draw at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., on May 2. Paul Rothrock opened the scoring inside two minutes for Seattle before former SKC forward Dejan Joveljić equalized against his new team to split the points.
Sounders FC hosts Sporting Kansas City tonight on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field (6:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia Seattle, El Rey 1360 AM).
The Rave Green are coming off a 3-1 win over Minnesota United FC on Saturday. The result extended Seattle’s unbeaten streak to seven matches (2-0-5) and moved Sounders FC into ninth place in the Western Conference with 35 points (9-9-8). SKC is 15th in the West with 21 points (6-17-3). Sounders FC and SKC tied 1-1 earlier this year at Sporting Park. Paul Rothrock scored the lone goal for the Rave Green.
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