The two teams with the most rapid fan support in the MLS will square off on Sunday night when Atlanta United makes the long trip to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Sounders.
The Five Stripes are coming off a wild game against the New York Red Bulls last week where it looked like they had all three points locked up after a Josef Martinez goal in the first minute of stoppage time. However, Bradley Wright-Phillips tied the game just before the final whistle and the match ended in a 3-3 draw.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Sounders scored a rare road victory with a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew last week. Unlike their opponents this week, Seattle were the beneficiaries of some injury time magic with Nicolas Lodeiro netting the game winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Don't miss the Major League Soccer action from CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 14, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN.
MLS Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Seattle Sounders -111
Atlanta United FC +269
Draw +267
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Odds Analysis
Seattle have been incredible at home this season. The Sounders have yet to lose a match in the Emerald City, notching a 7-0-2 record at home, and they have allowed a total of 7 goals in those 9 games.
Meanwhile, Atlanta have not performed well away from home. They have lost four straight road games, and the Five Stripes have lost 6 of their 9 road tilts thus far this season. However, this club was able to go into Vancouver and pick up a 1-0 win the last time it traveled to the Pacific Northwest.
The Sounders have not been particularly sharp in recent weeks, but a lot of that can be explained by a stretch where they played six of seven games away from home. Additionally, Seattle lost a number of players to the Gold Cup and Copa America in late May, limiting what they were able to send out as their starting eleven.
Things have gone much better for Atlanta after a rocky start to the season. They have started to adapt to Frank De Boer’s more defensive-minded style, and Josef Martinez has found his form
Key Absences
Unfortunately, Atlanta United are still without some key players. The most notable absence is midfielder Ezequiel Barco. Barco suffered a knee injury a couple weeks ago, and he has not yet been cleared to return to team activities. It seems unlikely that he will play this week as a result.
The visitors will also be without midfielder Kevin Kratz, forward Hector Villalba, and defender George Bello. Defender Florentin Pogba is questionable to play due to a hamstring injury.
Seattle has had bad luck with ACL injuries the last few seasons. The Sounders were hit with another one of those gutting injuries when it was announced that forward Will Bruin suffered a torn ACL during training last month. He will miss the rest of the season.
Player to Watch
Nicolas Lodeiro was the difference maker for the Sounders last week in their win over the Crew. Lodeiro was playing his first match with the club after retuning from Copa America duty with his native Uruguay, and he showed no signs of rust or fatigue following an absence of over a month. He is one of the best set-up men in the league and leads Seattle with 8 assists, and he has 4 goals on the season too.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
The Sounders are about to go on a roll. Lodeiro, Raul Ruidiaz, and others were gone on international duty in June, but now they have returned and are out to lead a second half charge for Seattle. They’ll make it two wins in a row with a victory over the Five Stripes on Sunday.
Major League Soccer Odds: Seattle Sounders 2, Atlanta United 1
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