Seattle Sounders will be looking to maintain their recent resurgence as they host Western Conference leaders Los Angeles FC in an MLS fixture on Saturday. Although Los Angeles are still setting the pace in the West, their results have been erratic lately and they could find things difficult against the in-form Sounders.
Seattle Sounders were considered one of the favourites for the MLS title at the beginning of the season but a slow start means they are barely holding on to a playoff spot. They have already shown their winning mentality by lifting the CONCACAF Champions League and must now turn their full attention to domestic matters.
Things have been slowly improving for Seattle Sounders in recent weeks as they head into Saturday’s clash with four wins from their last five MLS matches. They were rampant in their previous fixture, thrashing Vancouver Whitecaps 4-0, with Raul Ruidiaz netting a brace.
Home form will be vital in Seattle Sounders’ overall resurgence and they appear to be getting things right in front of their fans lately. It has been four wins in the last five home matches for Brian Schmetzer’s men, who are also currently on a three-match winning run at Lumen Field.
Los Angeles FC have set the pace in the Western Conference for much of the season and are currently four points clear at the top of the standings. They claimed a 3-2 victory over San Jose Earthquakes in their previous fixture with Brian Rodriguez eventually netting the winner after letting a two-goal lead slip.
Although Los Angeles are still the team to beat in the West, they have appeared erratic in recent weeks. Steven Cherundolo’s men travel to Seattle with three defeats in their last five matches across all competitions.
Los Angeles have been beaten just three times in the league this season, although two of those losses have come in their last four matches. Those two defeats have also come in their last four away matches, adding to the recent concerns of inconsistency on their travels.
How the bookies view it
Seattle Sounders have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 23/18 by SBK to claim the win. A victory for Los Angeles FC is valued at 21/10 by bet365 while a draw is set at 5/2 by Betfred.
Head to head
Los Angeles have a 6-5 edge with two draws from 13 previous matches against Seattle Sounders. However, Seattle have won the last four meetings at home and claimed a 2-0 victory in the most recent fixture at Lumen Field.
Players to watch
It is no surprise that Seattle Sounders’ recent resurgence has coincided with a return to form for Raul Ruidiaz. The Peruvian striker is often pivotal to the Sounders’ plans and with four goals in his last three home matches, could be backed to continue his fine run at 13/10 with bet365.
Carlos Vela is the top scorer for Los Angeles with six goals this season and as always will be the one to keep an eye on. The Mexican striker has scored in his last two MLS matches and is priced at 7/5 by bet365 to find the net in Saturday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles have quality in attack and have played a number of high scoring games in recent weeks. They could be tipped to produce over 3.5 goals at 15/8 with BetVictor while both teams could be backed to score in the first half at 16/5 with Coral.
The Sounders scored in both halves last time out against Vancouver Whitecaps and could be set for a repeat at 14/5 with Unibet.
This MLS match between Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC will be played on Jun 18, 2022 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Seattle Sounders vs Los Angeles FC prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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