Match Preview

ATLvSEA 101 Preview: All you need to know when the Seattle Sounders visit Atlanta United on Saturday

SEAvATL 101 Cover Cristian Roldan

WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 12:08 p.m. PT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be televised on ABC and ESPN Deportes.

WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on 93.3 KJR FM and El Rey1360AM.

2022 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 10-11-2 (32 points, 7th West), Atlanta United: 6-9-7 (25 points, 12th East)

FORM GUIDE (all competitions, most recent first): Seattle: WLWLL, Atlanta: DLDWL

PREVIOUS MEETING: The Seattle Sounders battled Atlanta United to a 1-1 draw at Lumen field on May 23, 2021. It marked the eighth game of the Rave Green's MLS record 13-game unbeaten run to open the campaign. Seattle opened the scoring inside the first ten minutes when RaĂºl RuidĂ­az headed home a corner kick from JoĂ£o Paulo, but the visitors secured a late point when Josef MartĂ­nez converted a penalty kick in the 86th minute.

BACK ON TRACK: Following a disappointing run of form, the Sounders have picked up a couple of important wins against Western Conference opponents in recent weeks, including a 1-0 victory over FC Dallas on Tuesday. Seattle now sits inside the playoff spots with an upcoming run of six-point games against teams from the West also vying for postseason positioning.

FAMILIAR FACE: Former Sounders player and assistant coach Gonzalo Pineda will man the touchline for Atlanta United on Saturday. Pineda, who spent 6.5 years with the Sounders organization, left Seattle in 2021 to take the head coaching job at Atlanta.

CRISTIAN CRUISING: The last three games have seen Cristian Roldan move from the wing back into the central midfield position he's occupied most of the past few seasons. An intelligent, two-way force in midfield, Roldan has helped shore up the team's defending while also adding an additional attacking outlet through middle.

UNBEATEN RUN: Joining the league in 2017, Atlanta has only face the Sounders on four occasions. The Rave Green have never lost to the upstart MLS side, posting one win and three draws. Seattle's lone victory in the series came in 2019, when RaĂºl RuidĂ­az scored a Goal of the Year Contender and Harry Shipp nabbed the game winner.

SHARING THE WEALTH: Three of Atlanta's top five scorers -- Ronaldo Cisneros (6), Josef MartĂ­nez (5) and Dom Dwyer (4) -- are part of the team's rotation at striker. Midfielders Luiz AraĂºjo, Thiago Almada and Marcelino Moreno have also helped carry the attacking burden, pitching a combined nine goals and 13 assists.

MONITOR ALMADA: One of the most influential attacking players for the Five Stripes this season has been new addition Thiago Almada. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder, who signed from VĂ©lez Sarsfield in the offseason, has tallied three goals, six assists and 38 key passes during his first year in MLS.

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