The Seattle Sounders are visiting Columbus Crew SC on Saturday in their only meeting of the 2021 MLS regular season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. PT at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be televised on FOX.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on 950 KJR AM and El Rey 1360AM.
2021 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Seattle: 11-3-6 (39 points, 1st West), Columbus: 6-8-6 (24 points, 8th East)
PREVIOUS MEETING: Crew SC defeated the Sounders 3-0 in MLS Cup 2020 last season in Columbus. Lucas Zelarayán recorded a brace and Derrick Etienne Jr. added a goal for the hosts.
FORM GUIDE (most recent first): Sounders: WWDLL, Crew SC: LLLLL
OUT FOR REVENGE: The Sounders will be looking to avenge last season’s MLS Cup loss. A trophy won’t be on the line this time, but redemption will certainly be on Seattle’s mind heading back to Ohio.
A TALE OF TWO MOMENTUMS: Seattle and Columbus enter this weekend on opposite runs of form. The Sounders are on a three-match win streak in all competitions that included a comprehensive 3-0 win over Liga MX ‘s Tigres in Leagues Cup, a 6-2 demolition over the Portland Timbers and a professional 1-0 victory midweek at FC Dallas. Crew SC, meanwhile, come into Saturday having lost five consecutive matches and have just two wins in their last 12.
NINE-POINT WEEK: The Sounders have the chance to earn their second nine-point week of the season after previously completing it with wins over the Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes and LAFC from May 9-16.
GOLDEN BOOT LEADER: Sounders forward Raúl Ruidíaz continues to light up the box score, as his beautiful curling strike in Dallas midweek extended his MLS Golden Boot lead with his 14th goal of the season. The Peruvian has four goals in his last three matches in all competitions.
CAPTAIN ROLDAN: Saturday will be Seattle’s last match before the 2021 MLS All-Star Game in Los Angeles, in which Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan will wear the captain’s armband. The Southern California native will join five other Sounders — Ruidíaz, João Paulo, Yeimar, Nouhou and his brother Alex — in a showdown against the best of Liga MX.
OUT OF SYNC: For the first three matches of Crew SC’s losing streak, they allowed 11 goals and scored five. In the most recent two, they sorted out the defensive problems and allowed just one goal in each, but they were shutout in both.
NOT SO SAAD REUNION: Seattle will face defender Saad Abdul-Salaam for the first time since he left the club in 2019. He spent just one season in Seattle, but he played over 1,000 minutes across 18 matches and helped the club win MLS Cup 2019.
