The Seattle Sounders are visiting LAFC on Wednesday in their second and final meeting of the regular season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. PT at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air in English on 93.3 KJR FM and in Spanish on El Rey 1360AM.
2023 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 8-6-4 (28 points, 3rd West), LAFC: 8-3-5 (29 points, 2nd West)
FORM GUIDE (most recent first, MLS matches only): Seattle: DDLWL, LAFC: WLLDW
PREVIOUS MEETING: The Sounders and LAFC played to a scoreless draw at Lumen Field in Seattle on March 18. Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei made three saves in the clean sheet.
INTERNATIONAL DUTY: The Sounders will be without key contributors Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan, as the duo are representing the United States at the Concacaf Gold Cup. Seattle may also be without defender Xavier Arreaga, who is playing for Ecuador on Tuesday in a friendly against Costa Rica in Philadelphia, as well as defender Alex Roldan, whose El Salvador side has a friendly against South Korea in Daejeon on Tuesday.
LAFC will be without center back Aaron Long, who joins Morris and Cristian Roldan on the United States’ Gold Cup roster. The Black and Gold could also potentially be without forward Dénis Bouanga (Gabon), José Cifuentes (Ecuador), Diego Palacios (Ecuador), Denil Maldonado (Honduras) and Kwadwo Opoku (Ghana U-23), who all represented their nations during this international window.
AGELESS FREI: At 37, Stefan Frei is having one of his best seasons as a professional. He reached 100 career sheets earlier this year and leads the league with nine in 2023. Among goalkeepers who have played at least 1,000 minutes this season, Frei is fifth in MLS in G-xG with -1.96, meaning he has conceded nearly two goals fewer than expected.
RAÚL RETURNS: Sounders forward Raúl Ruidíaz returned to the starting lineup against Charlotte FC on June 10 and marked his appearance with a brace, highlighted by a golazo of an opening goal. The Peruvian Designated Player has three goals in his last two starts.
SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE: LAFC and the Sounders are first and second, respectively, in MLS in Expected Goal Differential this season. Both teams play efficient attacking soccer while also maintaining formidable defenses behind them.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DEFEAT: LAFC were looking to become the second MLS team to win the modern iteration of the Concacaf Champions League after the Sounders became the first last year. The Black and Gold lost to Liga MX’s Club Léon 3-1 on aggregate in the final and have won just once in four matches since the tournament ended.
BRILLIANT BOUANGA: LAFC would love to have Bouanga back and available from international duty, after the winger started and went 74 minutes for Gabon in a 2-0 loss to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday. Bouanga is tied for second in MLS with 10 goals and won the Concacaf Champions League Golden Boot after scoring seven times in eight matches.
