The Seattle Sounders are hosting the Colorado Rapids on Sunday in the 2023 MLS season-opener. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 5 p.m. PT at Lumen Field (TICKETS).
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be televised on FS1 and you can watch free on Apple TV. Watch every match, all season long by subscribing to MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. No restrictions and no blackouts.
2022 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 12-17-5 (41 points, 11th West), Rapids: 11-13-10 (43 points, 10th West)
PREVIOUS MEETING: The Sounders defeated the Rapids 2-1 at Lumen Field on July 23, 2022, behind come-from-behind goals from Jordan Morris and Nicolás Lodeiro. Shorthanded Seattle survived a third-minute goal from Jonathan Lewis as well as a 47th-minute red card shown to Kelyn Rowe.
SEATTLE DOMINANCE: The Sounders have won 15 of their 18 home matches against the Rapids in MLS play including the playoffs (15-2-1), as well as the last six in a row. Seattle’s 0.833 win percentage at home against Colorado is the highest in MLS history among fixtures played at least 10 times.
RESETTING THE STREAK: Despite winning the Concacaf Champions League last season, the Sounders failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in their 14-year MLS history.
ROSTER CONSISTENCY: Seattle enters 2023 with a roster that remains largely untouched from the one that won CCL last year. Will Bruin (Austin FC) and Jimmy Medranda (Columbus Crew SC) are gone while Héber (New York City FC) joins the attack, but the core of the group is still intact. João Paulo has also returned from last year’s season-ending knee injury and came on as a substitute against Egypt’s Al Ahly in the FIFA Club World Cup a few weeks ago.
LODEIRO MAGIC: Sounders captain Lodeiro loves playing against Colorado, as he’s posted five goals and five assists in 10 career matches including the postseason. He has contributed to multiple goals in three of his last four home contests against the Rapids.
2023 Season Memberships
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ROAD STRUGGLES: The Rapids were tied for the league-worst in away wins last season, taking three points just once in 17 matches.
KEY DEPARTURES: The main loss for Colorado this offseason was forward Gyasi Zardes, who joined Austin FC in free agency. The 31-year-old scored nine goals and added two assists in 26 matches with Colorado last year after being traded from Columbus during the season.
KEY ARRIVALS: Colorado made one of the most notable intra-league moves of the offseason by sending $1M in General Allocation Money to the LA Galaxy for French winger Kevin Cabral. The 23-year-old struggled in his first two seasons in MLS, scoring just six goals and adding five assists in 61 matches. The Rapids also signed Danish center back Andreas Maxsø from Brøndby as a Designated Player, Irish central midfielder Connor Ronan from Wolves, Australian left back Alex Gersbach from French Ligue 2 side Grenoble and Serbian goalkeeper Marko Ilić on loan from Belgium’s KV Kortrijk.
