Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy: Preview and Prediction

By

 Kenneth Offor

Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy: 
MLS Regular Season,
Date: Sunday, 31-July-2016,
Kick-off: 21:00 UK Time,
Venue: CenturyLink Field, Seattle (Washington).

LA Galaxy aims to close the gap at the top of Western Conference MLS table when they play Seattle Sounders at Century Link Field on Sunday.

Seattle Sounders are having a disappointing season in the MLS this year. They ended last season at the fourth position in the Western Conference standings, but nowhere near that this season.

Seattle Sounders will enter this game from a 3-game losing streak in all competitions. Their last league game was a 3-0 defeat away at Sporting Kansas City last Sunday.

Sounders are 9th in the Western Conference with 20 points from 20 league games. They are 10 points below the play-off spot and just a point above the bottom position.

Meanwhile LA Galaxy have been on a jolly ride in their recent games and they are currently on an 8-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. They can also boast of a 5-game winning streak in all competitions.

The Los Angeles outfit are 3rd in the Western Conference table with 35 points. They are 6 points behind leaders FC Dallas and 3 points behind Colorado Rapids in the 2nd position.

Key Facts

• LA Galaxy are unbeaten in their last 4 away games in all competition.
• Seattle Sounders have conceded at least 3 goals in their last 3 games in all competitions.
• Sounders have won just 2 of their last 8 MLS games.
• Sounders have scored just 20 goals in their 20 league games this season

Seattle Sounders: Team News

Roman Torres is the only injury problem in Sounders camp.

Seattle Sounders: Predicted Line up (4-3-3)

Frei – Jone, Evans, Scott, Mears – Roldan, Freiberg, Alonso – Gomez, Morris, Dempsey

LA Galaxy: Team News

Ashley Cole and Robbie Rogers are yet to be certified fit for the match and may not feature.

LA Galaxy: Predicted Line up

Rowe – DeLaGarza, Steres, Damme, Cole – Jung, Hussidic – Magee, Gerard, Lletget – Dos Santos.

Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy: Head-to-Head Stats

LA Galaxy have won 14 of their 29 games against Seattle Sounders, lost 9 and drawn 6.

LA Galaxy have already won two fixtures against Seattle Sounders this year, with all two fixtures played in the same month of July 2016.

The first one in the MLS fixture at Seattle by a 1-0 score-line on 9th July. And the latest in the US Open fixture, which saw a 4-2 scoreline at LA on 21 July, 2016.

Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy: Prediction

LA Galaxy are coming on the back of four consecutive wins and haven’t lost in the last 6 games. They are a strong defensive unit that kept clean sheets in four of the last 6, regardless of the venue.

Sounders’ last home match saw them thrashing FC Dallas by 5-0, but their opponents fielded majority of reserve players. They lost in each of the three home matches prior to that, failing to score a goal.

I do not expect Sounders to trouble the in-form LA Galaxy, not do I expect them to score a goal. I will be also backing my exact score prediction of 2-0 in favour of the visitors.

Tips
1. LA Galaxy win
2. HT (LA Galaxy win)