Los Angeles Football Club vs. Seattle Sounders | 2020 MLS Match Preview

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 17
LAFC vs. Seattle Sounders
Banc of California Stadium – Los Angeles
October 11 – 7:00 PM ET

TV: ESPN, ESPN Deportes

STREAMING: ESPN App in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada

Coming off a pair of decisive wins this season, the Seattle Sounders are hoping to make it a clean sweep against LAFC when the Western Conference foes square off at Banc of California Stadium Sunday. 

LAFC (6W-6L-3D) defeated Real Salt Lake 3-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium in their last game, while the Sounders (9W-3L-3D) knocked off RSL 2-1 Wednesday for their third straight victory.

The Sounders won both of the regular season meetings at CenturyLink Field this season, outscoring LAFC 6-1. That came after Bob Bradley's side celebrated a 4-1 victory in the MLS is Back Tournament Round of 16.

LAFC

The regular-season game between the Colorado Rapids and LAFC, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed after one new confirmed case of COVID-19 among the Rapids staff.

Wednesday's scheduled game was the third consecutive Rapids contest to be postponed. A Week 14 contest against Sporting Kansas City on Sept. 27 was postponed following confirmed positives on Sept. 24 for one Rapids player and three staff members. A Week 15 contest against Portland set for October 3 then postponed after positive tests for two more players and eight staff members. Those games have already been rescheduled, while details on the Colorado-LAFC match will be announced at a later date.

LAFC look set to bolster their defense, with Colombian club Deportivo Independiente Medellin announcing Thursday that their defender, Jesus David Murillo, has been signed by the 2019 Supporters' Shield winners, pending the completion of a medical. 

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Carlos Vela (F) - Grade 2 MLS sprain
  • OUT: Tristan Blackmon (D) - undisclosed injury
• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: None
• International duty:  Diego Rossi (F), Brian Rodriguez (F), Jose Cifuentes (M), Diego Palacios (D)

Seattle Sounders

Brian Schmetzer didn't want to talk about the Supporters' Shield after a 1-0 loss to the rival Timbers on Sept. 23. That was their last defeat and following a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake Wednesday at CenturyLink Field, their third in a row, there's no denying the Shield is within reach. Seattle are four points behind leaders Toronto FC with eight games to play. 

“It’s an opportunity. It’s a goal,” Stefan Frei said Wednesday. “It’s something that’s very difficult to achieve any season, even this strange year. These are opportunities. I told the team before the game started one thing that’s been a strength of this organization is staying even-keeled. But the good thing, and maybe even the difficult thing is to stay even-keeled at a high level.

“So it’s certainly an opportunity. We’re there. We’re seeing that we’re in the picture to fight for that.”

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Danny Leyva (M) - left foot fracture
  • OUT: Joevin Jones (M) - right high ankle sprain
  • OUT: Trey Muse (GK) - concussion
• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: None
• International duty:  Xavier Arreaga (D), Raul Ruidiaz (F), Gustav Svensson (M)

Series Matchup at LAFC

• LAFC: 2 wins, 5 goals
• Sounders: 0 wins, 1 goal
• 0 draws

Officials

• Referee: Ramy Touchan
• Assistant Referees: Frank Anderson, Jeremy Kieso
• 4th Official: Alejandro Mariscal
• VAR: Ricardo Salazar