Seattle Sounders vs. LAFC | 2020 MLS Match Preview

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 8
Seattle Sounders vs. LAFC
CenturyLink Field – Seattle
August 30 – 10:00 PM ET

TV: FS1, FOX Deportes

STREAMING: FOX Sports App in USA, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada

In a rematch of an MLS is Back Tournament knockout round showdown when the Seattle Sounders take on LAFC at CenturyLink Field Sunday to close out Week 8 of the 2020 season.

LAFC earned a measure of revenge for a 3-1 Audi MLS Cup Playoff defeat last year by beating the Sounders, 4-1, in the MLS is Back Round of 16 with Diego Rossi scoring a brace in the decisive victory.

Bob Bradley's side enter off a stinging El Trafico home defeat to the LA Galaxy, while the Sounders celebrated a 3-0 Cascadia Cup victory over the Portland Timbers.

Seattle Sounders

The Sounders flew to Los Angeles to take on the Galaxy in one of Wednesday's marquee matchups. But the players decided to sit out the match, following the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, who didn't report to the court for their scheduled playoff game against the Orlando Magic that afternoon, as players continue to support the Black Lives Matter movement and protests against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

“We thought about it really hard, but, in the end, we’re professional athletes but we’re also human beings," Kelvin Leerdam said. "Sometimes as a professional athlete you live in some kind of a bubble, but we wanted to show everybody that, listen, we see what happens around us and those are things that can affect us too. As a group, we decided that we’re part of the world and we’ll let everybody see that the things that happen around us, we aren’t blind to it. That’s why we took a stand to not play today. I think you’ve seen it all over – other leagues and teams are also doing it. These are tough times, where we have to take a stand.”

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Danny Leyva (M) - left foot fracture
  • : Trey Muse (GK) - concussion
• Suspended:None
• Suspended after next caution:None
• International duty: None

LAFC

LAFC's match at Real Salt Lake Wednesday night was also postponed.

"I think this is a good opportunity to continue the conversation. Sports are important to a lot of people and they look to us to give them the right message," Mark-Anthony Kaye said. "So we're using our power right now, our voices right now by saying we're not going to play because it's unacceptable what's going on in the world, especially here in the U.S. It's over and over same things are happening and there's no real justice being given to us. 

"So for me as a Black player, I'm not OK knowing that other Black people are just getting killed, nonetheless other people in general. We are all humans. Life is very valuable and that doesn't seem to be the case when it comes to certain races and ethnicities within this country. So I'm very proud of my teammates and proud of RSL also for making a stance and saying 'We're not going to play.' It's a risky thing to do but it's a powerful move and I'm just glad we're taking the opportunity to do it."

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Carlos Vela (F) - Grade 2 left MCL sprain
  • OUT: Eduard Atuesta (M) - right foot injury
• Suspended:None
• Suspended after next caution:None
• International duty: None

Series Matchup at Sounders

• Sounders: 0 wins, 1 goal
• LAFC: 1 win, 2 goals
• 1 draw

Officials

• Referee: Kevin Stott
• Assistant Referees: Andrew Bigelow, Jeremy Hanson
• 4th Official: Timothy Ford
• VAR: Edvin Jurisevic