The Seattle Sounders face off against the Chicago Fire in their second group stage fixture at the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, Fla.
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is set for 6:00 a.m. PT at the Walt Disney Wide World of Sports Complex.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be televised on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and TSN.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on 950 KJR AM and El Rey 1360 AM.
2019 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 16-10-8 (56 points, 2nd West), Fire: 10-12-12 (42 points, 8th East)
2020 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 1-0-2 (5 points, 5th West), Fire: 0-1-1 (1 point, 10th East)
FORM GUIDE (most recent first): Seattle: DDWWW, Chicago: DLWDD
ALL-TIME HISTORY: The Sounders are 9-2-4 all-time against the Fire.
PREVIOUS MEETING: The Sounders hosted the Fire in the club’s 2020 MLS regular season opener on March 1, 2020. Celebrating the Seattle’s 2019 MLS Cup victory, a new banner was unfurled in the rafters at CenturyLink Field prior to kickoff. Once the match got underway, the Rave Green came flying out of the gates, with new signing Miguel Ibarra producing three gilt-edged chances inside the first 20 minutes. Despite largely controlling the match, Seattle found themselves down 1-0 inside the first few minutes of the second half, with a defensive miscue leading to a simple goal for Fire striker Robert Berić. Sounders winger Jordan Morris, who entered the match as a halftime substitute, bagged a brace in the final 30 minutes, putting a bow on the club’s championship celebration.
REALIGNMENT: Seattle was originally scheduled to play FC Dallas on matchday two, but the Texas side withdrew from the MLS is Back Tournament. When MLS newcomers Nashville SC also exited the competition, the Fire were moved from Group A into Group B.
BREAKFAST WITH THE SOUNDERS: Tuesday’s clash with Chicago marks the earliest start time for an MLS regular season match in club history.
VIEWING PARTY: The team might be in Orlando, but that doesn’t mean you can’t watch the game with fellow supporters. Register HERE to join a second screen viewing experience, complete with pre-match traditions, rituals, discussions on the squad and cheering on the Rave Green alongside fellow members of the Sounders Family.
FAMILIAR FOE: While Fire head coach Raphaël Wicky is an unknown quantity in MLS circles, the Sounders will have some insider knowledge on his playing style and tactics. Not only have they already faced the Fire once this season, but Homegrown players Danny Leyva, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez and Ethan Dobbelaere all played for Wicky with the United States U-17 Men’s National Team last season.
MERCER ISLAND MAGICIAN: In his last two outings against Chicago, Morris has notched three goals and one assist.
UNDERLYING DATA: It’s an incredibly small sample size, but the early returns from Chicago’s 2020 MLS season appear to show that their backline is playing with fire (I apologize for nothing). Even though they’ve conceded just three goals, they rode their luck quite a bit, posting a combined Expected Goals Against of 6.91.
