The Seattle Sounders visit Minnesota United on Saturday for their first meeting of the 2019 MLS regular season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. PT at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minn.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be televised on JOEtv and YouTube TV.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on 950 KJR AM and El Rey 1360 AM.
2019 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 5-1-3 (18 points, 3rd West), Loons: 4-3-2 (14 points, 6th West)
FORM GUIDE (most recent first): Seattle: DDLWW, Minnesota: WDLDW
ALL-TIME HISTORY: The Sounders are 4-0-0 all-time against Minnesota United, including a 2-0 mark on the road.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Seattle secured a last-gasp 2-1 victory away to Minnesota United on August 4, 2018, in one of the most thrilling matches in club history. The Loons opened the scoring in the 19th minute as Darwin Quintero weaved his way through multiple defenders and curled his shot past Stefan Frei. In the 91st minute, the Rave Green were awarded a penalty kick, which Nicolás Lodeiro calmly dispatched. Second half substitute Will Bruin stole all three points in the 97th minute, racing behind Minnesota’s back line and dinking the ball over goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.
#CONTENT: While Bruin’s late, late goal against Minnesota was fantastic, Head Coach Brian Schmetzer’s reaction stole the show. The Sounders steward pantomimed the exact finish he desired from his forward, and the Dancing Bear duly supplied it.
FAMILIAR FACE: Saturday’s match will be the first time that longtime Sounders FC stalwart Osvaldo Alonso, who spent a decade in Pacific Northwest, will face his former club.
NEW-LOOK LOONS: In addition to Alonso, the Loons’ strong start to the campaign has been fueled by a swath of new signings. Former Sporting Kansas City center back Ike Opara has helped shore up the backline, while former Arsenal FC shot-stopper Vito Mannone has been a revelation in goal. Jan Gregus has added a bit of steel and class on the ball to Minnesota’s midfield.
RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN: The Sounders will hope to hand the Loons their first loss in their new stadium, Allianz Field, which they opened on April 13 with a 3-3 draw against New York City FC.
SWEET, SWEET MEMORIES: While the away fixture was the more exciting affair last season, the home match for Seattle featured a long-distance golazo from defensive midfielder Gustav Svensson.
CLUTCH GOALKEEPING: Frei made a ridiculous save on Darwin Quintero in the buildup to Lodeiro’s equalizing penalty. Though it didn’t end up on the box score after Video Review, it was a shot-for-shot remake of his stop against Shkelzan Gashi on the Colorado Rapids one month prior, which earned him 2018 MLS Save of the Year honors.
MAGIC MORRIS: The Mercer Island native has four goals and one assist through nine games, matching his best-ever start to a season, which came back in 2016.
