Grab a pen. Find your calendar. The 2019 MLS season is right around the corner and single match tickets are now on sale!
From a season opener against an expansion side for the second year in a row, to Decision Day and everything in between, here are five can’t-miss matches at CenturyLink Field this season.
1. FC Cincinnati
Saturday, March 2
7 p.m. PT | FS1
We welcome the new kids on the block in the first week of the season, with expansion side FC Cincinnati playing their inaugural MLS match in the Emerald City. The Rave Green will look for a better opening result than last season, when LAFC left Seattle with a 1-0 win in their first-ever match.
2. Vancouver Whitecaps
Saturday, June 29
7 p.m. PT
The last time these regional foes faced off, Seattle left BC Place with the Cascadia Cup. Expect the Whitecaps to come into CenturyLink Field seeking vengeance in the second of two meetings between the clubs in 2019 (Seattle plays at Vancouver on March 30). The rivalry between the Sounders and Whitecaps dates back to the 1970s when the two franchises competed in the North American Soccer League.
3. Portland Timbers
Sunday, July 21
6:30 p.m. PT | FS1
The league’s fiercest rivalry meets for a nationally televised summer showdown in the biggest home match of them all. The Sounders won the West in 2016 and ’17, while the Timbers reached MLS Cup in ’15 and ’18. This contest marks the Timbers’ return to Seattle following the epic postseason battle that saw Portland defeat the Sounders last November.
The Portland Timbers come to town on July 21 for their lone match in Seattle during the regular season. The rivalry spans over four decades and is known as the best in MLS.
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4. LA Galaxy
Sunday, Sept. 1
3 p.m. PT | FS1
Since the Sounders joined MLS in 2009, the Rave Green joined the LA Galaxy as Western Conference powers. The only five-time MLS Cup champions, the LA Galaxy boast global stardom with star forward Zlatan Ibrahimović and new coach Guillermo Barros Scheletto, who formerly managed Nicolás Lodeiro at Boca Juniors and played alongside Chad Marshall in Columbus.
5. Minnesota United
Sunday, Oct. 6
1 p.m. PT
It all comes down to Decision Day, when the Sounders host Minnesota United. The Rave Green will look to hopefully solidify their playoff positioning and set a league record with their 11th consecutive postseason berth. Also of note, there will be a new playoff format implemented in 2019.
BONUS: Atlanta United
Sunday, July 14
1 p.m. PT | ESPN
The reigning champs come to town in mid-July. Atlanta has drawn comparisons to Seattle since bursting onto the scene in 2017 with big crowds and a successful run on the pitch, highlighted by December’s MLS Cup win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The two sides have met just once at CenturyLink Field, playing to a scoreless draw in March 2017. Expect more goals this time around.
