The Seattle Sounders are hosting Western Conference-leading Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, Aug. 12. Here is everything you need to know about the match:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 1 p.m. PT at CenturyLink Field.
WHERE TO WATCH: The game will be televised on JOEtv, ROOT Sports outside Seattle and in Spanish on Univision.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The game will air on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM and in Spanish on El Rey 1360AM.
2017 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 9-7-7 (34 points, 4th West), Sporting KC: 9-4-10 (37 points, 1st West).
ALL-TIME HISTORY: The Sounders are 7-5-3 all time against Sporting KC including a 3-2-2 home mark.
RECENT RESULTS: The Sounders fell 3-0 in Kansas City in May behind a hat trick from Gerso.
WELCOME HOME, LAMAR: The Sounders on Monday announced the acquisition of Lamar Neagle via a trade with D.C. United. The Federal Way, Wash., native returns to Seattle for his fourth stint with the Sounders.
SHUTOUT STREAK: The Sounders are riding a 310-minute shutout streak, a span of nearly three and a half matches. Seattle has not conceded since the 50th minute against D.C. United on July 19. The club’s record for consecutive shutout minutes is 379.
DOMINANT DEMPSEY: Clint Dempsey has been on a tear in the last six weeks, recording five goals and two assists in his last four MLS matches. He also added a goal and three assists in three CONCACAF Gold Cup Knockout Round matches to lead the United States to the Gold Cup title.
MORRIS FINDS THE MARK: Jordan Morris scored this third goal of the MLS season last Saturday in a 4-0 win over Minnesota United. He is hoping that tally will get him back on track with the Sounders following a tremendous Gold Cup that saw him tie for the Golden Boot trophy with three goals and score a late game-winner in the final against Jamaica.
UNBEATEN RUNS: The Sounders and SKC each enter Saturday in brilliant form, carrying seven-match and nine-match unbeaten streaks, respectively. Seattle has its longest unbeaten streak since it finished the 2015 regular season unbeaten in eight matches. SKC has not lost in two and a half months when it fell 1-0 at the Colorado Rapids on May 27.
DWYER SITUATION?: The Sounders will face a Sporting KC team without Dom Dwyer for the first time since 2011 after SKC traded Dwyer to Orlando City on July 25. Dwyer scored five goals and added one assist in 15 matches for SKC this season. Sporting KC is 1-0-1 since Dwyer’s departure and have scored four goals.
MIDWEEK OPEN CUP MATCH: Sporting KC defeated the San Jose Earthquakes in a semifinal of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday in penalty kicks. The match ended 1-1 in regulation, and SKCHead Coach Peter Vermes used just two substitutes in 120 minutes before Sporting won 5-4 in penalty kicks.
RESOLUTE DEFENDING: Anchored by Ike Opara and Matt Besler, Sporting KC sports the best defense in MLS, having only allowed 18 goals in 23 matches (0.78 goals per game). No other team has allowed fewer than 23 goals.
