TICKETS) in their first-ever meeting. Here are three matchups to watch:
Raúl Ruidíaz vs. Matt Besler
The Sounders’ Peruvian marksman continues to bag goals, having scored six times already through seven matches this season, including heading in the opener last weekend. He’s been in incredible form and will square off against an MLS veteran and longtime Sounders foe in Besler, who spent the last 12 years at Sporting Kansas City. Look for Ruidíaz to add more to his tally in this one.
Kelyn Rowe vs. Tomás Pochettino
Rowe has had somewhat of a resurgence in Seattle this season, and the Sounders have been the beneficiaries of his excellent two-way midfield play. He may need to play a little more defensive on Sunday alongside João Paulo and let Cristian Roldan do most of the attacking, as the Argentine Designated Player Pochettino loves to pinch in from the left side of Austin’s midfield and connect with teammates. How well Rowe can play disruptor, something he’s done very
Sounders vs. Atlanta, recap: Still unbeaten, but less perfect
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Max Aquino / Sounder at Heart
The Seattle Sounders welcomed Atlanta United into Lumen Field with a full supporters section on Sunday afternoon, but sent everyone home a little disappointed with a 1-1 draw. The Sounders opened the scoring up early with a headed goal from Raúl Ruidíaz off of a corner in the 6th minute.
Atlanta held the bulk of possession throughout the game, but for all their control of the ball they failed to create much in the way of real chances. That finally changed in the 86th minute when they drew a penalty that resulted in their one clear chance of the game, which Josef Martinez converted.
Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications
SEATTLE The stage was all set. The Seattle Sounders had their biggest in-stadium crowd of the season including a reasonably packed Brougham End and a broadcast television audience to boot. The Sounders entered the match on a roll that seemed nearly as sustainable as it was impressive. Their opponent was another in an ever-growing line of challengers for their status as marquee team in MLS.
Not that they needed it, but a win would have put an emphatic stamp on the start of Seattle’s season and sent them into their final game before the June international break on a dead sprint.
Sounders vs. Atlanta United: Highlights, stats and quotes
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Despite allowing a late goal and dropping two points, the Seattle Sounders still managed to set a franchise record for best-ever start by claiming their 17th point of the season through seven games.
In many ways, though, this was their toughest. The Sounders lost the possession battle decisively and only managed seven shots. They did get Raúl Ruidíaz’s sixth goal of the season on João Paulo’s fourth assist, however, but allowed just their third goal on a Josef Martinez penalty. Notably, none of those goals have come from open play.