The Seattle Sounders are visiting Nashville SC on Saturday in their first and only meeting of the season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. PT at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tenn.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air in English on 950 KJR AM and in Spanish on El Rey 1360AM.Â
2023 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 12-9-9 (45. Points, 3rd West), Nashville: 12-9-8 (44 points, 7th East)
FORM GUIDE (all competitions, most recent first): Seattle: WDDWD, Nashville: DWDDL
PREVIOUS MEETING: Nashville SC defeated the Sounders 1-0 on July 13, 2022, at GEODIS Park behind a 44th-minute goal from Hany Mukhtar.
UNBEATEN STREAK: The Sounders enter this weekend on a five-match unbeaten run, their longest since a 15-match streak spanning from the end of 2020 and into summer 2021.
A WELCOME RETURN: Cristian Roldan made his full return in Seattle’s last match, a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids on Sept. 20. The veteran midfielder missed several months while recovering from concussion symptoms, and he marked his return with a match-winning assist to Albert Rusnák.
CHÚ COOKING: Sounders winger Léo Chú has been one of the breakout stars in MLS this season, tallying five goals to go along with eight assists in under 1,800 minutes. The 23-year-old Brazilian had just five goal contributions through his first 33 MLS matches prior to this year.
DEFENSIVE BATTLE: Saturday’s tilt features the league’s top two defensive teams. Nashville leads MLS with just 28 goals allowed, while Seattle is in second, and first in the Western Conference, having conceded just 31 times in 30 matches.
HOME DOMINANCE: Since joining MLS in 2020, Nashville SC has only lost nine home matches. Only the Philadelphia Union (four) have fewer home defeats in that span.
MUKHTAR MVP?: Nashville attacker Mukhtar is the reigning MLS MVP and is on pace to be a finalist yet again. The 28-year-old German is tied for the league lead with 15 goals to go along with 10 assists. He’s only of only seven players this year to have hit double digits in both goals and assists.
