The Seattle Sounders’ pathway through the MLS is Back Tournament Knockout Stage got a bit of clarity on Thursday morning.
The Sounders had already booked a spot in the next round with their 3-0 demolition of the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday night. However, Seattle had to wait until the Chicago Fire and Whitecaps played the final match of Group B to get further insight on possible matchups in the Round of 16.
Following Vancouver’s 2-0 win over the Fire on Thursday, the Sounders will advance out of Group B as the No. 2 seed, with San Jose finishing in first and the Whitecaps securing the third and final spot out of the group.
Sounders FC will take on the second-place finisher from Group F on Monday, July 27 (8:00 p.m. PT; FS1, TUDN, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM). The Rave Green now await evening fixtures on Thursday, with LAFC and the Portland Timbers squaring off for the top spot in Group F.
If Portland picks up a win or a draw, the Sounders will look forward to a Western Conference Final rematch against LAFC. If the Black & Gold manage to beat the Timbers, it will be a Seattle-Portland Cascadia clash in the first knockout match.
There's still a possibility that the Sounders could face Houston in the Round of 16. Entering Thursday, the Dynamo sit in third place in Group F with one point and a -1 goal difference. LAFC, meanwhile, has four points and a +4 goal difference. In order for Houston to leapfrog LAFC, they would need LAFC to lose to Portland while also beating the LA Galaxy in such a manner to overcome the California's side super goal difference.
You can find more information on the Sounders’ run at the MLS is Back Tournament HERE.
