The Seattle Sounders are hosting Sporting Kansas City on Thursday night (7 p.m. PT; FS1, UniMas, KIRO Radio 97.7 FM, El Rey 1360AM) in the Western Conference Knockout Round of the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs. Here is Seattle’s Starting XI:
FORMATION: 4-2-3-1
GK: Frei (24)
RB: Mears (4)
CB: Torres (29)
CB: Marshall (14)
LB: Jones (33)
CM: Alonso (6) – captain
CM: Friberg (8)
RM: Roldan (7)
AM: Lodeiro (10)
LM: Fernandez (21)
FW: Morris (13)
SUBSTITUTES:
GK: Miller (1)
DEF: Scott (20)
DEF: Fisher (91)
MF: Evans (3)
MF: Kovar (11)
FW: Valdez (16)
FW: Gomez (9)
NOTES
- Interim head coach Brian Schmetzer employs the same Starting XI and 18-man roster as he did in Seattle’s 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake last week in the regular season finale.
- Seattle starts four different players — Roman Torres, Nicolas Lodeiro, Alvaro Fernandez and Osvaldo Alonso — than it did in its 3-0 loss to Sporting in July.
- Midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz (right knee sprain) and forward Oalex Anderson (right hamstring strain) are each out for the third consecutive match.
