With the tough 1-0 road loss against FC Cincinnati behind them, the Seattle Sounders are looking to bounce back as the team prepares for a massive matchup at Lumen Field against LAFC (1:00 p.m. PT; FOX, Watch Free on Apple TV | TICKETS) on Saturday.
“It's another opportunity to send a statement out to the rest of the league and to ourselves that we can compete with the best on a weekly basis,” said midfielder Cristian Roldan.
While the result in Cincinnati didn’t end in the Sounders’ favor, they are using it as motivation ahead of high-profile fixture on Saturday between the reigning CCL Champions and the reigning MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield winners.
“I feel like Cincinnati is going to be up there in the standings and come July, August, LAFC will be too, so this is just another chance for us to show that we belong up there just as much as they do,” said Roldan.
The setback in Cincinnati shouldn’t discredit the hard work Seattle put in to solidify the first couple of wins of the MLS season. Though the winning streak was discontinued last Saturday, the Sounders are itching to get back into the win column come this weekend.
“It's 100% something that's correctable and we'll make sure to do that,” forward Jordan Morris said after Saturday’s result. “I think the way we started the season obviously wasn't a fluke.”
Being able to regroup with a game at home will also be beneficial for the Rave Green as they go to battle against one of the top teams in the MLS. With two resounding home victories under their belts, the Sounders hope to use the unmatched environment that makes up Lumen field to fuel them to three points.
LAFC TICKETS
Come watch Seattle Sounders FC as the reigning CCL Champions host the reigning MLS Cup Champions at Lumen Field on Saturday, March 18!
“We're going to have games that we won’t win, but it's how we recover, how we respond,” said defender Alex Roldan. “And how we've performed at home is something that we're going to find ourselves this year and we're looking to have a good performance against them.”
The last time the two teams went head-to-head, LAFC barely slid past the Sounders, coming up with a 2-1 victory at BMO Stadium in 2022. Earlier last year, the two teams finished in a 1-1 draw at Lumen Field.
The 2022 Supporters’ Shield victors are coming out firing this season, with two MLS wins already in their back pocket and a blowout, 3-0 victory in Concacaf play. Looking ahead to Saturday, Seattle will need to bring a different kind of level for this must-watch game.
