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Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s Major League Soccer clash between Seattle Sounders and Minnesota United, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Facing elimination on Monday, the Seattle Sounders welcome Minnesota United to Lumen Field in game 2 of that best-of-three opening round series in the MLS Cup playoffs.
The first match in this series went to the Loons on penalties 3-2 after a goalless 90 minutes, putting Minnesota in position to advance into the second round for a second successive campaign.
Match preview
After a shootout loss last Monday evening, the Sounders find themselves in an unfamiliar position, needing a win to avoid an early post-season exit.
It is the first time that they are trailing a best-of-three series since this format was introduced in 2023, and losing game two would mark their first opening round playoff elimination since 2021.
While being in their position is always a little uneasy, they should fancy their chances of survival, given that they are on a nine-match unbeaten run domestically at Lumen Field, emerging victorious from those previous two home encounters.
Brian Schmetzer’s men won five regular-season home outings in 2025 by a single goal, four of which ended in a shutout, counting their final two games played in Seattle before the playoffs.
The Rave Green have not lost their opening playoff match at home since a 1-0 defeat to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2010, while conceding just once in their previous five post-season encounters at Lumen Field.
In their only previous playoff affair versus Minnesota at home, they fought back from two goals down to score three times in the final 15 minutes plus stoppage time and claim a 3-2 triumph in 2020.
Game one was nearly a carbon copy of the opening match of the 2024 playoffs for Minnesota, as they held their nerve on penalties both times after failing to concede in normal time.
The Loons are now unbeaten in their previous three MLS playoff fixtures in round one and have picked up two clean sheets over that stretch.
During the regular season, Eric Ramsay’s team won eight games away from home but failed to claim victory in those final two outings of the year.
On Monday, they have a chance to collect their first away playoff victory in normal time since blanking Sporting Kansas City 3-0 in December of 2020.
Minnesota did not lose a single game in the 2025 regular season on the road when scoring in the first half but only achieved this feat in one of their final six MLS away matches of the campaign.
Earlier this year, they secured a narrow 3-2 triumph over the Sounders, their first at Lumen Field, ending a 10-match losing streak against them in Seattle.
Seattle Sounders Major League Soccer Playoff form:
Seattle Sounders form (all competitions):
Minnesota United Major League Soccer Playoff form:
Minnesota United form (all competitions):
Team News
A knee issue will likely keep Pedro De la Vega on the Seattle sidelines for this match, Ryan Kent is dealing with a muscle strain, Kim Kee-Hee is questionable with a sore calf and Paul Arriola will be recovering from a cruciate ligament tear.
Stefan Frei did not face a single shot in the opening 90 minutes of game one, collecting a clean sheet, though Alexander Roldan, his brother Cristian Roldan and Daniel Leyva all missed from the penalty spot.
On the Minnesota side, Carlos Harvey and Jeong Ho-yeon are unavailable for this clash because of a knee injury and a cruciate ligament tear, respectively.
Dayne St Clair stopped the four Seattle efforts that he faced in normal time of game one, and one penalty kick, while Julian Gressel was the only Loon to miss from 12 yards away.
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; A. Roldan, Ragen, Gomez Andrade, Tolo; Paulo, Vargas; Ferreira, Rusnak, Rothrock; Morris
Minnesota United possible starting lineup:
St Clair; Diaz, Boxall, Romero, Markanich; Trapp, Triantis; Lod, Pereyra, Rosales; Yeboah
We say: Seattle Sounders 1-0 Minnesota United
The Sounders may not be as dominant as in years past, but they know what it takes to win big games, and we trust their experience and the home crowd will lead them to victory in this must-win contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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