Columbus Crew vs Seattle Sounders Preview
Columbus Crew welcomes the Seattle Sounders to Lower.com Field on September 7 at 7:30 pm. The Crew is on a fine run of form after winning the Leagues Cup in August and looks to climb further up the table to challenge Inter Miami.
The Sounders are fighting for a place in the Western Conference playoffs. They sit eighth in the league but only goal difference separates them from the sixth-placed Portland Timbers. Can Seattle claim a huge win over Columbus or will the Crew continue their impressive form on their way to a playoff finish?
Columbus vs Seattle Sounders Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew have played each other on 20 occasions since 2009. The Sounders lead the rivalry with nine wins, six losses, and six draws between the sides. This upcoming clash will be the first time they have faced one another since August 2021. Three goals inside the final 15 minutes saw Seattle claim a dramatic 2-1 victory.
Several players in the Seattle squad on that day still play for the Sounders. The likes of Raul Ruidiaz, Yeimar, and Alex Roldan still appear at Lumen Field. Only three Columbus players in that matchday squad still turn out for the Crew. Brian Metzer still leads the Seattle Sounders as head coach.
Columbus Crew last played on August 31 in a clash with fellow playoff contenders New York City FC. An incredible final 15 minutes that bled deep into injury time saw the Crew come away with three points. The heart-in-mouth moments were plentiful at Lower.com Field.
Columbus started poorly. Alonso Martinez opened the scoring with his 11th goal of the season for New York in the fourth minute. He took Tayvon Gray’s through ball gracefully on the half-turn to go one-on-one with Patrick Schulte and slot home inside the box. Diego Rossi finished off a superb break from Columbus in the 17th minute, bundling in Christian Ramirez’s chip to level the game. Both sides had to settle for half chances and entered the break tied 1-1.
Another fine Columbus move allowed Max Arfsten to finish smartly from close range after Rossi’s beautifully weighted through ball, handing the Crew the lead. Columbus’s compact defence kept NYCFC to long shots for most of the half. However, a poor corner routine saw Arfsten’s terrible pass intercepted and a fast break began for NY. Mounsef Bakrar finished the move with a low-driven effort to tie the game in the 86th minute.
However, there was late drama when DeJuan Jones found himself free in the box to tap in the go-ahead goal in injury time. Jacen Russell-Rowe scored an insurance goal in the 99th minute to complete the comeback and snatch three points for Columbus.
Finishing was the difference at Providence Park last week when Seattle played the Portland Timbers on the road. A tightly contested battle saw Juan Mosquera’s goal separate the sides in a 1-0 loss for the Sounders. Portland had a chance to open the scoring inside five minutes, forcing superb stops from Stefan Frei.
Seattle had the ball in the net in the 19th minute but Pedro de la Vega strayed offside, ruling out the goal. It was an end-to-end first half where Seattle probably had the better chances but poor finishing meant they entered the break at 0-0. Mosquera found the ball on the edge of the area 10 minutes after the return. His powerful strike hit the top corner with the help of a deflection from Nouhou Tolo.
The Sounders tried to battle back but could not finish their chances. Jordan Morris and Raul Ruidiaz had opportunities to level the game but last-gasp blocks stopped their efforts from hitting the net. That was Seattle’s second loss in three games.
Columbus Crew vs Seattle Sounders Predictions
Correct score predictions: Columbus Crew 2-0 Seattle Sounders.
Columbus Crew has been one of the best teams in the MLS this season. Wilfried Nancy has his team playing excellently and they already have silverware in their trophy cabinet. They defeated Los Angeles FC in the Leagues Cup final with two goals in injury time. Columbus has lost just one of their last 14 games and is looking like a real MLS Cup contender. Our soccer prediction is for an eighth straight victory for the Crew.
Columbus has the best defence in the league by a considerable margin. They have only allowed 24 goals this season, which is staggeringly low. The Crew are the only side in the league with a goals allowed per game average below 1 (0.96). Seattle has one of the worst attacking records in the conference with only two sides scoring fewer goals. Brian Schmetzer will have his work cut out for him trying to break down the strongest defensive outfit in the MLS.
That First Complete-Game Clean Sheet Feeling ✨ pic.twitter.com/PSK7PzZFku
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) August 10, 2024
Nancy has supplemented his excellent defence with a great attack. Conference leader Inter Miami is the only team in the East to have scored more goals than Columbus. Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi are one of the best-scoring tandems in the league with 13 and 10 goals for Columbus respectively.
Columbus has only lost once at home this season. That came in May against high-flying FC Cincinnati. They have picked up 13 points from a possible 15 at Lower.com Field since then. The Sounders are 5-2-7 on the road this season while Columbus is 7-4-1 at home. The Crew can make use of their home advantage and Seattle’s weakness on the road on their way to victory on Saturday.
Seattle has struggled for consistency in the MLS this season. A strong run between June and early July allowed them to surge into playoff contention. However, they are 1-2 in the league since then. A good start to their Leagues Cup campaign was curtailed by a 3-0 loss to LAFC in the quarterfinals. That was their third defeat to them in 2024. Seattle has struggled against teams in the top half of the playoff places this season and Columbus will be too strong for them.
Columbus Crew vs Seattle Sounders Betting Tips
Columbus is among the favourites for the MLS Cup in the MLS betting. They have been one of the best teams in the league this season and have hit a fine run of form just when it matters. Bet on Columbus Crew to win the game, worth -111.
The Crew have a duo of excellent forwards leading the way this season. Rossi and Hernandez have 23 goals between them in the MLS and Rossi is coming off a game with two goal contributions. Hernandez will be away on international duty and won’t play in this game. Rossi will be the main man up top and attacking moves will go through him. We like a bet on the Uruguayan to have two or more shots on target, worth +162 with our online sportsbook.
The Opener & The Winner 😤
Diego Rossi's goal and assist against NYCFC have earned him a spot in the Starting XI of the Team of the Matchday. DeJuan Jones was named to the bench thanks to his stoppage time winner. pic.twitter.com/uQS6Y3iDBi
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) September 3, 2024
These teams have great disciplinary records. Columbus is the best in the MLS, with just 30 yellow cards and Seattle is the third best with 37. Seattle did not receive a card in their last game and Columbus received just one. Soccer betting will look favourably on these teams to continue their great record in this game. Wager on under 3.5 cards in the game, worth -137.
Seattle has been one of the worst-scoring teams in their conference while Columbus has been the best defensive team in the league. The Sounders failed to score against a Portland team that conceded nearly double the number of goals the Crew has. Online betting has priced both teams to score – no at plus money. With both sides’ defensive and scoring form considered, we think this is a wager worth making. Bet against both teams scoring, worth +115.
Live betting is also an option for this game. We expect Columbus to win this game, but Seattle is no pushover. They have strong attacking players like Jordan Morris and Raul Ruidiaz, who have 10 and eight goals in the MLS respectively this season. Wait for the game to start and judge how open it is before looking at goalscorers or shots on target markets.
Columbus Crew Team News
Six Columbus Crew players have been called up to their international rosters this week and will miss this game. Cucho Hernandez, Jacen Russell-Rowe, defenders Mohamed Farsi and Steven Moreira, and goalkeepers Nicholas Hagen and Patrick Schulte are all with their international training camps. Malte Amundsen is suspended for this match after an accumulation of yellow cards.
- Predicted lineup: Romero, Camacho, Cheberko, Zawadzki, DeJuan Jones, Derrick Jones, Nagbe, Arfsten, Chambost, Jackson, Rossi.
Seattle Sounders Team News
Nouhou Tolo has been called up to the Cameroon squad and will miss this game. Braudilio Rodrigues is still recovering from a hamstring injury that has kept him out for the entire season. He is not fit to return here. Stefan Frei left the field with a leg injury after eight minutes last week. The goalkeeper is questionable for this game. Cody Baker’s hand injury is not expected to prevent him from playing, and he is available for selection.
- Predicted lineup: Thomas, Baker-Whiting, Yeimar, Ragen, Roldan. Paulo, Atencio, de la Vega, Ruidiaz C. Roldan, J. Morris.
