Sports Mole previews Sunday’s MLS Playoffs clash between Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Houston Dynamo will seek to continue their recent resurgence when they welcome the Seattle Sounders to Shell Energy Stadium on Sunday in Round 12 of the 2025 Major League Soccer season.
Unbeaten in each of their last nine meetings across all competitions, the hosts have enjoyed the upper hand in this fixture of late against the visitors, who head into this weekend’s meeting having won three and drawn one of their last four matches.
Match preview
© Imago
After failing to win any of their four pre-season matches, Houston Dynamo headed into the new campaign low on confidence, and it was no surprise their opening six league games yielded no wins and just two points.
Ben Olsen‘s men finally ended their wait for a first MLS win of the season on April 6 with a 1-0 triumph over Los Angeles FC, which was followed by consecutive stalemates against Los Angeles Galaxy and Colorado Rapids before a 2-0 win against Austin FC to close out the month.
La Naranja saw their four-match unbeaten streak come to an end against Los Angeles FC at the start of May but wasted no time getting back to winning ways by seeing off the threat of Phoenix Rising in the US Open Cup.
While their work on the defensive work still needs improvement, as shown by their zero clean sheets in the last four outings, Houston have been rampant in front of goal, scoring eight times, five more than they did in the four matches prior.
Returning back to league duty, where they currently rank joint-fourth for the most points amassed over the last five matches, Houston Dynamo will be aiming to continue their surge up the Western Conference standings from 14th place.
A win this weekend would see Sunday’s hosts win consecutive games for the first time since July ahead of next week’s clash against Minnesota United, who have made a bright start to the campaign and sit second in the West.
© Imago
Navigating domestic and continental assignments during the early exchanges of the season, Seattle Sounders managed just one win from seven matches to kick off proceedings, a huge disappointment for a team that reached the playoff semi-finals last time out.
One of the most experienced coaches in the country, Brian Schmetzer kept his side calm in the face of adversity and has since led them to 10 points from the last 12 available following Sunday’s 4-1 thrashing of St Louis City.
Having gone behind in a game for the first time in just under a month courtesy of Marcel Hartel‘s opener, the Rave Greens displayed great fighting spirit to level matters through Albert Rusnak before second-half goals from Obed Vargas, Danny Musovski and Nouhou Tolo turned the game on its head.
Now up to 16 points for the season, the Seattle Sounders have climbed up into the automatic playoff places and are currently just two points shy of second in a tightly packed Western Conference standings.
Off the back of just one victory from their last seven away involvements, Sunday’s visitors will need to get their act together as they head to Texas this weekend for the first of three straight matches on enemy territory.
Houston Dynamo MLS form:
Houston Dynamo form (all competitions):
Seattle Sounders MLS form:
© Imago
Lawrence Ennali, Nelson Quinones and Andrew Tarbell are all nursing knee problems at the moment and will not be playing any part for Houston Dynamo here.
Toyosi Olusanya remains out due to personal reasons, while Franco Escobar will serve a one-game suspension after receiving his marching orders against Los Angeles.
American duo Duane Holmes and Jimmy Maurer are also set to miss out this weekend, although the latter is not far off returning to action from a muscle problem.
Paul Arriola has featured just twice for Seattle Sounders this season due to a knee problem and is joined on the treatment table by Jackson Ragen and Jordan Morris.
Twenty-four-year-old Jesus Ferreira is unlikely to end his wait for a first league goal of the campaign this weekend as he continues to nurse a muscle problem.
Danny Musovski has gotten himself on the scoresheet in each of his last four appearances for the away side, making the forward one to keep a close watch on.
Houston Dynamo possible starting lineup:
Bond; Dorsey, Sviatchenko, Awodesu, Steres; McGlynn, Artur, Raines; Bassi, Ponce, Lingr
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; Nouhou, Kim, Andrade; Vargas, C Roldan, A Roldan, Rusnak; De la Vega, Musovski, Rothrock
We say: Houston Dynamo 1-1 Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders are the more in-form of the two sides, but their away record does not make for good reading, and consequently, we are backing a share of the spoils with honours even at the end of the 90 minutes.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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