The Seattle Sounders take on Toronto FC this Saturday night at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, WA. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm PST. Seattle enters this match coming off of a much needed 2-1 victory over their hated rivals, the Portland Timbers. Toronto is coming off a 2-1 victory as well as they beat the Montreal Impact.

Both teams are fighting to make the playoffs and of the two teams, Toronto is in a better position than the Sounders. Toronto currently sits in fourth place of the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-10-4 (win-loss-tie) with 37 points. The Sounders sit in sixth place of the Western Conference with a record of 12-13-2 with 38 points. Toronto can afford to lose this match, but the Sounders cannot as they the San Jose Earthquakes and the Houston Dynamo breathing down their back for the sixth and final playoff spot.

In their last ten games, the Sounders are 3-7-0 while Toronto is 4-4-2 and is looking to win their third straight match. If Toronto is to win this game, they will have to do it without two of their top scorers. Jozy Altidore has been called into the United States men’s national team prior to their two friendlies against Peru and Brazil. Sebastian Giovinco, an MLS MVP candidate in his first season in MLS, will possibly be out of this match with an adductor muscle injury. Giovinco was just recently called in to Italy’s national team camp, but left early Monday afternoon as he was not fit for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Malta and Bulgaria.

Giovinco has been a huge signing for Toronto. In just 25 matches, he has scored 17 goals and has assisted on 13 others. He has only scored one goal in his last four games, but just having him on the field is a danger to opposing teams. He has played in every game for Toronto and out of a possible 2,250 minutes, he has played in 2,132. His presence on the field will be missed by Toronto.

The Sounders recently got Obafemi Martins back from the same injury that may cost Giovinco in this match. Clint Dempsey’s status is still up in the air, but he is scheduled to join the USMNT after this game against Toronto. Dempsey has not played since the Sounders lost 3-0 against the Vancouver Whitecaps on August 1st.

The Sounders will also be without Roman Torres and Marco Pappa as both have been called into their national team camps ahead their respective friendlies.

Neither of these teams can focus on who is not in the lineup.  Since Martins has been back, he has scored three goals in two games and has made the team better. Toronto Captain Michael Bradley will be playing in this game, barring picking up an injury in training, and will need to be a focus of the Sounders.

The Sounders midfield was completely outplayed in the game against the Timbers this past weekend, but the inclusion of Osvaldo Alonso in the second half seemed to help them. It will be absolutely key for Alonso, if he starts, to shut down the midfield and make Bradley disappear in this game.

This will be the tenth all-time meeting between the two clubs. Toronto has won only two of the ten matches, but won the most recent meeting 2-1 last year at CenturyLink Field. Jermain Defoe netted the two goals for Toronto while Dempsey scored the lone Sounders goal.

This season Toronto is 3-4-0 in seven matches played against Western Conference teams. The Sounders are 5-4-0 in nine matches played against Eastern Conference teams.

Prediction

This is a tough game to pick a winner. If the Sounders are able to roll out a lineup similar to the last three weeks, plus Dempsey, they have a good chance at winning for the third time in four games. Toronto will suffer without Giovinco and Altidore, having to rely on Bradley for a majority of the offense.

Seattle 2, Toronto 0