Minnesota United vs Seattle Sounders Betting Preview
Minnesota United will host the top team in the MLS — the Seattle Sounders — on Sunday, July 18 at 2:00 pm EST in their very own Allianz Field. Historically, this matchup has been a one-sided affair, with the Sounders undefeated in the last five games, winning four times and drawing once. This time the odds are still in the Sounders’ favor. The Western Conference leaders, as well as the MLS’ highest point total, are on a record 13-game unbeaten streak to start the season, while Minnesota’s form has been great as of late despite their still incomplete search for their fifth win of the season.
Minnesota’s Ways to Win
If no team in the MLS has figured out a way to take down the Sounders, surely I won’t. However, it starts with battling in the midfield. Based on formation, they will be down a man in the midfield. If they’re going to build out with the ball, they need to either pull a striker down into midfield or find a way to let one of their outside backs enter it. Either way, they need to find some way to mitigate the numbers up advantage the Sounders constantly have on their opponents.
Defensively, Ruidiaz is who they’ll have to start. He’s experienced, quick, and creative. He doesn’t require a double-team, but if he’s setting up in a one-on-one, there needs to be help defense on its way. This will be a good test for Minnesota. They’ll have to be up for it.
Minnesota United will host the top team in the MLS — the Seattle Sounders — on Sunday, July 18 at 2:00 pm EST in their very own Allianz Field.Seattle’s Ways to Win
Raul Ruidiaz. Give him the ball in attack, and you’ll win the game. Right now, it is as simple as that for the Sounders. Thankfully, they don’t even need to rely on him. He has 10 goals in 13 matches, which is impressively high, but shockingly only 43% of the Sounders’ total goals this season. They’ve scored 23 and given up eight. The Sounders simply need to play their game. And they play a really fundamental brand of soccer. They defend well, they attack with pace, and they shoot often.
That’s it. They don’t need to cater their game to Minnesota, but if they did. They would use their numbers up in the midfield to dominate. Match up one to one in the midfield and let the extra men float and intercept. That’s the benefit of playing with five in the midfield. Soccer games are won and lost in the middle of the pitch, and when you throw that many bodies into it, you’re bound to have a good result. With Ruidiaz alone up front, the attack does not suffer. The Sounders are playing with a winning recipe right now, and it’s not obvious what will ruin it.
Minnesota United vs Seattle Sounders Prediction
The Sounders are looking for an invincible season. I don’t think they’ll get so far, but Minnesota won’t be the one to stop them, even in Minnesota. They do not have all their pieces together while the Sounders seem to have found their winning recipe, and nothing is changing anytime soon. Sounders have no trouble with this win, scoring early and continuing their dominance. Ruidiaz for at least one as well.
Prediction: Seattle Sounders 3 – Minnesota United 1
