The Sounders and FC Cincinnati have met just one time, with Seattle winning 4-1, at home in March 2019 in Cincinnati’s inaugural MLS match. Jordan Morris scored twice in that match, one of his five career multi-goal games.
Seattle’s 2-1 loss at Vancouver on Sunday was its 16th defeat of the year, two more than its’ had in any other MLS season(14 in 2016). The Sounders (39 points) will need to win each of their last three matches to avoid setting a club record for fewest points in a season (47 in 30-game 2009 season).
FC Cincinnati has lost only one of its last 17 MLS matches (W5 D11), including going unbeaten in the last 10 (W4 D6). The 10-match unbeaten run is the longest in FC Cincinnati’s MLS history and is tied for the longest in MLS this season (Timbers from June-August, Revolution from May-July).
Julian Gressel’s match-winning goal for Vancouver against the Sounders on Saturday was scored from outside the box. Since the start of the 2017 season, Stefan Frei has conceded 33 goals from outside the box, five more than any other MLS goalkeeper in that time.
Brenner’s brace for Cincinnati against Real Salt Lake on Saturday was the eighth multi-goal game by a Cincinnati player this season, including the fourth by Brenner. Cincinnati had only one multi-goal performance in its first three MLS seasons, a Brenner brace in 2021.
