Seattle Sounders vs Austin FC: Sounders' 7-game skid
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Seattle Sounders host Austin FC in Major League Soccer on Wednesday, August 19, as the regular season reaches Round 20. The Sounders are in the grip of a club-record seven-match losing streak in league play, most recently falling 2-0 at home to Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday. Austin FC, meanwhile, will look to pile on the misery after a 3-1 win when the sides met in Texas last month.
Seattle Sounders’ Unwanted Record
Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Vancouver marked the seventh consecutive MLS loss for Brian Schmetzer’s side, the longest such streak in the club’s history. The run includes a 1-5 home collapse against Portland Timbers on July 17, a 3-1 reverse at Austin, 1-0 setbacks at Philadelphia Union and LAFC, and a 2-1 derby loss at Portland. The Sounders sit 11th in the Western Conference with 24 points from 18 matches (7-8-3), their once-solid home form now a vulnerability.
Team News and Injury Latest
Both teams enter the fixture with clean bills of health. No fresh injuries are reported for either Seattle or Austin, allowing the managers to field near full-strength lineups. The Sounders are expected to set up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Paul Rothrock leading the line and Albert Rusnák in the No. 10 role. Austin are likely to deploy a 3-4-3, with Myrto Uzuni spearheading the attack and Facundo Torres pulling the strings from midfield. Jesús Ferreira, who has created 34 chances for Seattle, adds another creative dimension.
Key Battle: Rothrock vs Uzuni
Seattle’s best route to goal runs through Rothrock, who has five goals and nine shots on target from 22 attempts this season. Rusnák’s 33 chances created are a team-high figure, but the Sounders need Rothrock to convert those opportunities. At the other end, Austin’s Uzuni has six goals and 17 shots on target from 40 attempts, making him the visitors’ most reliable outlet. Christian Ramirez, with five goals in only 702 minutes, offers a secondary scoring threat off the bench. Torres’ 42 chances created for Austin underline the creative supply line that Seattle’s defense must disrupt.
Austin FC’s Stop-Start Form
Austin’s recent results read L L W L L across all competitions. Their 3-1 home victory over Seattle on July 23 is the lone win in that stretch, sandwiched between losses to Colorado Rapids (1-0), Houston Dynamo (3-0), St. Louis City SC (3-0), and Sporting Kansas City (2-1). With 17 points from 18 matches (4-5-9), the Verde and Black sit 14th in the West, just three points above the foot of the conference. Their away form has been particularly poor, and they will need Uzuni and Torres to fire if they are to repeat July’s success.
What’s Next
This midweek contest is the first of a crucial home stand for Seattle, who desperately need to halt their slide and restore confidence. Austin face another road trip as they try to string together back-to-back positive results for the first time in months. The match streams live on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass, with kickoff set for 8:30 p.m. CT / 6:30 p.m. PT.
