Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders Prediction, Preview and Odds - 9/18/21
Salt Lake vs. Seattle9-16
Real Salt Lake has been up and down as of late and they play host to a Seattle club that has won two matches in a row.
The Sounders have won two in. row not giving up any goals and in their last match secured their berth in the League Club final with a 1-0 win over Santos. The club had been in first place in the Western Conference for most of the season but now trail Sporting Kansas City by one point. Seattle is led by a defense that has conceded the fewest goals in MLS.
To say Real Salt Lake has been up and down as of late would be an understatement. They have three wins and four wins and four losses in their last eight matches and the club sits in the sixth sport in the West. The attack has been there for Real on the season but the defense has had its issues.
Star Sends Team Through
In the Sounders last match, they beat Santos 1-0 where Raul Ruidiaz scored the lone goal and they will not meet Club Leon or Pumas UNAM in Las Vegas on Sept. 22. He came through in the clutch scoring in stoppage time in a match where they lost the time of possession battle (56% to 44%) bit the shots and shots on target were relatively even. In the Sounders' last MLS match, they beat Minnesota 1-0 and earlier this season at home they beat Salt Lake 2-1.
Ruidiaz is the MLS leader with 14 goals scored on the season and he had not found the back of the net for a few matches before the Santos one. Fredy Montero had six goals for the team and João Paulo is among the league leaders with seven assists. Seattle has only given up four goals in their last five matches with two of them coming in the lone loss in that span. Defenders Abdoulaye Cissoko and Nouhou Tolo are both listed as questionable for the match with Real due to injuries.
Barnburner Win
In their last match Real Salt Lake was on the road and in a barnburner beat San Jose 4-3. In the win Rubio Rubin scored twice and Albert Rusnák and Justtin Meram each found the back of the net. Real narrowly won the time of possession battle but they had more shots and double up the Earthquakes in terms of shots on target (13-6). While Salt Lake is not facing the most dynamic Seattle attack they have given up three goals in each of their last two matches.
Damir Kreilach leads Real with nine goals and Rubn and Albert Rusnák have seven goals apiece. Aaron Herrera and Rusnák have combined for 13 assists on the season. When Real lost to Seattle 2-1 in mid-July Salt Lake only had a grand total of two shots on target. Salt Lake has a few players out with injury and MF Everton Bilher and DF Aaron Herrera are both out of the Seattle match due to being suspended.
Pick: Seattle Sounders +199
Seattle has won their last two matches by scores of 1-0 and they are right at the heels of Kansas City for the top spot in the West. The club has conceded the fewest goals in MLS and while their attack has not been great as of late, they will be facing a Real club that has given up three goals in each of their last two matches. Salt Lake has been up and down as of late with four wins and four draws in their last eight matches Their midfield is not as strong as Seattle’s nor is their defense and that will show in this match. Seattle will win this road match where they will play well on both sides of the pitch.
Total: Over 2.5 goals
I am leaning towards the Over in this match, which was the winning pick in the earlier season matchup between these clubs. The Sounders have not given up any goals in their last two matches but they will not get a third straight clean sheet facing a Real team that has scored seven goals in their last two matches. Still, Salt Lake has given up six goals in their last two matches and Seattle will score at least two goals. This will not be a high scoring affair but the Over is still the pick in this conference matchup.
Over 2.5 goals
