Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Major League Soccer match.
Both teams remain in contention for the play-offs, but there's little room for slip-ups—particularly for Seattle Sounders FC, who are currently chasing the pack. A home fixture gives them a solid chance to claim all three points.
Seattle Sounders
The Sounders occupy fifth place in the standings, sitting four points outside the Wild Card zone and trailing San Diego FC by the same margin. In the penultimate round, most of their direct competitors dropped points, and a 1:1 draw against Portland Timbers allowed the squad to hold their ground. Last Saturday, they edged to a 1:0 victory, courtesy of an 86th-minute penalty converted by Albert Rusnak. Before that, three of their games had seen Total Over 3.5 goals, with the squad winning two of those encounters. The only setback during that stretch came in a heavy 0:4 loss to Los Angeles Galaxy.
San Diego FC
Before Seattle Sounders FC tightened up defensively, San Diego FC cruised to a 3:0 win in Southern California on 6 April. But have the visitors sustained that level of attacking output since? On the whole, yes. Across their last eight outings, San Diego FC failed to score only twice, resulting in a draw and a defeat. They also scored just once in a 1:3 loss to Real Salt Lake. However, in the other five matches, they found the net at least twice, picking up four wins in the process.
Seattle Sounders FC vs San Diego FC Prediction
Seattle Sounders FC have shored things up defensively, while San Diego FC remain clinical in front of goal. So what’s the value play here? A market that doesn’t depend on the result. One thing seems likely—goals. In three of the last five matches involving either side, there have been at least three goals scored. That’s the trend worth following.
