Kickoff: 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT @ Lumen Field, Seattle WA
Streaming on Apple TV+
Make no bones about it, Seattle got its ass kicked in their opening match. Toluca’s total domination of the game was reflected in the 3-0 scoreline as well as the statistics. Every major metric for Seattle was a single digit number: shots (4), shots on frame (2), corners (1) and touches in the opposition box (3 – also a record lowest for Matchday 1). If it wasn’t for the heroic efforts of backup goalkeeper Stefan Frei, Toluca would have scored double digit goals. The Swiss veteran made a remarkable 16 saves.
Playing down in Toluca’s Estadio Nemesio Díez Riega might have been a factor, but the fact remains they were straight up beat. One drawback to such a crushing loss is there’s precious few positives to take from it, so exactly how Brian Schmetzer will play this is unknown.
Seattle is in quite the rut. Since returning from the World Cup break, they’ve dropped five straight, starting with a humiliating 5-1 thrashing from rivals Portland Timbers. Over the five game span they’ve scored 3 goals and conceded 14. Remember, this was the side who in the first half of the campaign were among the stingiest on defense, allowing 9 in 12 ties. It’s unclear what’s happened, or even how Schmetzer can fix it. There is good news, however. They return home to Lumen Field for this fixture against a very beatable Querétaro side.
Querétaro are no pushovers
Of course, “beatable” is relative. Querétaro have actually started the Liga MX Apertura well. They’re in 7th place; one of seven teams with six points. After losing their opener by a narrow 1-0 to Club América, they rebounded with two wins over Pachuca (2-1) and Tigres (3-2). Their striker Alí Ávila was instrumental in those victories, netting three times. Their 2-0 loss to FC Dallas is a bit deceptive. They actually put nine shots on frame, but were stymied by some exceptional goalkeeping from Jonathan Sirois. Despite a brutal travel schedule (going from Dallas to Seattle to Los Angeles in eight days), Los Gallos Blancos will have their tails up and should expect to resoundingly upset a Sounders side playing some of their worst soccer in a long while.
Prediction: Seattle Sounders 1 – 2 Querétaro
