Seattle Sounders vs FC Cincinnati Predictions

Jon Wilde 28 Feb 2019

Seattle Sounders vs FC Cincinnati predictions for their MLS match on Saturday
We are backing Cincinnati to claim a point on their MLS debut
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Seattle Sounders vs FC Cincinnati Match Prediction

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Draw 16/5

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Seattle Sounders vs FC Cincinnati Match Info

Date: Saturday March 2 2019
Kick-off time: 03:00am Sunday GMT
Venue: CenturyLink Field
Referee: Chris Penso

Seattle Sounders vs FC Cincinnati Head-To-Head Record

No previous matches

Seattle Sounders vs FC Cincinnati Stats

Seattle Sounders have lost their opening MLS match in all of the three previous seasons
Two of those games were at home and Seattle were beaten 1-0 each time
But the Sounders won nine of their last 10 home matches last year

Seattle Sounders vs FC Cincinnati Match Preview

FC Cincinnati begin life in MLS away to a Seattle Sounders team who will have high hopes of maintaining their remarkably consistent record of reaching the season’s business end.

The 24th MLS franchise has been awarded to Cincinnati and it’s appropriate that they step up from American soccer’s second tier having been easily the best team during the 2018 regular season, only to miss out in the play-offs as Louisville City went on to claim the overall glory.

The Ohio club still have the same manager, a South African named Alan Koch, and among their better-known players are former Arsenal and Middlesbrough right-back Justin Hoyte, goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton who represented Poland at Euro 2012 and ex-Swansea City winger Roland Lamah.

Seattle, meanwhile, have reached the MLS Cup quarter-finals every year since 2009, lifting the trophy in 2016 and finishing runners-up to Toronto FC the following year in a repeat of the final.

Brian Schmetzer’s side picked up their form remarkably well from July onwards last season after a poor start to the campaign and ultimately will count themselves unlucky to have bowed out in the last eight on penalties against eventual runners-up Portland Timbers.

Sounders’ talisman Clint Dempsey has now retired but they still have Uruguay international midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro, former Vitesse Arnhem defender Kelvin Leerdam and on-loan Bournemouth left-back Brad Smith in their roster.

In terms of pre-season results, Cincinnati’s have been considerably better than those of Seattle, who were drubbed 7-1 by champions Atlanta United, and we will back the MLS new boys to claim a point on their debut among the elite.

MORE: Looking for predictions on other MLS matches? See our MLS betting tips section, packed with insight from our expert tipsters. Also, if you’re planning a Both Teams To Score bet, check out the latest selections on our BTTS Tips page.