Seattle Sounders vs Austin FC predictions

The Seattle Sounders finally cracked. After going 13 games without defeat to start the season, the most powerful franchise in the Western Conference over the past half-decade finally failed to take home a single point in a match over the weekend in their 1-0 loss to Minnesota. In the long run, the Sounders will be fine – they’re missing half their core team between injuries and international commitments, with almost everyone expected back within a month. But the team Seattle fielded over the weekend won’t improve much by Thursday, when they travel to Texas to play at expansion side FC Austin for the first time.

The sides met on May 30 in Seattle, playing to a scoreless tie – the only time the Sounders had been held without a goal prior to their loss in Minnesota. But Austin has been unable to sustain any momentum with their offense all season. The league’s newest team broke a stretch of seven games with only one total goal by putting up four at home against Portland to kick off July, giving their fans hope that the days of goal drought were behind them. But Austin failed to score in their subsequent 2-0 loss to LAFC, despite taking 14 shots and controlling 60% of possession in that match. A depleted Seattle and a starved Austin match up well together, so don’t count on either team edging out the other, and bet on a tie.