Seattle Sounders vs. Toronto FC | MLS Match Preview

MLSsoccer staff

SEATTLE SOUNDERS vs. TORONTO FC
CENTURYLINK FIELD, Seattle, Wash.
September 5, 2015 (WEEK 27, MLS Game #269)
10 p.m. ET (MLS LIVE, TSN2)

A pair of clubs looking to hang on to playoff positions in their respective conferences meet when Seattle Sounders FC entertain Toronto FC at at CenturyLink Field on Saturday evening. Sounders FC are coming off a critical win over arch-rivals Portland Timbers last Sunday afternoon, leaving them in a tie for sixth place and the final playoff place in the Western Conference. Toronto FC are now in a tie for fourth place in the East, after a rivalry victory of their own last weekend in a 2-1 defeat of the Montréal Impact at BMO Field.

Obafemi Martins scored a third goal in three games after his return from injury, leading Sounders FC to a a second win in that time after a five-game losing skid in their 2-1 win against the Portland Timbers on Sunday afternoon at CenturyLink Field. The game drew an attendance of 64,358 – the 11th-largest single-game attendance in MLS regular season history.
Toronto FC have won back-to-back games for the first time since May 23-June 6, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore netted goals in a 2-1 win against the Montréal Impact on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field.
Toronto FC won the lone meeting between the clubs a year ago, a 2-1 victory at CenturyLink Field on March 15, ending a five-game Sounders FC winning streak in the all-time series.
TFC has won twice in nine all-time meetings, their only other victory having come April 25, 2010 at BMO Field.

DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)

REFEREE: Ted Unkel
MLS Career: 28 games; FC/gm: 26.1; Y/gm: 4.1; R: 9; pens: 15
AR1 (bench): Jonathan Johnson; AR2 (opposite): Mike Kampmeinert; 4th: Tyler Ploeger

SUSPENDED: TOR: Collen Warner (through Sept. 13)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SEA: Osvaldo Alonso, Andy Rose … TOR: Nick Hagglund
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: SEA: Zach Scott, Tyrone Mears, Gonzalo Pineda, Erik Friberg, Brad Evans, Oneil Fisher … TOR: Collen Warner, Sebastian Giovinco
DISABLED LIST: SEA: Andres Correa, Andy Craven, Damian Lowe … TOR: Mark Bloom (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: SEA: Roman Torres (Panama; 9/4 vs. Uruguay, 9/8 at Venezuela 9/8) … TOR: Jozy Altidore (USA; 9/4 vs. Peru, 9/8 vs. Brazil)

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (9 meetings): Sounders FC 6 wins, 15 goals … Toronto FC 2 wins, 8 goals … Ties 1
AT SEATTLE (5 meetings): Sounders FC 3 wins, 10 goals … Toronto FC 1 win, 5 goals … Ties 1