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FC Cincinnati vs Seattle Sounders match preview: date, venue & predictions

The next FC Cincinnati match sees them host Seattle Sounders in the Major League Soccer regular season. This FC Cincinnati vs Seattle Sounders clash is scheduled for 22 August 2026 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, with kick-off at 23:30 UTC. For fans wondering when FC Cincinnati play next, this home fixture in the Regular Season - 21 round is a key date on the calendar.

This FC Cincinnati vs Seattle Sounders preview focuses on two teams heading into the game in very different moods. FC Cincinnati are pushing from the upper reaches of the Eastern Conference, while Seattle Sounders arrive from the Western Conference on a worrying run of defeats. With Cincinnati so strong at home and Seattle badly out of form, there is plenty at stake as both sides look to shape their MLS campaigns.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

  • Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 21
  • Date / Kick-off: 2026-08-22T23:30:00Z
  • Venue: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
  • Status: Not Started (Fixture has not started yet)

Standings & form

FC Cincinnati come into this fixture ranked 5th in the Eastern Conference with 30 points from 20 matches. Their overall record stands at 8 wins, 6 draws and 6 defeats, with a goal difference of +2 after scoring 48 and conceding 46. At home they have been particularly strong: in 10 home games, Cincinnati have recorded 7 wins, 1 draw and just 2 losses, scoring 30 and conceding 20. Their recent league form is solid, with a five-game sequence of WDWLW.

Seattle Sounders travel as 12th in the Western Conference on 24 points from 19 matches. Their overall record is 7 wins, 3 draws and 9 defeats, with a goal difference of -5 (21 scored, 26 conceded). Away from home, Seattle have taken 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses in 10 away fixtures, with 7 goals for and 10 against. Crucially, their current form line reads LLLLL, underlining a five-match losing streak in the league.

Beyond the table, FC Cincinnati’s season statistics underline a high-tempo, attacking side. They have kept 2 clean sheets so far and have failed to score only twice in 20 league outings. They are also perfect from the spot, converting 5 penalties from 5. Seattle Sounders, by contrast, have been more reliant on defensive resilience, with 5 clean sheets in 19 matches, but they have failed to score in 5 games, highlighting some attacking inconsistency. Both sides show notable discipline trends, with Cincinnati picking up the bulk of their yellow cards late in games and Seattle’s cautions concentrated around the hour mark, according to the minute-by-minute card data.

Head-to-head

  • 2023-03-12: FC Cincinnati 1–0 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
  • 2022-09-28: Seattle Sounders 1–1 FC Cincinnati (Major League Soccer)
  • 2019-03-03: Seattle Sounders 4–1 FC Cincinnati (Major League Soccer)

The recent head-to-head record between these clubs is finely balanced. FC Cincinnati edged the most recent meeting at TQL Stadium in March 2023 with a 1–0 home win. Before that, the sides shared a 1–1 draw at Lumen Field in September 2022. Seattle’s standout result in this fixture remains their 4–1 home victory back in March 2019. Overall, the three listed encounters show one win each and one draw, with Cincinnati’s improvement in more recent clashes mirrored by their current stronger league position.

Team news & absences

Seattle Sounders face significant selection issues ahead of this trip. They are set to be without several players listed as missing for this fixture: P. Arriola (Calf Injury), Y. Gomez Andrade (Muscle Injury), J. Morris (Muscle Injury), N. Petkovic (Knee Injury) and P. de La Vega (Calf Injury) are all ruled out.

There are also a number of doubts for the visitors. H. Dotson (Muscle Injury), J. Ferreira (Injury) and C. Roldan (Calf Injury) are all listed as Questionable, leaving Seattle’s depth and rotation options under pressure for this demanding away fixture. No absences are listed for FC Cincinnati in the provided data.

Key players to watch

  • K. Denkey (FC Cincinnati) — 11 goals and 2 assists in MLS 2026 underline his status as a primary attacking threat. His 30 shots and 19 on target show how frequently he tests opposition goalkeepers.
  • Evander (FC Cincinnati) — A creative hub with 11 goals and 8 assists, Evander combines end product with playmaking, contributing 49 key passes and a high passing accuracy of 84%. He also appears among the league’s top assist providers.

Prediction

The data-driven FC Cincinnati vs Seattle Sounders prediction leans towards the home side. The prediction model lists FC Cincinnati as the expected winner, with outcome percentages of 45% home win, 45% draw and 10% away win. The advice given is clear: “Winner : FC Cincinnati”.

This aligns with the contrasting form lines: Cincinnati’s strong home record and positive recent results against a Seattle side on a five-game losing streak and carrying a long injury list. While a draw is also rated as a significant possibility by the model, the combination of standings, form and team news makes FC Cincinnati the favoured side heading into this next match.

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