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Seattle Sounders vs Chicago Fire preview: next match details

The next Seattle Sounders match sees them host Chicago Fire at Lumen Field in a Major League Soccer Regular Season - 22 clash. The fixture is scheduled for 29 August 2026, with kick-off at 20:30 UTC, and is currently listed as Not Started. This Seattle Sounders vs Chicago Fire preview looks at how a struggling Western Conference side matches up against one of the stronger teams in the East.

Seattle come into this home game under pressure, sitting 13th in the Western Conference and carrying a poor recent form line, while Chicago arrive in much better shape near the top end of the Eastern Conference. With the visitors chasing promotion via the MLS play-offs and the hosts needing points to climb their conference standings, this meeting at Lumen Field has plenty riding on it for both sides when fans ask when Seattle Sounders play next.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

  • Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 22
  • Date / Kick-off: 2026-08-29T20:30:00Z
  • Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle
  • Status: Not Started (Fixture has not started yet)

Standings & form

Seattle Sounders are 13th in the Western Conference with 25 points from 20 matches (7 wins, 4 draws, 9 defeats). They have scored 22 and conceded 27, for a goal difference of -5, and their current form string reads DLLLL. At Lumen Field, Seattle’s home record is 4 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses from 9 games, with 14 goals scored and 16 conceded. Away from home they have 3 wins, 3 draws and 5 defeats, scoring 8 and conceding 11.

Chicago Fire travel as one of the stronger sides in the Eastern Conference, sitting 3rd with 36 points from 20 matches (11 wins, 3 draws, 6 losses). They have hit 37 goals and allowed 26, giving them a goal difference of +11, and their recent form is DWWWL. At home they have been strong (7 wins and 3 losses from 10, 20 scored and 11 conceded), while their away record of 4 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats from 10, with 17 goals for and 15 against, shows they are capable of taking results on the road.

From the wider season statistics, Seattle have kept 5 clean sheets and failed to score in 5 of their league fixtures. Chicago, by contrast, have recorded 6 clean sheets and have failed to score in just 1 match. The Sounders’ most-used formation has been 4-2-3-1 (17 times), while Chicago have alternated between several shapes, using 4-2-3-1 8 times and 4-4-2 7 times among others. Discipline-wise, both sides have accumulated a notable number of yellow cards across matches, with Chicago’s bookings particularly concentrated in the final 15 minutes of games.

Head-to-head

  • 2024-06-30: Seattle Sounders 2–1 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2022-07-17: Chicago Fire 1–0 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
  • 2020-07-14: Chicago Fire 2–1 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
  • 2020-03-01: Seattle Sounders 2–1 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2019-03-16: Chicago Fire 2–4 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
  • 2018-06-24: Seattle Sounders 1–1 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2017-05-14: Chicago Fire 4–1 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
  • 2016-09-29: Seattle Sounders 1–0 Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer)
  • 2015-07-12: Chicago Fire 1–0 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
  • 2014-08-14: Seattle Sounders 6–0 Chicago Fire (US Open Cup)

The head-to-head history between Seattle Sounders and Chicago Fire is well balanced, with both clubs enjoying big wins and narrow victories across league and cup. Seattle have produced some high-scoring home performances, including the 6–0 US Open Cup win in 2014 and a 2–1 league success as recently as June 2024 at Lumen Field. Chicago, meanwhile, have taken several key home wins of their own, such as 4–1 in 2017 and 2–1 in the MLS is Back group stage in 2020. Recent meetings suggest tight contests, with four of the last five MLS clashes decided by a single goal.

Team news & absences

Seattle Sounders have an extensive list of absentees for this fixture. P. Arriola (Calf Injury), H. Dotson (Muscle Injury), J. Ferreira (Injury), Y. Gomez Andrade (Muscle Injury), P. Kingston (Yellow Cards), J. Morris (Muscle Injury), N. Petkovic (Knee Injury), J. Ragen (Knee Injury) and P. de La Vega (Calf Injury) are all listed as Missing Fixture. In addition, X. Gnaulati is Questionable with an injury.

Chicago Fire also have a few players unavailable. A. Franco (Knee Injury), M. Mbokazi (Lower-Body Injury) and C. Mueller (Inactive) are all recorded as Missing Fixture for the trip to Seattle. These team news and injuries updates could have a significant impact on selection and bench options for both coaches.

Key players to watch

  • H. Cuypers (Chicago Fire) — 13 goals in MLS 2026, making him a major attacking threat for the visitors.
  • P. Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire) — 5 goals and 7 assists, a creative hub in midfield with strong chance creation numbers.
  • A. Rusnák (Seattle Sounders) — 3 goals and 6 assists, a key source of goals and creativity for the Sounders despite the team’s recent struggles.

Prediction

The data-driven Seattle Sounders vs Chicago Fire prediction model leans towards the visitors avoiding defeat. The prediction percentages give Seattle Sounders 10%, draw 45% and Chicago Fire 45%, with the advice clearly pointing to a “Double chance: draw or Chicago Fire”. That reflects Chicago’s stronger overall form and league position, set against Seattle’s poor recent run and lengthy injury list, even though Lumen Field has historically produced competitive head-to-head battles between these sides.

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