Seattle Sounders vs. Columbus Crew prediction, team news, projected lineup | OneFootball

Matchday 22 of the MLS regular season concludes on Sunday when the Seattle Sounders host the Columbus Crew in a match with playoff implications for both sides.

After their foray into the FIFA Club World Cup, the Sounders (8-6-5, 29 points) returned to league play with a 2-0 win over Austin FC last weekend. They enter Sunday in fifth in the Western Conference and 10 points off the West lead.

Meanwhile, the Crew (10-3-7, 37 points) have earned three consecutive victories in league play, including a gritty 1-0 home win over Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia on Mo Farsi’s goal in first-half stoppage time. They enter in fourth in the East, only five points back of new Supporters' Shield leaders FC Cincinnati.

Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s clash:

How to watch Seattle Sounders vs. Columbus Crew

Time: Sunday, July 6, 5 pm ET

Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle

Tickets: Click here

TV & Streaming: Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass

Seattle Sounders vs. Columbus Crew team news

For Seattle, Jon Bell and Nouhou are now available after missing last week due to suspension, but this time it’s Reed Baker-Whiting’s term to serve a one-match ban. As far as fitness, Brian Schmetzer’s injury list is growing again, with Joao Paulo suffering another torn ACL three years after sustaining his first in 2022. He joins Paul Arriola as Sounders players unlikely to return this season.

For Columbus, the main question is whether Patrick Schulte will be able to return to the Crew goal after missing several weeks with a torso issue. If he can’t, the Crew will go with third-choice veteran Evan Bush, who would be making his fifth start and kept the clean sheet against Philly. Guatemala No. 1 Nicho Hagen is still out with his own quadriceps issue picked up at the Gold Cup.

Seattle Sounders player status report

Paul Arriola - knee (out), Reed Baker-Whiting - suspended (out), Yeimar Gómez Andrade - hamstring (out), Stuart Hawkins - quad (out), Kim Kee-hee - calf (out), João Paulo - knee (out).

Columbus Crew player status report

Malte Amundsen - knee (out), Rudy Camacho - thigh (out), Nicho Hagen - thigh (out), Patrick Schulte - torso (out), Cesar Ruvalcaba - ankle (questionable).

Seattle Sounders vs. Columbus Crew projected lineups

The Sounders sometimes toggle between a 3-4-3 and a 4-2-3-1, but with the current injuries on their back line, they don’t have the depth at center back to play a back three. Presuming they go out in a 4-2-3-1, it will be their 10th consecutive match in the formation, including their three Club World Cup group matches.

Meanwhile, the Crew basically always line up with a back three under Nancy, so don’t expect that to change here. A 3-4-3 is the most likely setup, but sometimes the Frenchman will make minor tweaks that can cause the shape to look more like a 3-5-2.

Seattle Sounders projected lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left)

Stefan Frei (GK) - Alex Roldan, Jackson Ragen, Jon Bell, Nouhou - Obed Vargas, Cristian Roldan - Jesus Ferreira, Albert Rusnak, Paul Rothrock - Danny Musovski

Columbus Crew projected lineup (3-4-3, right to left)

Evan Bush (GK) - Steven Moreira, Zawadzki, Yevhen Cheberko - Mo Farsi, Darlington Nagbe, Amar Sejdic, Lassi Lappalainen - Dylan Chambost, Diego Rossi, Daniel Gazdag

Seattle Sounders vs. Columbus Crew prediction

The Sounders have more or less been home since mid-May, save for one trip to Vancouver to suffer a 3-0 loss to the Whitecaps. And over that span, the only two teams they’ve truly outplayed are two fairly impotent Western Conference foes, FC Dallas and Austin FC.

Needless to say, Columbus is a lot better than that. And against a defense that is still missing two quality defenders, expect them to give the Sounders all kinds of trouble.

That said, the Crew have struggled to turn promising away performances into three points this season. If that trend continues, the most likely outcome may be a high-scoring draw.