The Seattle Sounders face Western Conference-leaders LAFC on Sunday (4 p.m. PT; FS1, YouTube TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM) for the first of two meetings in eight days. Here are three matchups to watch, presented by Toyota.
Brad Smith vs. Carlos Vela
LAFC loves to overload the righthand side, establishing numerical superiorities that free Vela, who leads MLS in goals (8) and assists (5), to work his magic. Conversely, Seattle’s attacking trident of Nicolás Lodeiro, Víctor Rodríguez and Smith already have a highlight reel’s worth of combinations down the left.