As if playing without six of their regular starters wasn’t enough of a challenge, the Seattle Sounders will also face an FC Cincinnati side that is among the hottest in MLS. Yes, the team that was coming off three straight last-place finishes — the first time that’s ever happened in MLS history — seems to be hitting their stride for what looks to be their first-ever postseason.
Since dropping a 4-3 decision away to CF Montreal on May 28, FC Cincinnati has lost just one game. That’s a stretch of 17 in which they’ve gone 5-1-11, including a 10-game unbeaten run in which they’re 4-0-6.