Sporting KC comes into Sunday’s game in a pretty bad place. They’ve already tied the MLS record for fewest points through 10 games (3) and if they don’t win, they’ll tie the record for longest season-opening winless streak.
The Sounders, meanwhile, are just a point off the Supporters’ Shield lead (20) and are 4-0-1 in their first five home games.
On paper, it seems like it’s lining up for a decisive Sounders win.
It could be a bit more complicated than that. For all of Sporting KC’s struggles, they’ve actually looked pretty good on the road against some of their tougher opponents.