Orlando City vs Seattle Sounders Predictions

Orlando City sit six points adrift at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and another defeat on Thursday will likely see James O’Connor’s men finish in last place this season. Seattle Sounders provide the opposition for Orlando City in the MLS on Thursday, with the visitors needing a win to claim their place in the Western Conference play-offs.

Orlando City’s poor form continued last weekend when their winless run stretched to twelve games in the MLS, as New England ran out 2-0 winners at the Gillette Stadium. The sides went in level at the break, despite New England dominating the first half, but the hosts made up for their missed opportunities in the second forty-five and could have won by a much greater total than they eventually did.

A fifty-first minute strike from Penilla saw New England take a deserved lead in their own backyard, and just four minutes later fellow South American Fagúndez scored, to put the hosts 2-0 up. Despite having twelve corners to their guests four, fourteen shots on target to Orlando’s six, and 64% of the overall possession, New England failed to fill their boots against a lacklustre, uninterested Orlando City.

Orlando City are odds on to finish bottom of the Eastern Conference following that result, but it was to be expected, given their dire run of form heading into the game. Keeping hold of striker Dwyer is going to be key to Orlando’s chances of improving for next season, as his twelve MLS goals have been the only bright spark in an otherwise dull, forgettable campaign.

Surprisingly for a side challenging for the play-offs, Seattle Sounders still don’t have a single goalscorer into double figures in league goals this season, with Uruguay’s Lodeiro leading the way with eight. Teammates Bruin and Ruidíaz have seven goals apiece, but its Seattle’s lack of firepower up front that could be their undoing if they do indeed qualify for the play-offs this season.

Goals certainly weren’t an issue for Seattle Sounders against Houston Dynamo, as the hosts ran out 4-1 winners against the US Open Cup winners. Houston had nothing to play for heading into the match, which might explain why they were so easily beaten in the end. Bruin’s eighteenth minute strike opened the scoring for Seattle, and a second goal from Roldan in the thirty-fourth minute saw the hosts head in 2-0 up at the break.

Víctor Rodríguez scored twice in the space of nine second half minutes to thrust the hosts into a 4-0 lead and while a late strike from veteran defender Beasley ended Seattle’s hopes of a clean sheet, the points were already in the bag and that’s all that really mattered.

A big win could take Seattle Sounders into third place on Thursday, but the visitors haven’t had many big wins this season and even against Orlando City that seems a tad unlikely to happen. Once again Seattle will just have their eyes on the prize in Thursday’s game, three points and place in the play-offs.

We’re confident that Seattle Sounders will win on Thursday, and have backed the visitors to earn their three points via a narrow 1-0 scoreline. Seattle Sounders have won four of their last six matches in the MLS, while Orlando City have lost four of their last six matches in the MLS. Seattle Sounders have never been beaten by Orlando City and the hosts head into Thursday’s game without a win in their last twelve MLS games.