The Sounders caught a break in Wednesday night’s knockout-round game when fourth-seeded FC Dallas beat fifth-seeded Vancouver 2-1 to claim the final spot in the MLS playoff seedings. The No. 1-seeded Sounders will travel to Dallas (16-12-6) Sunday to play a team it beat twice in three games, rather than the Cascadia rival Whitecaps, who were 2-0-1 against Seattle.
The first leg of the two-match, aggregate-goal series is at 6 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and TSN2 and on radio at KIRO FM 97.3. The second game is at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Clink. The winner meets the winner of the other Western Conference semi-final, Los Angeles Galaxy against Real Salt Lake, for right to advance to the MLS Cup championship Dec. 7.
The Sounders April 12 beat Dallas 3-2 in Frisco, TX., and again May 7 at the Clink, 2-1. Dallas won at home 3-1 on Sept. 24.
Seattle leads 8-3-4 in regular-season meetings and is 3-2-3 at Dallas. The Sounders finished second in MLS in goals scored with 65, Dallas was third at 55.
The Sounders earned the top seed in the playoffs and the Supporters’ Shield with a 2-0 win over the LA Galaxy Saturday in the regular season finale. Seattle finished the regular season with a club-record 64 points and became the first team in the post-shootout era to earn 20 wins in a single season.
Fans not traveling to Dallas are invited to a road match viewing party at Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom.
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I had mixed feelings about this match. I’m fully confidant the Sounders can beat Dallas, wuld have loved to have seen them win vs. our NW rival. Can’t wait for this to start!