The Seattle Sounders play their second of a three-game homestand when they host the Chicago Fire tonight. The Sounders are coming off a seven-point week, which includes a pair of home wins against Minnesota United and FC Dallas.

This is definitely a game the Sounders should win, at least on paper, but the Fire have been playing considerably better over the past month or so. After starting the season 2-8-4, the Fire have gone 2-1-2 in their last five to pull within three points of the Eastern Conference playoff line.

Key to that turnaround is the play of Hugo Cuypers and Brian Gutierrez. Cuypers, who joined on a nearly $12 million transfer fee during the offseason, has scored in four straight games and now has seven goals on the season. Gutierrez, a Homegrown Player and a Chicago native, has four goals and three assists this season.

Notes

The Sounders all-time home record against the Fire is 7-0-2 across all competitions, including the 2011 U.S. Open Cup final.
Prior to 2022, the Chicago Fire had never won in Cascadia. They won in Vancouver in 2022 and in Portland in 2023.
In the continued effort to celebrate the Sounders’ 50th anniversary, Steve Zakuani is the featured alumni in this game.
Since joining MLS in 2009, the Sounders have compiled 248 points against Eastern Conference opponents, the more than any other Western Conference team. The Sounders are 2-1-0 against the Eastern Conference this year.
Nouhou and Raúl Ruidíaz won’t feature in the match after getting unofficially suspended earlier this week.