Chicago is rolling into Seattle for a 1:30 pm Pacific kickoff this week, and they’re bringing a whole lot of baggage from the Leagues Cup right along with them. Seriously, you wouldn’t believe the midweek mess some of these teams put themselves through. Chicago, along with RSL, Austin, and Columbus, all had Leagues Cup games and they were, to put it mildly, not good. Chicago got smoked at home, and the other three got shut out and lost by multiple goals. If you’re betting on them to turn it around this weekend, you might want to rethink that strategy. Their tanks are running on fumes, plain and simple.
Leagues Cup Hangovers Are Real, And Chicago’s Got A Bad One
The schedule is already wild for Week 22, but the biggest factor is that four teams are coming off those brutal midweek Leagues Cup matchups. Chicago and RSL played Tuesday, while Austin and Columbus took their lumps on Wednesday. The common thread? Poor showings all around. Chicago lost in their own stadium, which is never a good look, and the other three got absolutely blanked, losing by multiple scores. You’ve gotta wonder how much gas they have left in the tank for their regular season games. For Chicago specifically, this is their fourth double-game week in a row! Can you imagine that grind? Their key players, Zinckernagel and Lewandowski, both played the full 90 minutes against Monterrey on Tuesday. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if one or both of them started on the bench against our boys. Chicago’s got tired legs, they’re on the road against an out-of-conference opponent, and let’s be real, they may rotate their squad, which is exactly what we want to see.
Seattle Needs This Win, While Other Teams Get Their Act Together
This week starts with our Seattle Sounders hosting Chicago at 1:30 pm Pacific. Yeah, we’re going into the full night slate a little blind, but honestly, this could be a huge opportunity for our squad. The source mentions Seattle has been “playing poorly of late,” so what better chance to snap out of it than against a team that’s clearly exhausted and potentially phoning it in on the road? We need them to make an effort, but given their recent struggles and schedule, it feels like this game is ours for the taking. Elsewhere in the league, some interesting matchups are brewing. Miami hosts Montreal, and while Montreal is undefeated in their last four, Miami is winless in four. But get this: Miami actually beat Montreal 1-0 just a month ago. I’m calling it: Miami gets back to winning ways. And keep an eye on Vancouver visiting SKC. SKC is basically rebuilding from scratch, selling off their best players to get new ones. They’re a total work in progress. Vancouver, on the other hand, just destroyed Dallas 5-0 last weekend. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if they pulled off a similar result against SKC. Portland also hosts Austin, a team that just got absolutely ripped apart on the road.
This Week 22 kicks off with our Sounders looking to capitalize on a tired, road-weary Chicago squad. The chance to snag three points at Lumen Field is massive, especially after our own recent struggles. Looking ahead, next week’s games start on Friday at 4:30 pm Pacific, and we’ll see Vancouver and Montreal face off in BC for the Canadian Championship semifinals. But first, let’s focus on this weekend. The Sounders need to bring the energy, shut down these tired Chicago legs, and put on a show for the Emerald City!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Sounder at Heart.
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