Charlotte FC will be aiming to bounce back from successive defeats in the MLS when they continue their campaign against Seattle Sounders on Saturday night.
The home side are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference, picking up 21 points from 17 matches, while Seattle are second in the Western Conference, gathering 27 points from their opening 17 games.
Match preview
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Charlotte finished ninth in the Eastern Conference last season and 19th overall, so it is not a surprise to currently see them down in ninth position in their section, picking up 21 points from their opening 17 matches.
The Crown won four straight games in all competitions between May 7 and May 18, but they have been victorious in just one of their last five matches, which was a 1-0 success at Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of May.
Christian Lattanzio's side will enter this game off the back of successive losses to Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew, with the latter beating them 4-2 last time out.
Charlotte have only won three of their eight league games at home this season, and they will be welcoming a Seattle outfit that have picked up 10 points from their seven matches on their travels.
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Seattle, meanwhile, will also enter this match in disappointing form despite their high position in the table, sitting second in the Western Conference on 27 points.
Brian Schmetzer's side have only won one of their last five league games, suffering three defeats in the process, including a 1-0 loss at home to San Jose Earthquakes at the end of May.
Seattle played out a goalless draw with Portland Timbers last time out, with the result seeing them drop to second in the table, one point behind Western Conference leaders St Louis City, who also have two games in hand.
The Sounders are one point clear of third-placed Los Angeles FC, but the latter have four games in hand, so there is a distorted look to the table at this moment in time.
Seattle recorded a 2-1 victory over Charlotte when the two teams last locked horns in May 2022, and the visitors will be aiming to return to winning ways when they take on the Eastern Conference side.
Team News
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Charlotte will be without the services of Hamady Diop, Enzo Copetti, Kamil Jozwiak and George Marks for Saturday's contest with Seattle due to fitness problems.
Karol Swiderski has been the team's main source of goals this season, finding the back of the net on six occasions, and the 26-year-old will again feature here.
Head coach Lattanzio is expected to resist the temptation to shuffle his pack despite the disappointing 4-2 defeat at Columbus Crew last time out, but Brandon Cambridge could be recalled to the XI.
As for Seattle, Jordan Morris remains on the sidelines with a groin injury, while an ankle problem will see Ethan Dobbelaere miss out once again.
Morris's absence is a huge blow for the visitors, with the 28-year-old scoring nine times in all competitions this season, so Fredy Montero should again be given the nod at centre-forward.
Seattle could potentially be unchanged from the goalless draw with Portland Timbers last time out, with 18-year-old Reed Baker-Whiting expected to keep hold of his starting role.
Charlotte FC possible starting lineup:
Kahlina; Byrne, Tuiloma, Sobocinski, Afful; Westwood, Bronico, Swiderski; Vargas, Cambridge, Meram
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; Baker, Gomez, Ragen, Tolo; Rusnak, Paulo; Baker-Whiting, Lodeiro, Chu; Montero
We say: Charlotte FC 1-1 Seattle Sounders
Seattle's recent form has not been particularly impressive, but Charlotte are losing a lot of games at the moment. We were close to backing an away win here, but Charlotte have won five of their last six matches in all competitions at home, so a low-scoring draw is the pick for this contest.
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Matt Law
