ATLANTA — Atlanta United returns to action Sunday when it travels to face Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field.
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
Atlanta and Seattle sit in third place in their respective conferences through 19 league matches. The clubs have played to two draws since Atlanta joined MLS, a scoreless game at Seattle in 2017 and a 1-1 result last season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in which Josef Martinez scored for Atlanta. Seattle is one of just three teams yet to lose at home in MLS play this season (LAFC, Houston Dynamo) with a 7-0-2 record. Atlanta has been one of the best defenses on the road over the past three seasons, leading the league with 13 clean sheets and allowing the second fewest goals with 61 (Sporting KC, 55).
Martinez has scored two goals in each of his past three league matches, equaling the MLS record for consecutive multi-goal games. He is one of nine players to have accomplished the feat and the only player to have done it twice, while at least two goals on Sunday would leave him alone at the top of the list. The Venezuelan striker leads MLS with 16 multi-goal performances since 2017, seven more than three players tied with nine.
Atlanta defeated Saint Louis FC 2-0 Wednesday night to advance to the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup for the first time in club history behind goals from Pity Martinez and Josef Martinez. Seattle is coming off a 2-1 win at Columbus Crew SC on July 6. Midfielder Nico Lodeiro scored both goals, including the winning header in stoppage time, on his Copa America return. Lodeiro has scored four goals this season and leads the Sounders with eight assists while Raul Ruidiaz is the team’s top scorer with six.
