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FC Cincinnati vs Seattle Sounders preview: next match kick-off and venue

FC Cincinnati players celebrating a goal
Major League Soccer

The next FC Cincinnati match sees them host Seattle Sounders in the Major League Soccer Regular Season on 22 August 2026 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati. Kick-off is scheduled for 23:30 UTC, with the fixture currently listed as Not Started. For fans wondering when FC Cincinnati play next at home, this clash against Western Conference side Seattle is the answer.

This FC Cincinnati vs Seattle Sounders preview comes with both sides in very different runs of form. Cincinnati are pushing from the upper reaches of the Eastern Conference, while Seattle arrive from the Western Conference on a worrying losing streak. With playoff positioning and momentum on the line, this inter-conference meeting at TQL Stadium has plenty riding on it.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

  • Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 21
  • Date / Kick-off: 2026-08-22T23:30:00Z
  • Venue: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
  • Status: Not Started

Standings & form

FC Cincinnati come into this game ranked 5th in the Eastern Conference with 30 points from 20 matches. Their overall record stands at 8 wins, 6 draws and 6 defeats, with a goal difference of +2 after scoring 48 and conceding 46. At home, Cincinnati have been strong: in 10 home games they have recorded 7 wins, 1 draw and just 2 losses, scoring 30 and conceding 20. Their recent form string reads WDWLW, underlining a generally positive run heading into this fixture.

Seattle Sounders sit 12th in the Western Conference with 24 points from 19 matches. Their overall record is 7 wins, 3 draws and 9 defeats, with a goal difference of -5 after 21 goals for and 26 against. Away from home, Seattle have played 10 away matches, winning 3, drawing 2 and losing 5, with 7 goals scored and 10 conceded. The form line could hardly be more concerning: LLLLL, five straight league defeats, which adds pressure ahead of this trip to Cincinnati.

From the season statistics, FC Cincinnati have kept 2 clean sheets in 20 matches and failed to score only twice, highlighting how frequently they find the net. They have also converted all 5 penalties awarded so far. Discipline-wise, Cincinnati have accumulated yellow cards across the full 90 minutes, with a notable concentration late on between minutes 76–90. Seattle Sounders have registered 5 clean sheets in 19 games and failed to score in 5, while also maintaining a perfect 2/2 penalty conversion. Their yellow cards are most common in the 46–60 minute window, and they have received a red card in the 91–105 minute range this season.

Head-to-head

  • 2023-03-12: FC Cincinnati 1–0 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
  • 2022-09-28: Seattle Sounders 1–1 FC Cincinnati (Major League Soccer)
  • 2019-03-03: Seattle Sounders 4–1 FC Cincinnati (Major League Soccer)

The recent head-to-head record between FC Cincinnati and Seattle Sounders is finely balanced across the three meetings listed. Cincinnati won the most recent encounter at TQL Stadium in March 2023 by 1–0. The 2022 match at Lumen Field finished 1–1, while the earliest meeting in this sequence, in 2019 at CenturyLink Field, saw Seattle run out 4–1 winners. Overall, each club has one win apiece in these fixtures, with one draw.

Team news & absences

Seattle Sounders travel to Cincinnati with a lengthy list of issues that will shape their team news and injuries outlook. Several players are confirmed as Missing Fixture for this game: P. Arriola (Calf Injury), Y. Gomez Andrade (Muscle Injury), J. Morris (Muscle Injury), N. Petkovic (Knee Injury) and P. de La Vega (Calf Injury) are all ruled out for this fixture.

In addition, Seattle have a trio of players listed as Questionable: H. Dotson (Muscle Injury), J. Ferreira (Injury) and C. Roldan (Calf Injury) are doubts and will need to be assessed closer to kick-off. All listed absences concern Seattle; there are no confirmed FC Cincinnati injuries provided in the data for this match.

Key players to watch

  • K. Denkey (FC Cincinnati) — 11 goals and 2 assists in the 2026 MLS season make him one of Cincinnati’s primary goal threats, with strong shooting numbers and a significant presence in duels.
  • Evander (FC Cincinnati) — Also on 11 goals but with 8 assists, Evander is a creative hub for Cincinnati, contributing heavily in both scoring and playmaking and ranking highly for key passes.

Prediction

The data-driven FC Cincinnati vs Seattle Sounders prediction leans towards the home side. The prediction model names FC Cincinnati as the expected winner, with outcome percentages of 45% home win, 45% draw and 10% away win. The advice given is clear: “Winner : FC Cincinnati”.

This aligns with the contrast in current form — Cincinnati’s positive WDWLW sequence and strong home record versus Seattle’s run of LLLLL — as well as the extensive Seattle injury list. While the model also acknowledges a substantial chance of a draw, all indicators from the provided data point to FC Cincinnati being favoured to take three points at TQL Stadium.

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