Lineups:

The Galaxy go with what looks like a 4-4-2, with a very playmaking midfield. Sega Coulibaly makes his MLS debut:

Looks like a 5-3-2/3-5-2 for the Sounders:

The LA Galaxy return from three weeks off in MLS play on Saturday when they host the Seattle Sounders in the first full-capacity game at Dignity Health Sports Park in 15 months.

The Galaxy wrapped up the first run of the campaign on a high, narrowly beating the San Jose Earthquakes at home, and they’ll hope to keep that going against the Sounders, who previously beat them handily in Seattle and who have been the best team in MLS so far this season.

Having said that, the Galaxy seem to be getting stronger and stronger as their roster reinforcements arrive and find their footing stateside, and the entire team figures out their assignments under Greg Vanney. They’re not at the Sounders’ level yet but they’re finding ways to be consistently good.

However, the Sounders may be more vulnerable than usual. They often don’t come back sharp from long breaks, and stalwarts Stefan Frei and Nicolas Lodeiro are out. Unfortunately for LA, Raul Ruidiaz didn’t go on international duty so he could still torch them.

Derrick Williams is out for the game, serving the first of his five-game suspension, while Jonathan dos Santos (calf) is listed as questionable. Xavier Arreaga is out for Seattle because he’s at the Copa América with Ecuador, while Lodeiro (knee), Frei (blood clot), Jordy Delem (knee) and Jordan Morris (knee) are all out. Josh Atencio (quad) is questionable for Seattle.

So, this is a good litmus test for the Galaxy. Is their budding homefield advantage stronger than a wily Sounders team? I think both teams will feel good coming in and we’ll see which team emerges on top on Saturday night.

Odds:

According to our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook, as of Friday evening, LA are (+170), Seattle are (+160) and a draw is at (+225). So it’s a push, basically, and I would probably give Seattle a slightly bigger edge, but the Galaxy have been great at home, so maybe that will play a big role in this one.

How to Watch:

Saturday’s match between LA and Seattle will be televised locally on Spectrum Sportsnet, and streamed on ESPN+ outside the LA viewing region. The TV broadcast is scheduled to start at 6 pm PT with kickoff to follow at 6:08 pm.

Come chat about the game with us in the comment section below!