Seattle Sounders vs New York Red Bulls match preview: date, venue & prediction

The next Seattle Sounders match sees them host New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer action at Lumen Field. The fixture is scheduled for 2026-09-06T00:30:00Z, with the status currently listed as Not Started. For fans wondering when Seattle Sounders play next, this home clash in the Regular Season - 23 round is a key date on the calendar and a classic cross-conference showdown.

This Seattle Sounders vs New York Red Bulls preview comes with both sides locked on 26 points in their respective conferences. Seattle sit 12th in the Western Conference, while New York Red Bulls are 8th in the Eastern Conference and currently tagged for Promotion - MLS (Play Offs: 1/16-finals). With both teams looking to climb their conference standings and sharpen form heading into the run-in, this match at Lumen Field could be pivotal.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

• Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 23
• Date / Kick-off: 2026-09-06T00:30:00Z
• Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle
• Status: Not Started (Fixture has not started yet)

Standings & form

Seattle Sounders come into this game 12th in the Western Conference with 26 points from 21 matches (7 wins, 5 draws, 9 defeats). They have scored 24 goals and conceded 29, giving a goal difference of -5. At Lumen Field, Seattle have played 10 times, winning 4, drawing 2 and losing 4, with a home goal record of 16 scored and 18 conceded. Their recent league form is concerning, with a five-match run of DDLLL, underlining the pressure to respond in front of their own fans.

New York Red Bulls arrive in Seattle ranked 8th in the Eastern Conference, also on 26 points but from 22 games (7 wins, 5 draws, 10 losses). They have scored 32 goals and conceded 46, for a goal difference of -14. Away from home, the Red Bulls have played 10 matches, with 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 defeats, scoring 14 and conceding 23 on their travels. Their current form line reads LDLLW, suggesting inconsistency but with a win in their most recent outing to build on.

From the broader season statistics, Seattle have kept 5 clean sheets (1 at home, 4 away) and failed to score in 5 league matches. New York Red Bulls have managed 1 clean sheet all season and have also failed to score 5 times. Seattle have successfully converted 2 penalties from 2, while the Red Bulls have scored 1 penalty from 1. In terms of discipline, Seattle’s yellow cards are most frequent between minutes 46–60, whereas New York Red Bulls see a notable cluster of bookings in the final 15 minutes, underlining how late-game intensity often spikes for both sides.

Head-to-head

• 2023-05-28T02:30:00Z: Seattle Sounders 1–0 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2019-09-15T22:00:00Z: Seattle Sounders 4–2 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2018-06-14T00:00:00Z: New York Red Bulls 2–1 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
• 2017-03-19T23:00:00Z: Seattle Sounders 3–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2016-06-19T23:30:00Z: New York Red Bulls 2–0 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
• 2015-05-31T21:00:00Z: Seattle Sounders 2–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2014-09-20T23:30:00Z: New York Red Bulls 4–1 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
• 2013-09-30T01:00:00Z: Seattle Sounders 1–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2012-07-15T20:10:00Z: New York Red Bulls 2–2 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)

The head-to-head record between Seattle Sounders and New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer has been evenly contested, with both sides enjoying home success. Seattle have often made Lumen Field a difficult trip for the Red Bulls, including a 1–0 win in May 2023 and a 4–2 victory in 2019. However, New York have responded with notable home wins of their own, such as 2–0 in 2016 and 4–1 in 2014. Several draws, including 1–1 in 2013 and 2–2 in 2012, highlight how tight this inter-conference matchup can be.

Team news & absences

Seattle Sounders have several confirmed absences for this fixture. J. Ferreira is ruled out with an Injury, while Y. Gomez Andrade misses out due to a Muscle Injury. Both N. Petkovic and J. Ragen are sidelined by Knee Injury issues, and P. de La Vega is unavailable with a Calf Injury. There are also two players listed as doubtful: P. Arriola is Questionable with a calf injury and X. Gnaulati is Questionable due to an unspecified injury.

For New York Red Bulls, A. Marcucci is confirmed as a Missing Fixture with a Knee Injury. In addition, R. Mosquera is marked as Questionable because of a Thigh Injury, leaving some uncertainty over his availability.

Key players to watch

• A. Rusnák (Seattle Sounders) — The midfielder has contributed 3 goals and 7 assists in the 2026 MLS season, underlining his importance as a creative hub for Seattle in the final third.

Prediction

The data-driven model for this Seattle Sounders vs New York Red Bulls prediction leans slightly towards the hosts avoiding defeat. The prediction advice is: “Double chance : Seattle Sounders or draw”, with outcome percentages set at 35% home win, 35% draw and 30% away win. With both sides level on points in their conferences but Seattle traditionally strong at Lumen Field and holding positive recent head-to-head results at home, a tight contest is expected, with the numbers marginally favouring Seattle to take at least a point.