San Diego FC v Seattle Sounders: Kent relishing ´exciting´ MLS opportunity

Ryan Kent is relishing the accidental of a caller section successful his vocation aft joining the Seattle Sounders for the remainder of the season, with an enactment of extending until 2026.

Kent had been without a nine since October 2024 aft his declaration was terminated by communal consent with Fenerbahce, conscionable implicit a twelvemonth aft leaving Rangers for Turkey.

Following Paul Arriola’s season-ending wounded against Cruz Azul, the Sounders looked to the 28-year-old to find a subordinate to capable the attacking void the winger had antecedently provided.

And Kent is looking guardant to showcasing his talents successful the MLS, starting this play with a sojourn to the Snapdragon Stadium to look San Diego FC.

“To perceive the coaches accidental that they’re looking for an breathtaking subordinate benignant of made maine excited successful a way,” said Kent. “You spell to immoderate places, and managers privation to forestall you from doing what you privation to bash arsenic a player.

“I’m an breathtaking player. I similar to assistance bums disconnected seats, I similar to dribble, make loads of chances.

“And, having watched the [San Jose] crippled the different day, the mode the guys played, particularly retired successful the wide positions, it looks similar there’s going to beryllium loads of opportunities to spell and tally astatine people.”

Officially Official pic.twitter.com/StWWLGZlts

— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) April 2, 2025

San Diego, meanwhile, proceed to bask a imagination commencement to their archetypal play successful the MLS, picking up their archetypal location triumph successful the contention with a 3-2 triumph implicit Los Angeles FC.

They made a lightning commencement against LAFC past clip out, with goals from Christopher McVey, Onni Valakari and Alex Mighten putting them 3 goals successful beforehand aboriginal on.

Though they were deed backmost earlier the interruption with quickfire strikes from Artem Smoliakov and Cengiz Under, caput manager Mikey Varas was pleased with his team’s display.

“The archetypal 38 oregon 40 minutes of that lucifer we were unbelievable,” Varas said.

“I anticipation everyone takes announcement of the San Diego team’s effort and the prime of its players. That’s however I felt astatine that moment.

“You play a apical squad with apical players and those things tin happen. They started pressing america and we made an effort. We mislaid our composure for a minute. Half-time came astatine the close moment.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

San Diego FC – Paddy McNair

McNair (103) and Jeppe Tverskov (101) each completed implicit 100 passes successful San Diego’s triumph connected Saturday. A subordinate has completed 100 oregon much passes 11 times this MLS play with San Diego players accounting for 4 of them.

The erstwhile Manchester United defender besides competed successful a team-high 4 tackles, portion lone Christopher McVey (five) made much clearances than McNair against LAFC (four).

Seattle Sounders – Albert Rusnak

Rusnak scored the equaliser successful Seattle’s 1-1 gully connected Saturday, his 5th extremity publication of the play (two goals, 3 assists).

This is the archetypal clip successful Rusnak’s MLS vocation that he’s been progressive successful 5 goals successful his archetypal six appearances of a season, and helium volition beryllium keen to transportation connected that form.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Seattle are unbeaten successful six consecutive meetings with enlargement teams dating backmost to 2019 (W5 D1), including winning the past 4 successful a row. The Sounders person not allowed much than 1 extremity successful a lucifer against an enlargement broadside since a 4-1 nonaccomplishment astatine CF Montreal successful June 2012.

But the Sounders person won conscionable 1 of their archetypal six matches of a regular play for the sixth time, though they went connected to marque the playoffs successful each of the erstwhile five.

San Diego (W3 D2 L1), meanwhile, is the 2nd enlargement squad successful MLS past to suffer lone 1 of their archetypal six matches (St. Louis City SC). No MLS newcomers person suffered conscionable 1 decision successful their archetypal 7 matches of MLS play.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

San Diego FC – 36.5%

Draw – 26.2%

Seattle Sounders – 37.2%