Getty Nicolas Lodeiro and the Seattle Sounders will host FC Cincinnati.
FC Cincinnati will make their MLS debut when they visit the Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field on Saturday.
The match is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of FS1 via one of the following live-TV streaming services:
FuboTV: Fox Sports 1 is included in FuboTV’s main package, which includes 95-plus live TV channels and is largely tailored towards sports.
You can start a free seven-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
Hulu With Live TV: In addition to their extensive Netflix-like streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including Fox Sports 1.
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
PlayStation Vue: PS Vue — which doesn’t require an actual PlayStation console to sign up or watch — offers four different live-TV channel packages, all of which include Fox Sports 1.
You can start a free five-day trial right here (select “Start Streaming” in the upper-right corner), and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation (3 or 4), or other supported device via the PS Vue app
Seattle Sounders vs FC Cincinnati Preview
This will mark the first ever MLS game for FC Cincinnati. The team debuted in 2016 with the United Soccer League. Last year, they set a USL record with an average home attendance of 25,717, breaking the record they set in 2017.
The side also finished the 2018 regular season atop the USL table with 77 points, 11 more than the next-highest mark, before falling to New York Red Bulls II by a score of 1-0 in the conference semifinals.
FC Cincinnati’s stellar attendance, and a plan to build a state-of-the-art soccer stadium, due for completion ahead of the 2021 season, contributed to the MLS’s decision to bring the franchise into the fold.
They’ll join the Eastern Conference, giving each conference 12 sides.
“Cincinnati’s selection by Major League Soccer for an expansion team is a triumph for the continued renaissance of this incredible city,” FC Cincinnati co-CEO Carl Lindner said after the decision in May 2018, according to MLSsoccer.com. “I have to start by thanking the supporters of FC Cincinnati, because from the beginning they were the foundation of the efforts of our bid to join MLS. We could not have done this without them. This has been a true team effort among the soccer fans, our partners and our civic and corporate leaders. This is a city with a historically deep relationship between the people and its teams, and we are going to take that to even greater heights in MLS. Thank you to Commissioner Garber and all of the league’s owners for their faith in Cincinnati. We’re excited to be part of Major League Soccer’s tremendous future.”
Cincinnati’s offense is largely helmed by 30-year-old Argentinean attacking midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma, who scored 16 goals last season.
The Sounders finished second in the Western Conference a season ago, but were bested by eventual conference champions the Portland Timbers in the West semifinals.
Spanish midfielder Victor Rodriguez appeared just 21 times due to injuries, but still finished fourth on the team in goals (five) and third in assists (six).
“I think Victor is settling in here in Seattle,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said, according to the team’s website. “He’s settled in with the group, he’s injury-free. He was one of the beneficiaries of the longer offseason. I remember last year, he started off injured. So, when he got all of his problems taken care of, he’s shown what a good player he is.”
Rodriguez scored twice and added a pair of assists in four preseason appearances.
“I’m great,” he told the site. “I’m ready to go. I want to start, and we think we are ready to start. I hope we have a good season.”