Getty The Seattle Sounders host the Chicago Fire Sunday.
The reigning MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders will kick off their season hosting the Chicago Fire at CenturyLink Field Sunday.
The match is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally on ESPN. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the Sounders vs Chicago Fire on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick, or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
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Sling TV
Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” package comes with 32 channels, including ESPN. It costs $20 for the first month ($30 per month after that), which makes Sling the cheapest streaming service with the ESPN channels if you plan on keeping it long term:
Or, as part of a special deal that Sling is currently offering, you can get a free Amazon Fire TV Stick if you prepay for two months:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Sounders vs Chicago Fire live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Sling credentials.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes with 10 hours of cloud DVR storage.
AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) offers six different channel bundles. They range from 45 to 125 live TV channels, and they all include ESPN. The “Plus” and “Max” bundles come with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for AT&T TV Now, you can watch a live stream of the Sounders vs Chicago Fire on your computer via the AT&T TV Now website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other compatible streaming device via the AT&T TV app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your AT&T TV Now credentials.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV Now — no matter what channel package you choose — comes with included cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
ESPN is included in Hulu With Live TV, which comes with 60-plus live TV channels and Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch a live stream of the Sounders vs Chicago Fire 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, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Hulu credentials.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
Seattle Sounders vs Chicago Fire Preview
Seattle will look to become the first team since the LA Galaxy in 2011-12 to win back-to-back championships, and the team has its work cut out early, with a few setbacks, including an injury to Gustav Svensson that will very likely leave him sidelined for his team’s debut. Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said this week that the team is still trying to get everything together.
“It’s always something new, isn’t it?” Schmetzer said. “You’re always going to have ups and downs. We’re getting everybody healthy and we don’t have enough games to play, so that’s another challenge.”
Captain Nicolás Lodeiro will lead the Sounder attack, while Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou Tolo, and Kelvin Leerdam should anchor the defense.
After issues with paperwork surrounding his visa, Seattle’s newly acquired centerback Yeimar Gómez Andrade has finally joined the Sounders, although he hasn’t gotten to log much practice time with his new club. “He’s gone through a long ordeal,” Schmetzer said of Andrade. “I’ll assess his physical condition and if he’s ready to go he’ll play.” The delay in the acquisition of his visa has kept Andrade from a smooth start, but the Sounders will be playing against a Chicago squad that has just undergone a major rebuild.
Under new head coach and former player Raphael Wicky, the Fire are going to be operating under a different philosophy this season.
“It’s not about being liked, or not upsetting anyone. It’s not about that,” Wicky said last week. “It’s about being professional. Perform every day and do our best. I believe you can only do that if you enjoy, if you feel good, if you have your internal motivation, and if you get a mirror in front of you,” Wicky said.
Alvaro Medran, Robert Beric, Ignacio Aliseda and Luka Stojanovic are all new faces on this Chicago Fire team. How they blend and contribute will be a huge factor early on this season.
The Fire will also be without 19-year-old Ignacio Aliseda, and like with issues faced by Andrade, new additions Boris Sekulić, Gastón Giménez, and Luka Stojanović are all waiting on their respective paperwork to clear before they will be allowed to play.
Both teams are 2-2-1 in their last five games against each other.
The projected lineup for the Sounders will be: Stefan Cleveland, Alex Roldan, Shane O’Neil, Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou, Jordy Delem, Danny Leyva, Handwalla Bwana, Harry Shipp, Miguel Ibarra, and Justin Dhillon.
The projected lineup for the Fire will be: Kenneth Kronholm, Brandt Bronico, Johan Kappelhof, Francisco Calvo, Jonathan Born Stein, Mauricio Pineda, Michael Azira, Przemyslaw Frankowski, Djordje Mihailovic, Alvaro Medran, and Robert Beric.
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How to Watch Sounders vs Chicago Fire Online Without Cable