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Played
September 9, 2010 11:00 PM EDT
CenturyLink Field — Seattle, Washington
Referee: P. Ward
Attendance: 36078
September 9, 2010 11:00 PM EDT
CenturyLink Field — Seattle, Washington
Referee: P. Ward
Attendance: 36078
Seattle Sounders FC - Real Salt Lake: Head To Head Preview
By Jeremy Horton and John Zielonka
On Form
Seattle Sounders FC:Steve Zakuani provided the lone highlight in the Sounders’ 3-1 dismal loss to the Revs in New England on Saturday. The second-year winger sent a rocket to the left post to notch his eighth goal of the year. Midfielder Alvaro Fernandez, Seattle’s other Designated Player, recorded his first career MLS assist on the tally. He may finally be fully fit and ready to take on a greater playmaking role.
Real Salt Lake: The results just keep coming for the defending MLS champs. Their win over Thierry Henry and the New York Red Bulls vaulted them within one point of L.A. and Columbus for the best record in MLS. But unlike what you might expect from RSL, right now they're doing it on the strength of their defense: since giving up four goals in 15 minutes against Cruz Azul in a CCL game a few weeks ago, Salt Lake have not allowed a single goal.
Off Target
Seattle: The defending was horrid in the New England defeat. Seattle gave up three second-half goals in eleven minutes after Zakuani gave the Sounders the early lead. Poor clearances and throw-ins into the 18-yard box area proved to be problematic for the Sounders’ defenders. Keller had no chance to make the stops on the New England strikes. The lack of focus could be attributed to fatigue from the midweek U.S. Open Cup match and the long cross country flight from Seattle to Boston.
Salt Lake: The offense is definitely a bit stagnant at the moment, as Real have only scored one goal in their last 180 minutes. The chances are still there, but the finishing is not. Robbie Findley continues to be a shadow of his former self - could it be related to being in the last year of his contract? And Fabian Espindola, one of the more consistent finishers on the team, pulled up lame with a hamstring against New York and may not be available this week. Having Alvaro Saborio back from international duty should help, though.
Tactics
Seattle: Roger Levesque started in place of Blaise Nkufo, who sat out as a result of a tweaked knee. Head coach Sigi Schmid decided not to insert Nate Jaqua up fron, despite scoring two goals in the U.S. Open Cup several days before. The veteran gaffer felt that the Oregon native needed to rest and not re-aggravate his season long groin problems. Seattle started with a 4-4-2 formation against the Revs. Fredy Montero missed the physical presence of Nkfuo or Jaqua in front of the net. Both forwards should be ready to play on Thursday.
Salt Lake: If Espindola can't go as expected, the starting duo up top will be Saborio and Findley. But options at forward off the bench are slim - Pablo Campos hasn't done much with his minutes this year, and there aren't any good options to spell Findley. In the last game, Jason Kreis resorted to trying midfielder Nelson Gonzalez at striker -- that's how thin things are in front. Also, Jamison Olave won't be able to go this week due to card accumulation. Raushawn McKenzie is the backup, but he didn't impress in his last outing. Kreis may slide Robbie Russell into the middle and put Tony Beltran on the ouside.
Intangibles
Seattle: The long season and the Sounders’ play in multiple competitions (MLS, U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League) could be taking its toll on the Rave Green. The loss to New England may only be a blip, but this midweek matchup against Real Salt Lake should provide a clue on the mental and physical fitness of the Sounders.
Salt Lake: If RSL can somehow win this match, they will leapfrog L.A. and Columbus for the league's best record. That will be a big motivator for this team who have frequently stated how badly they want to win the Supporters' Shield. And hopefully a recent run of games in tough locales have prepared them to deal with Qwest Field, MLS' most hostile environment.
Outcome
Seattle: The Sounders’ will need dig down deep to salvage a draw against the reigning MLS Cup Champions. Seattle Sounders FC 1 (Zakuani) – 1 Real Salt Lake (Morales).
Salt Lake: Salt Lake are playing pretty well and Seattle is struggling a bit, but none of that changes the fact that Qwest Field is a really tough place for a visiting team to get a win. Real Salt Lake 1-1 Seattle Sounders.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Seattle Sounders FC:Steve Zakuani provided the lone highlight in the Sounders’ 3-1 dismal loss to the Revs in New England on Saturday. The second-year winger sent a rocket to the left post to notch his eighth goal of the year. Midfielder Alvaro Fernandez, Seattle’s other Designated Player, recorded his first career MLS assist on the tally. He may finally be fully fit and ready to take on a greater playmaking role.
Real Salt Lake: The results just keep coming for the defending MLS champs. Their win over Thierry Henry and the New York Red Bulls vaulted them within one point of L.A. and Columbus for the best record in MLS. But unlike what you might expect from RSL, right now they're doing it on the strength of their defense: since giving up four goals in 15 minutes against Cruz Azul in a CCL game a few weeks ago, Salt Lake have not allowed a single goal.
Off Target
Seattle: The defending was horrid in the New England defeat. Seattle gave up three second-half goals in eleven minutes after Zakuani gave the Sounders the early lead. Poor clearances and throw-ins into the 18-yard box area proved to be problematic for the Sounders’ defenders. Keller had no chance to make the stops on the New England strikes. The lack of focus could be attributed to fatigue from the midweek U.S. Open Cup match and the long cross country flight from Seattle to Boston.
Salt Lake: The offense is definitely a bit stagnant at the moment, as Real have only scored one goal in their last 180 minutes. The chances are still there, but the finishing is not. Robbie Findley continues to be a shadow of his former self - could it be related to being in the last year of his contract? And Fabian Espindola, one of the more consistent finishers on the team, pulled up lame with a hamstring against New York and may not be available this week. Having Alvaro Saborio back from international duty should help, though.
Tactics
Seattle: Roger Levesque started in place of Blaise Nkufo, who sat out as a result of a tweaked knee. Head coach Sigi Schmid decided not to insert Nate Jaqua up fron, despite scoring two goals in the U.S. Open Cup several days before. The veteran gaffer felt that the Oregon native needed to rest and not re-aggravate his season long groin problems. Seattle started with a 4-4-2 formation against the Revs. Fredy Montero missed the physical presence of Nkfuo or Jaqua in front of the net. Both forwards should be ready to play on Thursday.
Salt Lake: If Espindola can't go as expected, the starting duo up top will be Saborio and Findley. But options at forward off the bench are slim - Pablo Campos hasn't done much with his minutes this year, and there aren't any good options to spell Findley. In the last game, Jason Kreis resorted to trying midfielder Nelson Gonzalez at striker -- that's how thin things are in front. Also, Jamison Olave won't be able to go this week due to card accumulation. Raushawn McKenzie is the backup, but he didn't impress in his last outing. Kreis may slide Robbie Russell into the middle and put Tony Beltran on the ouside.
Intangibles
Seattle: The long season and the Sounders’ play in multiple competitions (MLS, U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League) could be taking its toll on the Rave Green. The loss to New England may only be a blip, but this midweek matchup against Real Salt Lake should provide a clue on the mental and physical fitness of the Sounders.
Salt Lake: If RSL can somehow win this match, they will leapfrog L.A. and Columbus for the league's best record. That will be a big motivator for this team who have frequently stated how badly they want to win the Supporters' Shield. And hopefully a recent run of games in tough locales have prepared them to deal with Qwest Field, MLS' most hostile environment.
Outcome
Seattle: The Sounders’ will need dig down deep to salvage a draw against the reigning MLS Cup Champions. Seattle Sounders FC 1 (Zakuani) – 1 Real Salt Lake (Morales).
Salt Lake: Salt Lake are playing pretty well and Seattle is struggling a bit, but none of that changes the fact that Qwest Field is a really tough place for a visiting team to get a win. Real Salt Lake 1-1 Seattle Sounders.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
-
Seattle Sounders FC 2-1 Real Salt Lake
- 22.22 %
-
Seattle Sounders FC 0-0 Real Salt Lake
- 17.78 %
-
Seattle Sounders FC 1-2 Real Salt Lake
- 15.56 %
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Nov 2, 2011 | Seattle Sounders FC 2 - Real Salt Lake 0 |
|
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Oct 29, 2011 | Real Salt Lake 3 - Seattle Sounders FC 0 |
|
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Sep 10, 2011 | Seattle Sounders FC 1 - Real Salt Lake 2 |
|
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | May 28, 2011 | Real Salt Lake 1 - Seattle Sounders FC 2 |
|
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Sep 9, 2010 | Seattle Sounders FC 0 - Real Salt Lake 0 |
|
Seattle Sounders FC
   |
||
| Nov 2, 2011 | Seattle Sounders FC 2 - Real Salt Lake 0 | MLS |
| Oct 29, 2011 | Real Salt Lake 3 - Seattle Sounders FC 0 | MLS |
| Oct 22, 2011 | Chivas USA 1 - Seattle Sounders FC 3 | MLS |
| Oct 18, 2011 | Seattle Sounders FC 1 - Monterrey 2 | CCL |
| Oct 15, 2011 | Seattle Sounders FC 2 - San Jose 1 | MLS |
Real Salt Lake
   |
||
| Nov 6, 2011 | Los Angeles Galaxy 3 - Real Salt Lake 1 | MLS |
| Nov 2, 2011 | Seattle Sounders FC 2 - Real Salt Lake 0 | MLS |
| Oct 29, 2011 | Real Salt Lake 3 - Seattle Sounders FC 0 | MLS |
| Oct 22, 2011 | Real Salt Lake 1 - Portland Timbers 1 | MLS |
| Oct 14, 2011 | Colorado Rapids 0 - Real Salt Lake 0 | MLS |
| 18 | Kasey Keller | Goalkeeper |
| 19 | Leonardo González | Defender |
| 31 | Jeff Parke | Defender |
| 4 | Patrick Ianni | Defender |
| 20 | Zach Scott | Defender |
| 11 | Steve Zakuani | Striker |
| 6 | Osvaldo Alonso | Midfielder |
| 11 | Nathan Sturgis | Defender |
| 15 | Alvaro Fernandez | Midfielder |
| 17 | Fredy Montero | Striker |
| 21 | Nate Jaqua | Striker |
| 28 | Terry Boss | Goalkeeper |
| - | Tyson Wahl | Defender |
| 34 | Tyrone Marshall | Defender |
| 24 | Roger Levesque | Striker |
| 2 | Michael Fucito | Midfielder |
| - | Sanna Nyassi | Midfielder |
| 22 | Michael Seamon | Midfielder |
| 24 | Kyle Reynish | Goalkeeper |
| 17 | Chris Wingert | Defender |
| 28 | Chris Schuler | Defender |
| 6 | Nat Borchers | Defender |
| 2 | Tony Beltran | Defender |
| 22 | Nelson Gonzalez | Midfielder |
| 5 | Kyle Beckerman | Midfielder |
| 11 | Javier Morales | Midfielder |
| 77 | Andy Williams | Midfielder |
| 15 | Álvaro Saborío | Striker |
| 10 | Robbie Findley | Striker |
| 18 | Nick Rimando | Goalkeeper |
| 3 | Robbie Russell | Defender |
| 26 | Collen Warner | Midfielder |
| - | Jean Alexandre | Midfielder |
| 23 | Paulo Jr. | Striker |
| 8 | Will Johnson | Striker |
| 19 | Pablo Campos | Striker |
| Fredy Montero | |
| Position: | Striker |
| Squad Number: | 17 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Beckerman | |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Squad Number: | 5 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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