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It's supposed to be close to 80 degrees on Saturday. You know what that means? Time for another match-up infographic to heat things up. Let's take a look at how the Seattle Sounders match up against Real Salt Lake ahead of Saturday's afternoon game.
Injury Updates
In addition to having Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman out for World Cup action with the U.S. National Team, RSL will be without leading-scorer Alvaro Saborio, who joins Costa Rica for their World Cup adventure. On top of that, Joao Plata could be out with an aggravated hamstring.
Interesting Stats
RSL has taken the fewest corner kicks this season. The Sounders and RSL lead the league in shot accuracy. We hold the top two positions in another stat: defensive errors. Yikes!
As you look at team Strengths and Weaknesses, you'll see the Sounders are strong on set pieces, while this is a weakness for RSL's defense. At the same time, RSL is skilled in creating long-shot opportunities. Defensively, the Sounders have struggled to close down and defend long shots.
Take a look at this graph highlighting when the Sounders and RSL score and give up goals. The last 15 minutes of the game could get interesting.
It's always an exciting, frustrating, and fun time when the Sounders face RSL. I'm bringing my brother, who was present for last year's 2-0 victory against RSL. Here's hoping his undefeated streak remains!
