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I am sitting here watching the Seattle Seahawks dominate the Bears. I'm thinking about the fact that the Mariners came from behind in exciting fashion tonight and are in legitimate playoff contention, nearly two decades after the magical season of 1995. I am preparing to watch the Seattle Reign continue the Seattle sports steamroll this weekend, and all of this makes me happy.
It also gives me confidence that the Sounders, still at the top of the West, can continue this Seattle sports smash-fest (how is that for alliteration, Ross Fletcher?) and come home with 3 points.
Is my confidence based in any reality? Let's dive into the data and see what the numbers reveal in this weekend's match-up graphic!
Player / Injury Updates
This is pretty crazy: both teams seem to be pretty healthy and discipline free. The Timbers are returning from a long trip to South America for CCL action, so they may allow players like Maximiliano Urruti to start the game on the bench and get some rest.
Interesting Stats
It is amazing that Donovan Ricketts has 80 saves this season, yet he can only claim 2 shutouts.
The Timbers concede the second most goals (36) inside the box, while the Sounders score the second most goals (36) inside the area.
The Timbers have not scored a single goal between minutes 16 and 30. Guess how many goals they have given up during this same time period: 11!
As we begin the countdown to Sunday afternoon, I leave you with this memory: We had just come off a loss to Columbus. There is less than 10 minutes left in the match, and the Sounders are down 4-2 to our southern rivals. The gamethread is getting ugly. Tensions are rising. We are close to throwing in the towel when Clint Dempsey goes Deuces Wild and helps Seattle come from behind to tie 4-4, jump-starting a five-game winning steak.
Ah, sweet memories. I hope more of them are made on Sunday. Scarves up!
