RENTON – The Seattle Sounders haven’t won a regular-season road game against Real Salt Lake since May 28, 2011. They had a playoff win in 2012, and in 2016 they won on penalties in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals after the game finished 1-1, but on Saturday they’ll have a chance to change the narrative.
Head coach Brian Schmetzer addressed what it’ll take after training on Friday.
“We’ve always struggled there with our possession a little bit,” he explained. “We’re going to try and make sure we’re able to keep the ball. The ball flies there because of the altitude.” But it’s not just the way the ball plays at RSL’s home stadium. “The altitude has some minor effect on the psyche of the players,” Schmetzer continued. “I don’t think it’s so much a physical deal, but it’s mentally in their head some times.”
The schedule has rarely done the Sounders any favor when it comes time to visit Sandy, Utah, with the road trip often coming on short rest or under strange circumstances for one reason or another. Last season’s meeting came at the same point in the season, almost exactly the same spot on the calendar even as Seattle visited RSL for the second game of the MLS season on March 1. That game fell smack dab in the middle of the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup tie against Antigua and the first leg of the tie against Cruz Azul for the Sounders. As a result, Schmetzer’s starting lineup featured four rotational players over presumed starters, and within 10 minutes put themselves in a deeper hole after Nouhou scored an own-goal that they ultimately couldn’t overcome.
The schedule’s been much kinder to the Sounders this time around, as their bye in CCC gives them some time before fixture congestion hits. As a result, this RSL game comes with a full week (more or less) of rest on either side and on the back of a good performance against the Colorado Rapids to start off the season.
While the Sounders want to leave their struggles in the past, they’re more focused on themselves.
“I don’t think the guys are too worried about it,” remarked Hassani Dotson to the gathered media. The focus instead is, “to make sure we have a lot of energy. We’re a little bit more disciplined in our shape, don’t let it get too stretched, and then obviously play our brand of football.”
They know it won’t be easy.
“It’s a tough place to play, but I think just really starting with good energy and then play what the game gives you,” Dotson explained. RSL have re-tooled ahead of the season, adding a few new pieces to try to improve on their 9th place finish in the West from last season. But it remains unclear if those new players will be available, which could compound injury absences of presumed starters like Emeka Eneli (knee), Diego Luna (knee) and DeAndre Yedlin (hamstring).
“A few unknowns,” as Schmetzer put it. “They got a couple of guys that they signed that they’re waiting for their clearance, assuming they’re going to play. ... Pablo does a good job, we’ll see what we get.”
Sounders injury updates
Georgi Minoungou (foot) was a late add to the injury list and has been deemed questionable, while Kim Kee-hee (calf) was a full participant in training and has been upgraded to questionable. Stu Hawkins (quad), Jordan Morris (quad) and Ryan Sailor (knee) have all been ruled out.
To help add some centerback depth, the Sounders also announced that Tino Lopez has been added to the roster on a short-term loan for the second straight week.
