A fear of Real Salt Lake is too often associated with the Seattle Sounders. The Claret-and-Cobalt are a consistently solid team and tend to scrap their way through matches. Too many times have the Sounders underestimated the team with the dreaded midfield maestro. But alas, nine days of rest is just what the doctor ordered for the Sounders, and tonight’s grudge match is sure to be the must-watch fight of the weekend (Sorry, Floyd Mayweather).
The world is a dark, cold place without soccer, and for the last week I’ve been anxiously awaiting the next important match. I love the USMNT, but the game against the Czech’s didn’t really do it for me. Only eight games remain in the regular season, and I can almost guarantee that the Seattle Sounders will want to go out on top with that number one seed. So many fantastic things come with the first seed; a nice bye-week break and if they somehow squeak out the Supporters Shield and perform to their abilities, they could host the final in front of 68,000 fans. But the schedule doesn’t get any easier, and tonight’s game is a must win.
Coming off of a huge break and allowing the entire team to get healthy and fit will give the Sounders the edge, but they can’t take Real for granted. I don’t see them pushing the attack that often, and to beat a team that bunkers in Seattle will have to get wide. Brad Evans has been a stalwart on the right side, and with Marco Pappa still away with Guatemala (and scoring in droves) he will likely not be available. Lamar Neagle has been itching to get back in the starting line-up, so I expect he will be starting on the left side and will put in a powerful shift to make Sigi Schmid’s future decisions even more difficult. And let’s not forget the dynamic duo of Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins up top. Goals, goals and more goals are sure to rain supreme tonight.
Across the defensive line, the Sounders have begun to field a consistent lineup. Chad Marshall and Zach Scott are the likely starters in the middle, with Djimi Traore still rehabbing a nagging injury. DeAndre Yedlin and Leo Gonzalez will probably hold down the outside back positions once again. And the always-clutch Ozzie Alonso will secure the middle of the pitch. The Sounders have won three games in a row, but defensively they could still afford to tighten up, something they undoubtedly have been working on.
Both these teams are shoo-ins for the postseason, barring a disaster, so this could be a preview of an exciting playoff matchup. Salt Lake will look to come into CenturyLink Field and snag at least a point. It will be a physical, knock-out brawl and one that will be broadcast to a national audience, so no excuses for not watching. And with LA tying Montreal on Wednesday both teams will smell the blood in the water. Every match is important heading into the last quarter of the season. Lots of goals, plenty of hate, and some vicious tackles from Alonso and Kyle Beckerman; why would you miss this match?
My prediction: The Seattle Sounders will come out on top, but barely, in a high-scoring match against what is arguably one of their top rivals in the league. But Salt Lake won’t sit back if they go down early, and if I was a betting man I’d say there will be at least 3 cards of various colors. Seattle Sounders 4 – 2 Real Salt Lake
Watch it live on NBCSN on Friday, September 12th, at 7:30 PM PST.
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