The Impact takes on Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field, this Saturday at 10pm EDT (TVA Sports & CJAD 800 AM). Here are 10 things to know about the opponent before this road game.
Context
The Sounders remain the only team in MLS without a single point this season. They suffered a third loss in three games on Saturday, March 19, as Vancouver Whitecaps FC scored their two penalty kicks and left Washington State with a 2-1 win. And yet, of these three games, Seattle played two at home.
Current form (including 2015 Regular Season and MLS Cup Playoffs)
W-W-L-L-L-L
Head coach
Sigi Schmid (109-70-54 as Seattle Sounders FC head coach, 222-156-111 all-time) has been the team’s head coach since its first MLS season, in 2009. He is the MLS head coach with the most wins in league history and has won 11 major titles as well as two MLS Coach of the Year awards (in 1999 and 2008). Before he started coaching in MLS with LA Galaxy, from 1999 to 2004, and Columbus Crew SC, from 2006 to 2008, he led the UCLA Bruins to three national championships between 1980 and 1999 and had two stints as United States U20 national team head coach.
Current top scorer
Andreas Ivanschitz and Osvaldo Alonso (1)
Players to watch
1. Clint Dempsey (#2) – Two-and-a-half seasons into his Sounders career, Deuce has already scored 26 goals and notched 20 assists.
2. Jordan Morris (#13) – The new top American prospect hasn’t been dominant just yet, but he can bring devastating pace to the right flank.
3. Osvaldo Alonso (#6) – The tireless defensive midfielder’s importance is never more evident than when the Sounders have to make do without him.
Team profile
The Sounders have dropped their two-forward system and given a lone striker role to Nelson Valdez, who works his hardest but touches too few balls. On the flip side, Clint Dempsey, Andreas Ivanschitz and even Jordan Morris often end up in central positions to try passing combinations – or to support Valdez in the penalty area, given that Seattle full backs cross the ball plenty. Incidentally, Osvaldo Alonso is particularly adept when it comes to spraying the ball wide to one of the full backs, sometimes dropping between the centre backs to play that ball. When in possession, Seattle defenders are happy to play the ball amongst themselves for a bit before speeding the play up with a long ball – and if Valdez flicks that ball on, a fine opportunity can pop up in behind. Defensively, centre back Chad Marshall remains assertive in the air, but the Sounders defence is vulnerable to pace. Set plays are also a problem early on this season; Seattle has already conceded four goals in such situations (two of which were penalty kicks).
Tactical formation
Sigi Schmid has been fielding a 4-2-3-1 formation of late, after years of playing 4-4-2. Lineup v. Vancouver (March 19): Frei; Mears, Scott, Marshall, Jones; Roldan, Alonso; Morris, Ivanschitz, Dempsey; Valdez.
Against the Impact last season
These two teams played each other once last season, and the Impact got three points that night. On July 25, 2015, it took 88 minutes before Marco Donadel placed a free kick onto the head of Laurent Ciman, who nodded the ball home past goalkeeper Troy Perkins and scored the only goal of the game.won the only game between the two sides last season. The Sounders thus suffered a sixth loss in seven games.
Injuries (as of March 30)
D Roman Torres (left ACL tear)
D Brad Evans (dislocated left shoulder – back in training)
M Erik Friberg (left MCL strain)
Next games
Houston Dynamo v. Seattle Sounders FC (MLS, April 10)
Seattle Sounders FC v Philadelphia Union (MLS, April 16)
Colorado Rapids v. Seattle Sounders FC (MLS, April 23)
