Western Shootout Awaits Sounders

Five of the Next Six Opponents are Western Conference

May 4

With mood in the Sounders Nation quite mixed this weekend, we thought we’d take a deep breath, do a rare piece of editorial and just chat some Sounders, devoid of any big breaking news story to cloud it.

Let’s start with Saturday in Chicago. We played poorly. Several players had their worst game in a Sounders jersey. That actually happens and isn’t a cause for panic. The Fire are a good side, perhaps the best Sounders have played, perhaps just close to being that. Seven games in and no-one has beaten them and Seattle didn’t come close either. Again the Rave Green played a considerable portion of the game short-handed, and there is a small piece of evidence, by no means conclusive, that discipline could be tightened up. It was more inexperience than intent in Fredy Montero’s jump and his opponent certainly milked it, but the young Colombian can have few complaints. Recently his form had been variable anyway, and now Sigi has carte blanche (and I use French for a reason) to make the change many want to see.

The Two Issues are Totally Seb-arate

For the uninitiated from the days of the USL, Brittany’s Sebastien Le Toux used to be a forward. At the USL level, he was a good one. With Fredy suspended, there is a vacancy up front and Seba is one of the options to accompany the very industrious Nate Jaqua. Freddie Ljungberg could be moved forward and Seba kept in the midfield, but I think Seb’s performance at forward in the US Open Cup win over Real Salt Lake, may just tempt Sigi Schmid to give Seba a chance up front, and keep Ljungberg where he is happiest. If Schmid does, Seba can not afford to pass it up, and he does not need reminding, although I frequently do, that he owes Prost Amerika another interview when he scores his first MLS goal! Of course that hasn’t influenced our thinking at all. Certainement pas!

13 into 7 Does Go

With 13 points from seven games, Seattle can be very pleased at the start they have made. They are still an expansion club whose players are getting to know each other. With four wins in the first seven games, Seattle is off to the best start in MLS expansion history. No expansion team has been at or above .500 through seven games. Miami and Chicago are still the only expansion teams to reach the playoffs, with the Fire winning both the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in its first season (1998).

Furthermore, the players mutual understanding and knowledge of each other’s strengths can only improve. With four wins, only Chivas with six in the whole MLS has won more games. Also add into this, Sounders have played most of the tough teams; Chivas, Toronto, Chicago and Kansas have all started well, and between our seven opponents 71 points have been rattled up.

Western Showdown

Now our next six opponents are a different matter, LA Galaxy, Dallas, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, Chivas, and San Jose have picked up just 51, and Chivas account for 19 of those. Take them out, and the combined record of the other five is just six wins in 34 games, half of them by Colorado.

There are points to be gleaned, and what is also of note is that five of the six play in Seattle’s own Western Conference. There is therefore a chance to put some clear blue water between Sounders and the chasing pack, notably Colorado Rapids and Salt Lake who have looked fairly decent so far. If Sounders can eke twelve points from those next six games, then the opening honeymoon will begin to look like a sustainable marriage.

By then Steve Zakuani will have found the fitness needed to be a ninety minute player, Seattle will have played more games with a fully fit Designated Player than without, the defence will be comfortable with swapping Sturgis for Scott to match the needs of the fixture, and Nate Jaqua’s luck in front of goal will have changed.

All in all, despite having just produced our worst display of the season, there is a fair amount to be happy about, and probably as much to be confident about.

Meanwhile start planning your first Saturday without Sounders FC since the voyage began. The next game is on Sunday at midday against Landon Donovan’s LA. How insufferable are LA residents Drew (Carey) and Joe (Roth) going to be if Sounders beat them? That’s a matter for another article entirely.

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