Preview: Sounders host Colorado in mid week match up
by Anna Ferkingstad

In a battle between the top and the bottom of the Western Conference, the Seattle Sounders prepare to host the Colorado Rapids Wednesday night. The mid week game comes at the second of Seattle’s three games in eight days. Last Saturday, the Sounders grabbed a 0-0 tie against Sporting Kansas City while the Rapids grabbed their first home win of the season against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The mid week game comes shortly after the announced return of Seattle’s striker Obafemi Martins to training, who has missed the last two matches due to a tibial contusion. Chad Barrett started alongside Clint Dempsey in the absence of Martins, grabbing both goals in the Sounders’ 2-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. Despite Barrett’s positive performances, Martins’ return to the starting line up is long awaited. The combinations between Martins and Dempsey leave the two players among the current top goal scorers in the league.

In recent matches against the Whitecaps and Kansas City, the Sounders have found their success in the midfield. Central midfielders Ozzy Alonso and Gonzalo Pineda control the tempo of games with their short combination play out to the wings or forward to Dempsey and Martins. The quick and creative passes can leave teams dizzy and disorganized, a fate that Sporting Kansas City suffered for the majority of the 90 minutes they faced Seattle at Centurylink. Although, the Sounders have proven that they can score picturesque goals after long strings of passes they need to shoot more often and sooner.

Against the Whitecaps two weeks ago, the Sounders held 57% of the possession but only seven shots to Vancouver’s 16. Goalkeeper Stefan Frei made several key saves to leave the scoreline at a 2-0 victory for Seattle.

The Colorado Rapids currently hold a season record of 2-2-7. As Richard Fleming (Colorado’s play-by-play announcer) put it in Rapids preview for Prost, Colorado does not score often but they also do not concede goals often. The Rapids are yet to lose on the road this season with a record of 1-0-4. The Sounders are going to look to exploit the Rapid’s limited offensive pressure through keeping high pressure on central defenders Drew Moor and Axel Sjorberg.

Despite the recent 1-0 win against the Whitecaps, Colorado will be unlikely able to counter the recent tempo seen from the Seattle midfield. Roster additions of Kevin Doyle and Luis Solignac will be key to Colorado’s success in the long run but it is too soon to call them game changers in Wednesday’s match. The match against Vancouver marked their first win at BC Place since July of last season.

Although, Seattle’s starting midfielder Pineda is likely to miss the game due to a sprained ankle (with rookie Christian Roldan likely to start in his place), Colorado is yet to find consistent form. If the Rapids want the win, they will need to play with high pressure defense and limit the potent through balls to the feet of Dempsey and Martins. Conference rankings are likely to reign true for the match, leaving the Sounders with a victory over the Rapids. I predict a 2-0 win for the Sounders but with Colorado breathing down their neck the entire 90 minutes. The Rapids will be unable to challenge the likes of Frei in net and defenders Chad Marshall and Brad Evans.