If the Sounders are to make a deep push, they’ll need their starting eleven tonight
By Toby Dunkelberg
It’s time for the fifth and final matchup between the Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps. This time the two meet in the ScotiaBank CONCACAF Champions League in a match that could very well determine the winner of Group F. Both teams sit tied for the lead with 4 points, but the Whitecaps are still to go toe to toe down at Olimpia S.C. However, a win for the Sounders would put them through no matter the result of Vancouver’s venture. Coming off of a 3-0 thrashing at BC Place, the Sounders have the proven ability to get the win they need to get out of the group stage the question is how much of that talent see’s the pitch on Wednesday night.
Adding fuel to that worry is this quote from head coach Sigi Schmid after Tuesday’s practice.
“We’ve had so many injuries this year we don’t wanna put any of our players into a situation where we think we’re putting them in jeopardy of having a long term injury.”
If taken at face value, fans should expect the Sounders to play a reserve heavy lineup. But then Schmid goes on to talk about the importance of this match.
“It’s a game that if [Vancouver] wins they advance if we win we advance. A loss or a tie doesn’t get us anywhere a loss or a tie means that their last game at Olimpia becomes really really important. So I’m sure [Robinson] doesn’t want that to be the case either so I think both teams are going to come out on the field to try and win the game.”
Sigi Schmid’s always been tight lipped about his lineups. He’s had a tendency to play his best eleven experience be damned. For those quotes and more watch Prost’s very own John Zielonka below as he interviews Sounders after their Tuesday practice.
Make no mistakes about it, this is a crucial game for the Sounders and it’s of the utmost importance that they treat it as such. General Manager Garth Lagerway preached for patience during Seattle’s horrid summer stretch by reminding people that Seattle’s two goals for the season, to win the MLS Cup, and to advance from their Champions League group, were goals that could be accomplished by finishing the season strong no matter what form their were in at the time.
The Sounders are finally back to their league leading form and it’s come time the Sounders to fulfill that promise. Seattle has the talent and form to win this game and fulfill that goal for their fans. If Schmid does end up stating a reserve heavy lineup it’ll be hard not to question Lagerway’s word. He would be going back on all the times he’s repeatedly stated how he wanted to lead Seattle to win the Champions League as a win in an international competition would spread the Sounders brand and prestige. A win today would be good for the image of the club, and would make Lagerway himself all the more trustworthy, and the easiest way to do that is to start a full strength lineup.
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
Perhaps more importantly for Seattle fans, a win today would give the Sounders two straight over the conference leading Whitecaps and extend their unbeaten streak to five games. Look no further than Gonzalo Pineda’s interview
“A win brings a lot of confidence to the team. And I think in the case of winning tomorrow that [morale]will increase a little more and we will be okay mentally for the game against Kansas City. So it’s very important to win tomorrow in that respect and we can do it. “
From a mental standpoint a win would be amazing for team morale. And as MLS fans we’ve seen time and time again where a team gets hot near the end of the season and goes on to have a deep playoff run. Look no further than last year when the New England Revolution lost eight straight games in the summer and then went on an absolute tear to take them to the MLS Cup. Those kinds of runs have couple key characteristics, veterans stepping up, see Brad Evans, Chad Marshall, and Stefan Frei, key players returning from injury, see Osvaldo Alonso, Clint Dempsey, and Obafemi Martins, and new arrivals getting an immediate impact, Andreas Ivanschitz, Erik Friberg, and Nelson Valdez. The final key is a belief in winning and a refuse to lose attitude. Right now the Sounders don’t have that but a win tonight coupled with more time for the first team to gel would go a long way to that end.
Ultimately Seattle’s fate’s in Schmid’s hand. They can try and risk it and only put out enough talent to hopefully eke out a win, or they can take the smarter approach that they promised they do early. Put out a full strength or near full strength starting eleven and allow them to build off their success of the last month in order to set themselves up for a deep late season surge and playoff push. The choice is theirs, let’s hope they don’t disappoint their fans.
Sounders FC
