It has been a season of promise thus far for Seattle’s newest sports franchise. With a perfect record, three consecutive shutouts, and top spot in the Western Conference, the Sounders have been nothing short of spectacular in their first three weeks.Saturday’s match against the Kansas City Wizards represents the first game in which the Sounders will be heavily favored to win. Seattle has already proven they can succeed as an unknown underdog, but now they have to prove that their place atop the Western Conference is no fluke.
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Montero will be back this Saturday after
missing last week's game against Toronto
with flue-like symptoms. Aaron Weinberg / NSS
The Sounders proved they could win on the road last week, answering the critics who still thought they were merely enjoying a beginners luck. They managed to beat an undefeated Toronto side without their leading scorer, Fredy Montero. Freddie Ljungberg proved that he is going to be a force in MLS this season, scoring on his first shot of the season.
However, all of the praise that has been thrown Seattle’s way could come crashing down if the Sounders don’t take care of business on Saturday against an underrated Kansas City Wizards side, who looked impressive in a 2-0 shutout over San Jose last week.
Seattle’s Outlook
The good news for Seattle is that, for the first time this season, the two Freddie’s will be in the lineup together. With Montero reportedly recovered from the illness that kept him out of the lineup in Toronto and Ljungberg finally healthy, the Sounder’s offense should be in top form.
With all due respect to Kansas City’s defense, they have not seen an offense capable of what Seattle’s has done so far this season. The Wizards managed to give up three goals in week one to the same Toronto side that Seattle shut out last week, and two goals to Colorado in week two.
The Sounders, with a +7 goal differential, should be licking their chops right about now. It remains to be seen just how well Montero and Ljungberg will play together, but if they can form some chemistry, the Wizards will be in for a long night.
Zach Scott during the Sounders' 3-0 victory against
the Red Bulls. Aaron Weinberg / NSS
With the addition of Montero, it is likely Steve Zakuani will be dropped to the bench, despite his first-ever MLS goal last week. There simply is not room for him on the pitch with Ljungberg, Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, and Sebastian Le Toux playing so well.
Look for Zakuani to get some playing time in the second half, however, as he could inject some much-needed speed and energy if any of Seattle’s attacking players tire.
One burning question is where Freddie Ljungberg will line up on the pitch. He probably won’t start at forward again with Montero and Nate Jaqua both healthy this week. With Evans and Alonso seemingly having control of the center of midfield, Ljungberg will probably be positioned as a winger, the same position he played with Arsenal in his prime.
Seattle will be looking for another big performance from the league’s best defense this week as well. Along with the ever-astonishing Kasey Keller, it has to be said that the rest of Seattle’s defense has been a pleasure to watch. The imposing Jhon Hurtado and Tyrone Marshall will be asked to shut down forwards Claudio Lopez and Josh Wolff while the consistent pairing of James Riley and Zach Scott at right and left back should give Seattle nothing but confidence heading into the game.
An interesting note to keep in mind: The Sounders are 62 minutes away from the MLS record for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal.
Seattle’s Projected Starting Lineup
Formation: 4-1-3-2
Coach: Sigi Schmid
Goalkeeper: Kasey Keller
Defenders: James Riley, Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, and Zach Scott
Midfielders: Sebastian Le Toux, Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, and Freddie Ljungberg
Forwards: Nate Jaqua and Fredy Montero
Kansas City’s Outlook
Kansas City is looking to build this season off of last year’s playoff berth. A year ago, the Wizards finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and snuck into the playoffs, surprising many people around the league with their level of play.
Though they struggled out of the gate this season, Kansas City is coming off a respectable victory over San Jose, and will be focused on ending Seattle’s perfect run.
The Wizards boast a few high-quality talents in their squad. Davey Arnaud led the team with seven goals last season, and is a skilled attacking midfielder. Osvaldo Alonso will probably be asked to shut down Arnaud on Saturday, something the Cuban has excelled at so far.
Other Kansas City players to watch out for are midfielder Santiago Hirsig and forwards Claudio Lopez and Josh Wolff.
Hirsig was signed this off-season out of Argentina, and could cause the Sounders some problems along the right wing or in the center, depending where he is positioned this weekend.
Lopez is Kansas City’s designated player, and is a creative playmaker at the forward position. At 34, Lopez is likely past his best days, but he still has the ability to score goals as he proved last week, scoring the second against San Jose.
Wolff played in Germany for 1860 Munich in Germany last season, and has scored 62 goals in his MLS career. Like Lopez, Wolff could be entering the downside of his career, but he is a proven goal-scorer both in the U.S. and abroad. Last week, Wolff played as an outside midfilder, and could do so again against the Sounders.
With a bevy of attacking options, the Wizards look like they could be potentially dangerous for Seattle on Saturday.
While their defense is not one of the league’s best, veteran central defender and team captain Jimmy Conrad provides stability and anchors the back line, while fellow defender Aaron Hohlbein scored a goal last week.
Also of note is goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, who recently broke the all-time MLS saves record. Should the Sounders break down Kansas City’s defense, they will have a tough task in beating one of the best goalies in MLS history.
Kansas City’s Projected Starting Lineup:
Formation: 4-4-2
Coach: Curt Onalfo
Goalkeeper: Kevin Hartman
Defenders: Lance Watson, Jimmy Conrad, Aaron Hohlbein, and Matt Besler
Midfielders: Herculez Gomez, Santiago Hirsig, Jack Jewsbury, and Davey Arnaud/Josh Wolff
Forwards: Claudio Lopez and Josh Wolff/Davey Arnaud
Prediction: The Sounders have not been derailed by anything in their path so far, and Kansas City should not be able to stop their momentum. Playing in front of their home crowd at Qwest Field and with the two Freddie’s, Seattle should continue their good run of form with a 3-1 victory.
While the Sounders could very well continue their shutout streak, it is improbable that it will last much longer.
Reach Alden Walcon at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
