Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid, the winningest coach in MLS history, has manned the club since the inaugural match in 2009.
There have been very few matches where Schmid hasn’t stood on the Sounders sideline. In the rare occurrence of his absence, his top man, Assistant Coach Brian Schmetzer, has stepped up admirably. As Head Coach, Schmetzer has filled in to a 3-1-0 record – including Saturday’s crucial 2-1 home win over Toronto FC. In addition to the interim coaching change, last Saturday’s contest also featured the return of a pair of key contributors, an MLS Goal of the Week nomination, a Save of the Week win and much, much more.
SEASONAL SIZZLES
Sounders FC (13-13-2, 41 points) is currently tied for fourth place in the Western Conference with two other clubs – the Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City – for the final three playoff positions in the Western Conference. Sporting Kansas City, however, has two games in-hand over the Cascadia sides. Pending a win on Saturday, the Rave Green could vault into a tie with FC Dallas for third place and create a six-point barrier above the cutoff line.
LAST WEEK’S LISTINGS
In their second consecutive 2-1 home win, the Sounders defeated Eastern Conference side Toronto FC last Saturday. The match marked the emphatic return of Clint Dempsey and Osvaldo Alonso, who both made their first start since August 1. Dempsey and Obafemi Martins were paired together at forward for the first time since May 31 and each player scored in the match.
Lamar Neagle has now appeared in each match across all competitions for the Rave Green. He joins seven others in MLS to appear in 28 regular season matches this season. However, Tyrone Mears ranks seventh in MLS and first on the team with 2,420 minutes. After recording three saves on Saturday, Stefan Frei ranks tied for second among goalkeepers across the league with 91 saves and second with a 76.5 save percentage.
MATCHUP MASHUP
Next up, Sounders FC faces the San Jose Earthquakes (11-11-5, 38 points). The ‘Quakes sit in seventh place in the Western Conference, three points behind Seattle, Sporting Kansas City and the Portland Timbers. After four consecutive wins and outscoring opponents 9-0 over the last two weeks of August, the Earthquakes fell to Philadelphia 2-1 last weekend.
San Jose leads the all-time series at a 10-6-2 advantage. Although tonight’s contest will be the first match between the two sides held at San Jose’s newly-built Avaya Stadium, the Earthquakes have won five of seven home matches against Seattle in MLS action. Saturday’s fixture is the third of three matchups between the two clubs in 2015, with San Jose claiming victory on both previous occasions.
THROWBACK – April 25, 2009
As LA Galaxy’s Head Coach from 1999-2004, Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid became familiar with his club’s in-state rival, the San Jose Earthquakes. When he filled the same position with Sounders FC in 2009, a new rivalry formed with the Earthquakes and his expansion side: The Heritage Cup, which was named after the two MLS sides chose to adopt their NASL namesakes.
Although the cup wasn’t officially recognized until August 2009, the two clubs played in their first MLS meeting that April. In that match, two goals around halftime catapulted the Rave Green to the 2-0 victory in Seattle. Rookie Steve Zakuani began the scoring in the 42nd minute on an assist from Tyrone Marshall. Then, Brad Evans extended the lead with a scoring tally in the 49th minute. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller recorded five saves to seal the shutout victory.
KEY(S) TO THE GAME
Win the battle up top. Saturday’s match could feature three of the premier scorers in MLS: Seattle’s Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins and San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski. Wondolowski has proven to be a Sounders slayer – the Designated Player has scored nine goals against the Rave Green, including two this season, the most ever by an opposing player. Martins, on the other hand, has scored four goals in his four matches since returning from an adductor injury. He ranks first in MLS with a 63.6 shots on goal percentage, second with 0.73 goals per game and second with a 33.3 scoring percentage (11 goals on 33 shots). Dempsey, who originally was called in to the United States Men’s National Team but will stay with the Sounders this weekend, ranks first on the club with seven assists. In such a tenacious battle with playoff implications, look for the stars to shine. Something’s gotta give.
