TUKWILA, Wash. - Temperatures will be upwards of 100 degrees when Seattle Sounders FC 2 travel down to Peoria, AZ to take on Arizona United SC on Saturday (7:30 p.m. PT, livestream on SoundersFC.com). With weather at a comfortable high 60s, low 70s in Seattle, head coach Ezra Hendrickson is preparing his team for an uphill battle against their opponents and the weather alike.
“I think they have the weather on their side; it’s supposed to be over 100 degrees there,” he told media at Tuesday’s training session. “So we have to take that into consideration when we go there as far as how we approach the game, how we’re going to play, and them being more conducive to that type of temperature.”
Midfielder Zach Mathers believes that fitness will be of the utmost importance in this matchup, and that he and his teammates are preparing their bodies for a labored affair down south.
“That might make it a little more difficult on the legs,” Mathers said of the heat. “This week we’re really trying to focus on just working really hard and getting in shape.”
In addition to enduring the heat, S2 will be going to Arizona in search of revenge against an opponent that came up to Seattle and claimed all three points early in the second match of the season. Former S2 forward Sam Garza led the charge in a 2-0 victory that saw United stun S2 with two goals in the opening 26 minutes of the match.
“We have that in back of our mind that they beat us at our place,” said Hendrickson. “It’s just a matter of us playing our game. Going with a game plan and sticking to it as a team.”
The game plan has been working lately for S2 who have seen their scoring production increase dramatically since the first time these two sides met. After going 1-3-2 with three goals in their first six matches, S2 have turned things around going 3-2-1 with nine goals in their last six.
“It’s still not where we want it to be but we’re working on it,” Hendrickson told reporters. “We’re working to continue to create the chances but now converting them. Once our conversion rate increases I think we’ll become a better team. All those games early in the season, we were creating the chances but not putting them away.”
S2 takes on Arizona United SC on Saturday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. PT with a livestream available on SoundersFC.com.
