Ahead of Sunday's match against Seattle, SportingKC.com caught up with ESPN.com's Jeff Carlisle to preview the Western Conference clash at Children's Mercy Park. Live coverage starts at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN, Sports Radio 810 WHB, and La Grande 1340 AM.
What are your thoughts on Seattle’s recent form heading into this match?
I keep waiting for Seattle to snap out of its funk, but we're 19 games into the season and it still hasn't happened. The big win over FC Dallas seemed to be the turning point but then they turned in a stinker against Portland. The lack of scoring is obviously weighing heavy on the side. You saw the chance Jordan Morris missed last weekend and he practically wasn't heard from again in that match. The fact that Sigi Schmid sent out a reserve-heavy side in the U.S. Open Cup against L.A. shows just how much he's worried about the team's league form at the moment.
Seattle will be without Osvaldo Alonso (due to yellow card accumulation) for Sunday’s match. What impact could this have on the match?
I'm sure Benny Feilhaber is relieved, as he won't have to worry about Alonso's special brand of attention. Both Christian Roldan and Erik Friberg are good players, but I think both are better on the attacking side of things and neither has the bite of Alonso. I'm not saying that SKC will have an easy day of it, but having Alonso out of the lineup will give them an advantage in midfield.
With both teams needing points to stay in the Western Conference playoff race, are you expecting an open match?
No, just the opposite in fact. I think Seattle's scoring woes combined with the fact it is playing on the road will make them more likely to sit back and be opportunistic on the break. The onus will be on Kansas City to try and break them down.
What players do you think will be key for both sides in Sunday’s match?
I think Friberg is a guy that will really have to pick up the slack for Seattle. I also think Chad Marshall is a guy to watch. As last week showed, he's always a danger on set pieces and he'll have to shoulder more of the defensive load. Clint Dempsey was suspended for the Portland match, so he'll be plenty rested for this game and will look to get Seattle's attack going again.
Ike Opara has been a bit mistake prone in the back recently, so it will be interesting to see if Seattle tries to force SKC to start its attack through him. We'll see to what extent Feilhaber can take advantage of Alonso's absence. If Brad Davis can't go, it will be up to Connor Hallisey, Graham Zusi, or Jacob Peterson to carry the attacking load on the left wing.
