Ahead of Thursday's trip to Seattle, SportingKC.com caught up with SB Nation soccer editor Jeremiah Oshan, to preview the Western Conference knockout round match. Live coverage starts at 9 p.m. CT on FS1, UniMas, Sports Radio 810 WHB, and La Grande 1340 AM.
How have the Sounders been able to turn around their season and finish fourth in the West?
It's been a confluence of things. It can't be denied that signing Nicolas Lodeiro and Alvaro Fernandez, as well as getting back Roman Torres from a knee injury were huge parts of the turnaround. But Brian Schmetzer's part in the turnaround is significant too, as he had to deal with the loss of Clint Dempsey (final 10 games), only having Brad Evans for two of the final 8 games, missing Andreas Ivanschitz for most of the final four and virtually every other key player missing time down the stretch. Schmetzer seems to have gotten a lot of buy-in from players and had some slight tactical changes that helped get the best out of players like Cristian Roldan. It should also be said that this team's record was a lot worse than the peripherals suggested it should be, so some correction was probably going to happen regardless.
What’s the impact Nicolas Lodeiro has had on the squad and what can we expect to see from him on Thursday?
Lodeiro has given the Sounders their first true playmaker since Mauro Rosales' departure following the 2013 season. But it's not just that final pass that Lodeiro provides. So much of what the Sounders do runs directly through Lodeiro, especially now that he's playing as a No. 10, so even the connecting passes are often with him involved. As if that weren't enough, his engine is really unbelievable. He moves all over the field, both on the offensive and defensive end and is constantly pulling defenders out of position and drawing double-teams that help open up teammates.
Sporting KC earned a 1-0 win at Seattle in March and a 3-0 win at Children’s Mercy Park in the summer. What are your thoughts on those matches and do you think they’ll have any impact on Thursday?
The Sounders are such a different team than they were in either of those games, both from a personnel and mental standpoint. I'm not sure there's much from a tactical perspective that can be gleaned. It is worth noting, however, that the 3-0 loss was the literal rock-bottom for this team and was what sparked so much of the change moving forward. The Sounders definitely remember that game and seem intent on showing just how much has changed.
What’s been the progression of Jordan Morris during his rookie season?
Morris has grown a lot, going from a player who was extremely dependent on his speed and not much of an impact if he wasn't scoring to one that is far more comfortable using his other physical tools and capable of impacting game even if he's not scoring. He's developed a decent holdup game, has vastly improved his passing and is far more composed in front of goal than he was early in the season.
What players and/or match-ups will you be focusing on for Thursday’s match?
Very interested to see how the Sounders center backs deal with Dom Dwyer, who has given the Sounders problems in the past. But I suspect this game will be decided by the way the respective central midfielders match up. The Feilhaber vs. Alonso-Roldan and Lodeiro vs. Mustivar-Nagamura matchups will likely go a long way toward determining this one.
Finally, any other thoughts on the match and what you expect to see from both teams?
These games always seem to be low-scoring and decided with late goals. I don't see any reason that will change. Doubt it will make for pretty soccer, but I'm sure it will be tense and hard fought.
