Ahead of Saturday's match at CenturyLink Field, SportingKC.com caught up with SB Nation soccer editor and blog manager of SoundersAtHeart.com Jeremiah Oshan to preview #SKCvSEA. Live coverage of the match is available on FOX Sports KC, FOX Sports GO, 99.3 FM, and La Grande 1340 AM.
Sporting KC earned a 3-0 win over Seattle on May 17. How different of a team are the Sounders heading into Saturday’s match?
The team KC will face on Saturday is barely recognizable to the one they faced on May 17, especially on defense. Barring a major surprise, three of the four starters on the backline will be different from the previous matchup with Roman Torres and Joevin Jones back in the squad and Kelvin Leerdam having joined. That May 17 Sounders lineup was also missing Clint Dempsey, who is currently in the middle of a run of form that has seen him score five goals and register two assists in his past four appearances.
More broadly, that Sounders team was finishing off a three-game losing streak that put them at 2-5-4 to start the season. Since then, they've gone 7-2-3 and are currently riding a seven-match unbeaten run with a +10 goal-difference.
What’s been the key to Seattle’s resurgence the last few months?
The biggest difference is simply a return to health. Brad Evans made his starting debut at right back the week after that first meeting with KC and in the approximately 620 minutes when he or Leerdam have been playing right back the Sounders have outscored opponents 15-3. Assuming Osvaldo Alonso is fit enough to at least make the bench, Saturday's match will mark one of the few times all season where a full complement of players have been available to Brian Schmetzer.
Have the Sounders made any significant additions this summer? Could any of these players have an impact on Saturday’s match?
Leerdam has so far proven to be the biggest summer addition. After spending his professional career in the Dutch Eredivisie, the 27-year-old has been a revelation at right back. The Sounders have yet to allow a goal in his 300 minutes, while they've scored 10 with Leerdam contributing a goal and an assist.
They've also added La Liga veteran Victor Rodriguez, who could potentially make his debut on Saturday, as well as Lamar Neagle.
What are your thoughts on the Western Conference this season, with only six points separating 1st place Sporting KC from 7th place Vancouver?
Obviously a very tight race with what appears to be a lot of mediocrity at the moment. The Eastern Conference is almost undeniable the power circuit at the moment, but it's remarkable just how much parity the West has. Sounders fans are particularly appreciative of this fact, as it's allowed them to overcome a horrendous start to suddenly be within three points of the top spot.
What are a few things you’ll be watching for on Saturday’s match?
I'll be very curious to see how Sporting KC playing 120 minutes on Wednesday will affect not just the starting lineup but the energy of the whole squad. My suspicion is that this will be a tight match regardless as the two teams have never combined for more than two goals against one another or been separated by more than one in games at CenturyLink Field. The first goal is obviously huge in matches like this, but we've also grown accustomed to late ones.
