Sounders FC vs. Chivas USA
MLS Regular Season
Saturday, September 27; 1 pm PT; CenturyLink Field
TV/Radio: JOEtv (KZJO-Channel 22/Cable 10); THIS-TV (Spanish); KIRO Radio 97.3 FM; ESPN Deportes Radio, 1490 AM (Spanish)
After 12 days on the road for three matches in three different cities, Sounders FC is ready to see some friendly faces at CenturyLink Field when it returns to its home field to meet Chivas USA on Saturday.
“Twelve days on the road, in reality, is a long time. We’re happy to be back at home. We’re still in first place and we need to hold onto that as we move forward,” Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid said. “We’re at home. We’re going to be in front of our fans and they’re going to play a big role in this game tomorrow. Being at home and being with their families and seeing their loved ones … it’s tough on guys when all that travel comes in the middle of the season.”
Saturday’s match also concludes a stretch of five matches in 16 days that started with loads of promise. First it was a stoppage-time win over Real Salt Lake, then the Sounders beat the Philadelphia Union to win the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title.
However, since those two emotional victories, Seattle struggled against the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas, losing 4-1 to the Red Bulls and 3-1 to Dallas to conclude its road trip.
“We know the last two games are not reflective of what we’re capable of,” Schmid said, noting that the defense needs to be better all over the field. “Defense is everybody. It’s not just the four guys in the back or the goalkeeper. It’s us as a team. I really didn’t think we gave away that many chances in Dallas, they just converted their chances. We know we have to tighten it up defensively, but it’s a team effort for us defensively.”
In both defeats, Seattle faced an early deficit, allowing a goal in the first minute against New York and in the eighth minute against Dallas.
That is tops on the list of things to correct for the Sounders, who have a good record when playing from behind but not nearly as good as the 12-1-3 record when they score first.
“I think it’s our mentality. I think coming out we got scored on pretty quick in a few games,” said midfielder Lamar Neagle, who has two goals and two assists in the last four matches. “We definitely need to tighten up there, come out right away and come to play. I think we will at home.”
Seattle is 10-3-2 at CenturyLink Field with just one loss since March 29. After a difficult road trip and with a once-a-week schedule the rest of the season, the home crowd might be just what Sounders FC needs to get back on track to close out the regular season.
“It’s the light at the end of the tunnel,” Schmid said. “Then we get a break after this game.”
