The Seattle Sounders return to action for the first time in two weeks on Saturday with their only matchup of 2016 against the Montreal Impact. Here’s a breakdown of all you need to know about the game.
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is 7 p.m. PT at CenturyLink Field. This is the Sounders’ third home game of the season and the second in a three-game home stand.
TICKETS: Single-game tickets for the match are still available here.
MATCHDAY INFO: Get all the information surrounding the March to the Match and other matchday activities here.
WHERE TO WATCH: The game will be telecast on Q13 FOX and Univision in Seattle, and on ROOT Sports outside Seattle. The Q13 FOX pregame show begins at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The game will be aired on KIRO 97.3 FM in English and on El Rey 1360 AM in Spanish.
ALL-TIME HISTORY: The Sounders have largely struggled against the Impact since the Canadian club joined MLS in 2012. The Sounders are 1-3-0 all-time in the series, including a 1-0 loss in 2013 in the teams’ only meeting at CenturyLink Field.
SLOW START: Following a 2-1 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on March 19, the Sounders are 0-3 for the first time in their MLS history. They’re they only team in MLS without a result so far this season, and the only team in the league to lose two home games in March.
TOP OF THE EAST: The Impact, meanwhile, have proven last year’s postseason run was no fluke, posting a 2-1-0 record over their first three games and earning the top spot in the Eastern Conference early in the season. They’re 1-1-0 away from home this season, including a 3-2 win at Vancouver to open the season on March 6.
O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Sounders center back and team captain Brad Evans has missed the last two games after suffering a shoulder injury late in the team’s season opener on March 6. There’s been no formal word from the club that Evans will return against Montreal, and if he can’t return, veteran Zach Scott gets the call for a third straight week.
OTHER INJURIES: The Sounders are actually relatively healthy this week compared to other matches, especially if Evans returns. The only starter likely still on the sidelines is midfielder Erik Friberg, who suffered a knee injury in March 12 that has sidelined him ever since. There’s no word yet on if he’ll return, but second-year midfielder Cristian Roldan has already started two of the team’s three games this season in Friberg’s stead.
SHORT REST: A handful of Sounders players will suit up on Saturday following games over the FIFA international break, most notably forwards Clint Dempsey (United States) and Jordan Morris (United States), as well as defender Joevin Jones (Trinidad and Tobago). Backup forward Oalex Anderson has also been on duty for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. All four players are expected to resume full workouts with the team on Thursday.
GOMEZ TO DEBUT? Veteran forward Herculez Gomez will be available to make his Sounders debut on Saturday after signing with the club last week. The 33-year-old Gomez provides some depth and a scorer’s touch off the bench, or in the starting lineup if needed. Odds are that Gomez will get the call for a fatigued Morris or Dempsey sometime in the final half hour against Montreal, and the California native has made a career out of being the poacher with a penchant for the goal late in games.
DROGBA OUT: Perhaps the only drawback to the Impact signing star striker Didier Drogba last year is that the big man doesn’t like to play on turf. He’s not alone there – previous star players like David Beckham and Thierry Henry have also balked at the idea so late in their careers – and it appears that even with the new surface at CenturyLink Field, the 38-year-old Drogba will be a no-go. That’s good news for the Sounders: Drogba scored 1.17 goals every 90 minutes last year, tops in MLS.
PIATTI IN: The bad news is that Ignacio Piatti is perfectly fine playing on turf, and off to one of the best starts of any player this season in MLS. The 31-year-old Argentine midfielder has three goals and two assists in three games in 2016, showing no signs that his stellar 2015 (nine goals, eight assists) was no joke.
CIMAN INJURED: No defender in MLS had a better season in 2015 than the Impact’s Laurent Ciman, the Belgian import who started 27 games for Montreal and ultimately was named MLS Defender of the Year. Ciman suffered an ankle injury during a training session late last week, however, leaving his status in question against Seattle. Wandrille Lefevre is the likely choice if Ciman can’t go.
