Sounders FC vs. LA Galaxy
MLS Regular Season
Saturday, October 25; 12:00 pm PT; CenturyLink Field
TV/Radio: NBC; KIRO Radio 97.3 FM; ESPN Deportes Radio, 1490 AM (Spanish)
For the third straight year, Sounders FC faces the LA Galaxy in the regular-season finale with playoff positioning on the line. Only this time, the stakes are even higher than before.
The Supporters’ Shield race has come down to the final match – or as Seattle captain Brad Evans put it, “Probably the biggest game in our club’s history.”
CenturyLink Field will play host to this pivotal matchup on Saturday, when the Sounders can secure their first Shield and the No. 1 seed in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The two teams remain tied atop the standings after drawing 2-2 in LA last weekend. Because the Sounders will finish the season with more total victories, a win or draw would do it for Seattle.
While clinching the Shield with one match to spare would’ve been beneficial, there are positives to saving it for the final home match.
“It sets an even better stage for us,” All-Star defender DeAndre Yedlin said. “I know we’re going to have every fan behind us, and it’d be awesome to raise the trophy in front of them.
“Every game we play at home has amazing energy. And I’m sure this one will have even more than normal just because there’s so much at stake.”
Not only is there much at stake, but CenturyLink Field will also be open to full capacity on Saturday. This will be nothing new for the Galaxy, who played in front of 66,216 in last year’s regular-season finale, a 1-1 draw in Seattle.
In that match, Clint Dempsey scored his first goal as a Sounder, beating LA defender Omar Gonzalez at the far post for a tap-in. Gonzalez is suspended for Saturday’s match after picking up a pair of yellow cards in last weekend’s contest.
An All-Star and U.S. National Team regular, Gonzalez is a major reason why LA has yielded the fewest goals in MLS this year.
“Omar’s an important part of their team. So for us, we have to take advantage of it,” Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid said. “Obviously he’s also a big presence for them on set pieces. But on the same token, you can’t think it’s a difference. …They have other competent players who will step in and play.”
For Sounders FC, Gonzalo Pineda played 90 minutes on Sunday after sitting out the better part of the team’s previous five matches with an injury. Schmid said he was pleased with the central midfielder’s performance against the Galaxy.
Seattle’s coach was also happy with the way his team contained Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan. LA’s All-Star forwards were held to one shot apiece as Chad Marshall and company were stout on the Seattle back line.
The Sounders have given up 50 goals this year, 16 of which came at CenturyLink Field. With a strong outing Saturday, they could lift their second trophy of the year in front of their home fans.
“It’s nice knowing that a draw does it, but we can’t go in trying to get a draw and defending for 90 minutes,” Marshall said. “We’ve got to play our game, try and impose ourselves on them, and make them defend.
“If we don’t allow a goal, then we’re Supporters’ Shield champions.”
