The Seattle Sounders will open the 2021 Major League Soccer season with a home match on Friday against Minnesota United (6:30 p.m. PT; FS1, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM), coincidentally the last team they played at Lumen Field in 2020. Seattle came from behind late to steal a 3-2 win, and the Western Conference Championship, in a match that won’t be soon forgotten, least of all by the Loons.
“We certainly remember the last time they came to our place,” said Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei. “We expect them to remember that painful experience as well. It’s a new season. They’re going to want to start the season on the right foot just as much as we do. We’re at home, we would like to take the initiative if possible.”
The main focal point for the Sounders will be stopping Minnesota playmaker Emanuel Reynoso, the Loons’ Argentine Designated Player, who arrived with a bang last season, announcing himself to the league in the final third of the season and into the playoffs. He scored on a free kick and assisted on another in the match at Seattle, and Minnesota’s success on Friday will largely depend on how much influence he’s allowed to have on the game.
“His skill is obvious,” Frei said of Reynoso. “He’s a very crafty player. He can pick out passes, and he can finish it himself. He’s lethal, and he’s lethal on set pieces as well. He’s very, very dangerous. Hopefully we can force him to defend a lot, to run a lot, to be uncomfortable a lot.”
One of the key figureheads tasked with doing that is Cristian Roldan, Seattle’s Mr. Everything who will have more responsibility in the center of the park this year as Head Coach Brian Schmetzer changes formations from his standard 4-2-3-1 to a two-forward set, requiring a larger load on the central midfield.
“The midfielders in this formation are going to have to be fit,” said Roldan. “The demand of the game is to cover a lot of ground, but also be sharp on the ball when it comes, and to be more aggressive.”
As Frei noted, much of this requirement is something Roldan has done for his entire career and is nothing new for the 25-year-old, who’s already entering his seventh professional campaign.
“Roldan tends to be one of the guys who runs the most for us on the squad during games,” said Frei. “He’s got an engine on him. He’s not afraid to use it and use it to exhaustion. He puts the team first, he works his butt off, he’s very versatile.
“He’s got good pace, he sees the game quite well,” Frei added. “He just covers a lot of ground. If the guy who’s covering him is not willing to do the same kind of work, then we’ll find him in good spots.”
The Sounders understand the importance of getting off to a good start in 2021, especially since Friday will mark the first time in over a year that Lumen Field will have fans in attendance. Putting in a solid performance against a team out for revenge will be a great first step.
“[Minnesota brings] a lot to the table,” said Frei, “and we know what they were able to do well against us in that last game. It’s going to be a difficult game, but I think we’re ready for it.”
