TUKWILA, Wash. — With all of their internationals returning to camp on Thursday, the Seattle Sounders can finally turn their full attention to one of their biggest matches of the season: A pivotal away fixture with postseason implications against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday (7:30 p.m. PT; JOEtv, Univision-Seattle, KIRO 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360AM).
It’s been two weeks since the Sounders were torched in Portland, and with the bye week and international break in between, focus on the opening 45 minutes this weekend will be of the utmost importance if the Sounders want to take three points from a team directly above them in the Western Conference standings.
“The messaging to the group this week is [the slow start we had against the Timbers] can’t happen again,” said interim head coach Brian Schmetzer, who took responsibility for not having the team prepared its last time out. “We will not underestimate our opponent. San Jose is a good team. They’re at home, they need the points, we need the points.”
Schmetzer noted on Wednesday how important cohesion would be in Saturday’s match in trying to get everyone back on the same page after the time off and international duty. Five Sounders first-team players participated in the recent World Cup qualifiers, but all are expected to be available on Saturday.
“It’s easy to come back into this group,” said forward Jordan Morris, who came on as a substitute in each of the United States’ matches the past week vs. St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago. “We’re a close team and that shows on the field.”
Priority No. 1 will be stopping Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski, who was also in the United States’ camp with Morris. Wondolowski has been a nightmare for the Sounders since they entered the league, having scored more goals against Seattle than any other player in MLS (9).
Wondolowski failed to score against the Sounders in Seattle’s 2-0 win over the Quakes in May and he’s scored just two goals in 10 games since returning from the Copa America Centenario this summer, but he’s still one of the deadliest strikers in the league.
“[Wondolowski’s] movement inside the box is tremendous,” said Schmetzer. “He’s a proven goalscorer in our league.”
Wondolowski and Co. will punish the Sounders if they come out sloppy and uninspired in the first half, and the Sounders know it. Like it was in Portland, where the Sounders scored two second-half goals and fell 4-2, a large first-half deficit may be too much to overcome.
Schmetzer is determined to have his team set from the opening whistle.
“We need to make sure that we’re ready, simple as that,” he said. “You won’t be able to accuse us of not preparing the team.”
