By Steven Agen
The Seattle Sounders are finally getting healthy and reinforcements are showing up at the same time. Several new signings expected to debut on Sunday and, coupled with the potential return of Obafemi Martins from injury, it may be the Sounders’ best shot at turning their season around. Here are three keys for Seattle to get back to winning ways in their first fixture against expansion side Orlando:
1. Possession isn’t everything
Orlando loves to hold the ball, and more so than any other side in the league. Adrian Heath’s 4-2-3-1 emphasizes possession over all else, even on the longest away trip in the continental United States. Seattle must be careful not to get anxious and let the Lions bait them forward. Orlando has failed to create much in the final third since Kevin Molino went down with injury earlier in the year, and as a result there’s little threat from their centerbacks passing it around in their own half. Schmid will surely have his men press at times, but pressing too far forward may leave room over the top for Cyle Larin. The rookie is the only consistently goal-dangerous attacker on the squad right now, outside of Kaka. The Sounders must be careful not to send too many men in pursuit of Orlando’s back four, at the peril of gifting Orlando their best chance at a goal by finding Larin on the counter.
2. Integrate it quickly
Midseason signings are famously fickle in MLS, but Seattle need theirs to step in without missing a beat. They still cling to the last playoff spot in the West, but a much longed-for march of the table won’t happen unless it starts soon. Nelson Valdez played with Obafemi Martins in Russia, and Friberg has settled quickly since joining in June. If debutants Ivanschitz, Torres, and Valdez start to click at all today, it should signal three points for Seattle. More importantly than the points, it’ll be the first look for fans at how soon they can expect a top team again. It’s a chance to generate confidence; the sooner the new faces develop chemistry with the rest of the squad, the more of that confidence there is.
3. Use the experience
For all the similarities between Orlando and Seattle in this week’s run-in (starters returning from injury, a dismal July, etc.), the stark difference between the two is the home side’s experience in MLS. Good sides find ways to punish teams that aren’t playing well. That’s why most have beaten Seattle and Orlando lately, but it’s also why the Sounders are the more likely to break the deadlock between struggling teams. Sigi Schmid and his squad have been together for longer than Orlando’s and they have more MLS experience than Orlando’s. Guys like Chad Marshall, Brad Evans, and Stefan Frei have the experience both in the league and with each other that Orlando hasn’t had time to form yet. That could be worth a goal on Sunday. A goal may be all it takes, given how these two have been playing.
