By Steven Agen
Here are three keys for the Seattle Sounders to pick up their first road win of the season when they travel to face Chris Wondolowski and the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday:
1. Keeping Wondolowski off the board
Chris Wondolowski has scored an astonishing ten goals of the Earthquakes’ 25 all-time MLS goals against Seattle. His tally stands as the high mark for most goals scored against the Sounders. While many view San Jose as Sounders’ “bogey team,” it may be more accurate to call Wondo their bogeyman. Through a combination of headers, 1v1’s, golazos and PK’s, the Earthquakes’ main marksman has been instrumental in establishing their 10-4-7 MLS record against one of the most consistent sides in the conference.
If Wondolowski nets an eleventh goal against the Sounders on Saturday, a difficult early-season road test becomes much tougher. Chad Marshall and Roman Torres, both absent from Seattle’s lineup in last week’s 0-0 draw with Atlanta, are set to partner each other in central defense. They’ll be primarily tasked with trying to shut Wondo down in their return to action. The match will mark their second attempt together at keeping Wondo off the score sheet after the forward scored against Sounders’ towering center back duo last September. The matchup between Wondolowski, Marshall and Torres will go a long ways towards determining the outcome of the first Heritage Cup contest of 2017.
2. No Bernardez, no problem?
Veteran defender Victor Bernardez was dismissed from San Jose’s 2-1 loss at NYCFC last weekend, exacerbating the depth of an already injury-riddled back line. Florian Jungwirth and Andres Imperiale will start next to each other at center back in his absence. Imperiale moved to San Jose a season ago, and Jungwirth this January. Both come with pedigree, but lack MLS experience. This weekend they face the enormously unenviable task of having to mark Clint Dempsey, Nicolas Lodeiro and Jordan Morris.
Sounders’ trio of star attackers haven’t always been on the same page so far in 2017, but Saturday’s match against a patchwork Earthquakes defense is the perfect opportunity for them to calibrate themselves. If Seattle’s front six can fit all of the puzzle pieces together, they can be confident in their ability to outclass the Earthquakes’ weakest unit.
3. Starting strong v great adjustments
Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer has shown a penchant for shaking up his side’s second half tactics so far in 2017. Oniel Fisher and Will Bruin subbed on for Seattle in their road match in Montreal as Sounders opened up to try and recover from a 2-0 deficit. Schmetzer displayed a willingness to send numbers forward, and was rewarded for his gamble when Fisher won a penalty before Bruin equalized in stoppage time.
The Montreal match was the most prominent example of Schmetzer’s tinkering that we’ve seen so far, but it’s far from the only one. Just last Friday, Schmetzer’s side finished the match playing with three defenders at the back as they attempted to find a goal in their 0-0 home draw on Friday. Sounders additionally finished the match with two strikers up top, as opposed to the one they started with. It may not have yielded a goal, but Seattle definitely became more dangerous following the changes.
On the flip side Sounders have struggled to start matches well. Outside of a penalty kick in their home opener against New York Red Bulls, they’ve failed to score in the first half of any of their matches this season. Couple that with three first half goals conceded, and it’s easy enough to understand why Sounders have had a lot of catching up to do so far this year.
Schmetzer’s ability to alter the tactical set up of a match appears to be near preeminent in MLS, and is certainly a useful tool for the club to have. However, Sounders must begin starting matches well too in order to reach their potential in 2017, and in order to make the most of Schmetzer’s tactical prowess. As they enter their fifth match of the season, there’s no time like the present for them produce a positive first half.
PREDICTION:
Sounders 2, Earthquakes 1
San Jose Earthquakes
Sounders FC
