Cristian Roldan put the exclamation point on last season’s 4-3 comeback victory over D.C. United with a goal in the 78th minute. Will he have similar luck on Saturday night?
Seattle Sounders vs. DC United
7 p.m. PST/10 p.m. EST Saturday, June 9, CenturyLink Field, Seattle
Records:
Seattle: 2-7-2, 8 points, -7 GD (11th in West)
D.C. United: 2-5-3, 9 points, -4 GD (11th in East)
Key injuries/absences:
Seattle is getting healthier as forward Will Bruin returned last week against Real Salt Lake and midfielder Victor Rodriguez saw his first action of the season, coming off the bench in a 2-0 road loss. But the Sounders are still missing their veteran spark plug in the middle, Osvaldo Alonso, who is still recovering from a left quad strain. Outside midfielder Handwalla Bwana (foot) is also out. Seattle’s other absences are due to World Cup call-ups as defender Roman Torres of Panama and defender/midfielder Gustav Svensson of Sweden are in Russia. Midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro remains a mystery as he didn’t make Uruguay’s roster, but is apparently still with his national team and looks unlikely to return to the fold against D.C. United.
D.C. United look to be shorthanded on the back line as starting left back Taylor Kemp (groin), starting right back Nick DeLeon (undisclosed injury) and backup right back Chris Odoi-Atsem (calf) were listed on the MLS injury report as of June 5. The Black and Red also have some depth issues in the midfield as Russell Canouse (knee) and Ulises Segura (knee) are reportedly out.
Darren Mattock is coming off of a huge performance against LAFC. Can he continue his positive run against his old Cascadia foes (Photo Credit: Rene Rodriguez)
Key players
The Sounders’ inability to put the ball in the back of the net has been well documented. Bruin’s three goals and two assists through eight games played are respectable numbers, but he has been starved of service without the likes of Lodeiro and Rodriguez on the pitch. Rodriguez could start this week after getting roughly 20 minutes a week ago. Cristian Roldan‘s box-to-box energy is important for Seattle’s ability to stop forward runs and quickly launch counterattacks. Kelvin Leerdam needs to find his groove, especially if the Sounders play him at right mid again as they did at RSL. Harry Shipp, who also returned to the field last week after an injury, might allow Roldan to move forward in the attack if he’s well enough to start at defensive mid. And fans continue to wonder if they’re seeing the last days of Clint Dempsey, who is scoreless in MLS play and hasn’t had a goal since a March 7 CONCACAF Champions League contest.
D.C. United is coming off an extended break in league play, and their last MLS outing was a solid road result – a 1-1 draw at Los Angeles FC – that should give them confidence going forward. Jamaican striker Darren Mattocks scored an 84th-minute equalizer in that one, his team-leading fifth goal of the campaign. Several of the starters saw action midweek, however, during a penalty-kick shootout win over North Carolina FC in the U.S. Open Cup. Left winger Yamil Asad has been a solid addition since coming over from Atlanta United, notching three goals and two assists. Right winger Paul Arriola, now a solid fixture on the U.S. men’s national team roster, has a goal and four assists. Center back Steve Birnbaum and goalkeeper David Ousted are looking to create cohesion for a group that hasn’t been great, allowing 18 goals in 10 MLS games.
Key stats:
305: The number of consecutive scoreless minutes – not including stoppage time – that Seattle has had in MLS play. Their last goal was Bwana’s game-winning strike in the second half of a May 9 game at Toronto FC. Opponents now have more clean sheets (eight) against the Sounders than the Rave Green have goals (seven).
63: Over D.C. United’s last two matches, that’s the number of total shots taken by both teams, which resulted in three points for DC at San Jose and one at LAFC. The Black and Red don’t seem to mind an open and exciting game, even away from home, as they’ve found the net eight times in the first four matches of a marathon eight-match road trip. D.C. United won’t play at home again until July 14 when they open the sparkling 20,000-seat Audi Field.
