The host Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake will hunt for a victory that could improve their respective postseason chances when they meet Wednesday night in the Pacific Northwest.
Despite a 13-match winless run in league play, Seattle (7-9-8, 29 points) might feel it’s in a better position entering the contest.
After losing eight straight, the Sounders have drawn their last five. They are three points beneath the playoff line in the Western Conference entering Wednesday despite sitting in 13th place.
The Sounders are also the team closer to full strength for the first of two matches they will play during the September-October international window.
“We feel that every game is an opportunity, whether it’s RSL with a dinged-up team, whether it’s Minnesota at home,” manager Brian Schmetzer said. “Every game is an opportunity where we need to collect points, and collecting three at home (is) critical. If you can do the math and you win the majority of your home games, you usually end up in a pretty good spot.”
Sounders striker Dejan Joveljic and midfielder Snyder Brunell have been summoned to national team camps. But while Pedro de la Vega and Paul Rothrock are also out with hamstring injuries, striker Jordan Morris should be available after a minor injury forced his early exit in Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Colorado.
Salt Lake (8-12-5, 29 points) sits in 12th, ahead of Seattle on the tiebreaker of total wins, and is also winless in 12 league matches. And even more so than the Sounders, the Claret and Cobalt are facing major personnel shortages.
With midfielder Juan Manuel Sanabria away on international duty, the attack will have to lean even more heavily on Sergi Solans, who leads RSL with nine goals. On defense, both Lukas Engel (hamstring) and Justen Glad (adductor) are out.
And the club confirmed Tuesday that attacker Diego Luna (five goals, five assists) underwent season-ending knee meniscus repair surgery as most expected.
“Our job now is to provide structured, patient rehabilitation,” Dave Tenney, RSL’s senior director of high performance, said in a statement. “Diego has the full support of our club’s performance and medical staff, as well as those of Dr. Anthony Beutler and Intermountain Health, and he is already approaching the recovery work the right way.”
–Field Level Media
