MLS in the CCL, CCL Quarterfinals - 1st Leg (7 Mar) [Multiple R]

Looks like Eddie Johnson close to ready to go, and should play, if not start.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/soundersfcblog/2017664327_johnson_expected_to_be_availab.html

That lineup you quoted is exactly the starting XI I expect to see.

Huh? I was actually thinking of flying down for the second leg. But I thought I wouldn't be able to get a ticket as a cap of 7500.

Seriously, how popular is the Galaxy in LA? I'm not trying to be provocative, but when I started watching MLS they seemed to sell out every game at HDC or close to it. It doesn't seem to happen any more.

Is this all due to tickey prices?

And that three-game winless streak followed a 4-0-1 start to El Torneo Clausura 2012 for Santos.

In the new year, Santos is 5-2-2 in league play and sits in 3rd place (or 4th, pending America's result today) in the domestic table:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/tables?league=mex.1&cc=5901

Unlesss they start in a 3-4-3, which is a possibility as well.

Players involved wont change. Frings will play sweeper

not to be inflamatory but the scores will be


Santos-3 Sounders-0

Toronto-1 La galaxy-0

FWIW, the Sounders looked light-years ahead of their preseason form of past years in the 2-0 win over Jaguares. Not that that compares to 10-games into the season type of form...

The new RB, Johnasson is a beast... the formation is essentially 3-5-2, with him playing wide in the MF and continually making runs to the endline. It was in this manner that he assisted Montero's first goal with a cross from the wing. It's really only 4-4-2 when the opponent builds out of the back.

Temp is supposed to be mid-30s and clear for kickoff.

The fanbase is spread very thinly amongst a huge population over a large area, mid-week games after work just crush demand as it might take half the crowd an hours drive to get to the HDC.Ticket prices IMO. are another but lesser factor.

OH NO!!! AN HOUR DRIVE!!!

I am not happy with the Sounders ticket sales so far, but LA's have been pathetic if they aren't sold out yet with that limited amount available.

I'm actually not sure what's going on with the ticket sales. We have more than 7,500 STH so the game should be sold out, right?

Shenanigans!

its good to see some hope in you, and I am glad that your team played Chiapas. Santos, however is very much the team in form right now after beating San Luis 5-2. IF the sounders want to stand a chance of winning this series, then they will need that defensive line to do their best. Oribe Peralta scored 4 of those goals.

Even if they had 20k walkups, they would not be allowed to report or pre-sell more than the cap. So I dunno, I've seen some deceptively large "8k" midweek crowds at the HDC.

This will be a nice prelude to the weekend.

I am really ready for this...tired of looking at streaming for the past few weeks.

Santos Laguna is due to arrive tomorrow. They're not going to have much chance to practice on the turf. The weather looks very good unfortunately. Blue skies, sunshine, no rain or snow. Sucks.

Oh well...Some people have already staked out their hotel.

If my drive down to HDC next Wed. during rush hour to get to the game is only 1 hour, I will be the happiest guy on the planet....

scared for the sounders, first competitive game of the season, AND against santos.. up against it from the start

To be fair, San Luis seems dreadful and was a man down from the 22nd minute on. One of those 4 goals (the 4 were Peralta's 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th of the Clausura) was a room service pass from a defender right to Peralta in the defender's half.

True though, Santos has been playing quite well since Galindo was brought on as coach. They have a talented and pacey attack which can collect goals quickly. If the Sounders can somehow blunt the breaks and counters, though, Santos's defense looks fairly ordinary and somewhat prone to disorganization in the back 4, and the offense doesn't get a lot of goals from set pieces. I suppose the problem is the Sounders want an open game, too.

So I based on what I know (not a huge amount I admit) Santos can be beaten, but it's going to take a lot of things going well for the Sounders.

All turf is not the same. Each has its own characteristics.

Current odds (from 10bet.com)

Mor v Mon : 2.00 - 3.27 - 3.55
SEA v Sant : 2.49 - 3.18 - 2.68
TFC v LAG : 3.45 - 3.25 - 2.03
Met v Pum : 4.05 - 3.34 - 1.84

So, LA and Pumas are huge road favorites... Morelia is a big favorite to win at home, and Seattle is a very slight home favorite.

What exactly do those number signify? just curious

Money line. How much you'll make on a home win - draw - away win.