Sporting KC @ Seattle 6/20 9pm p/i/p [R]

Game 2 of the busy stretch to us and now we get the fun part. We head west for the last time during the regular season to take on Seattle. Sounders got beat 4-1 in Montreal on the weekend. After this game we head straight to Philly so it may be a time when we rest some players. Kamara should at least be back in the states by then, whether he plays against Seattle is another question.

Hurtado out for Seattle....got a red card against Montreal.

We better effing win this. I'm effing tired of losing to effing Seattle.

Seattle hurting, gonna have a few backups starting in this one, getting stretched thin. Their backups love to beat us. 3-1 to the Flounders....

the 4-1-4-1 has worked well against the 4-4-2 of SJ and RSL, albeit at home. I say bunker down and keep the unbeaten streak going. I suspect a similar lineup to sat. Hopefully re-inforcements are available for Philly-Beasler, Kamara, Nagmura, Convey

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/06/18/sounders-players-embarrassed-thrashing-montreal
Hmmm...might we see some new faces in the Seattle lineup? Alonso didn't play, so I'm sure he will be in there. Regardless, they will likely be charged up for us due to the whipping they took in Montreal. Great!

I would love to get something out of this game (just because it's Seattle), but I would rather come out of this with no further injuries or suspensions so we can focus even more on a conference road game that we probably have a better chance of winning this weekend. Just don't get our asses handed to us or lose it in stoppage time again.....definitely make a game of it.

Kei just tweeted that he is in Seattle. He is gonna have some serious jetlag by this weekend. Hopefully we can get some quality minutes from him this week, but damn he's gotta be seriously tired, plus going back across the country in a few days...whew.

Yeah there were some tweets from earlier today as he landed in Seattle. Was hitting up a Windows store to get a new phone.

Fortunately it seems like we have 4 or 5 decent options to start up top. Teal really has done well recently... seems to be working harder than ever before. CJ obviously is deserving of a starting spot. Even with Convey out as well we've had good work out of Peterson - and I dare say he looks better on the right than the left.

If Convey can get back into shape and Kei manages to overcome playing halfway around the world, I'm not so worried about our forwards as much as our CBs. Olum looked decent against Toronto, but it will be a different level going against a team who fancies themselves as SS candidates.

One point in Seattle would be fine... though I would love nothing more than beating them, esp. in Seattle - and doing so in the dying minutes of the game would just be gravy.

Seattle is absolutely depleted in the back line with injuries and suspensions, could be ripe for KC to go at with the high pressure early on.

So Kronberg traveled apparently for this one. And Kempin is now out based off his tweet, he's now in a walking boot.

Agreed. Surprisingly, their fans are not confident about winning this one, probably due to their defense being in worse shape than ours. Still, their offensive weapons are there.

I am still not too optimistic, mainly because of our history with them. I would feel better with Besler in there, but glad to at least get Kei back. I would guess he starts, though I would be very surprised if he plays the full 90. Any points out of this one would be great.

Probably the best time to face Seattle which is why we'll probably be lucky to pull a draw. We've been great against the "great" Western teams but I'm worried the playing down to our opponent and letting the foot off the gas trend may crop up again.

Honestly, I'll always take a road point from Seattle, but this is a very winnable game.

Which reminds me I need to get Estrada off my fantasy team tonight...

News update on Seattle:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sounders/2018468425_sounders19.html

Might see Zakuani make an appearance. Hopefully LATE in the game if at all....

I just read your article ^. I dont know their roster very well, but it read like Seattle is getting a number of players back for Wednesday (Alonso, plus Defenders Ianni and Gonzalez).

I guess the good thing about them possibly getting injured defensive guys back from our POV might be whether they are completely game fit. Let Teal, CJ, and Zeus (and maybe a dash of Kei) find that out for them... I would think we have an advantage on free kicks, especially if they don't have a fully healthy defensive line.

One thing that will be important for them is getting Alonso back. They will be using a backup GK though, so that is in our favor I suppose. This game could have a lot of goals in it.

As long as we finish the game with all 11 players on the field we should be fine. That seems to be our weakness against the Flounders.

Agree. *And of those players still standing, have them all be something more than a injured traffic cone named Sassano.

That and defend in stoppage time

Marrufo for this game. Apparently they like to give the Seattle/KC game to him as this will be his 3rd of the 6 that we've had with him (according to the website I use, which isn't perfect.)

7th time we play Seattle (we're currently 1-5), but 3rd time we have Marrufo, last two were the game where Seattle took the throw 15 yards up field, and last year at LSP.

You're right - I forgot to count this game in the stats.

That game last year at LSP he gave Bravo that RC... I do wonder if it is appropriate to have refs that ref particular teams more than others. Seems a tad dangerous to me, though I can understand the concept of having refs not flying ALL over the country.

Honestly, though, every time I see a ref whose name I recognize I find I am disappointed. I think the next class of refs has been pretty good, actually. And even with two extra refs on the field we've been shown that even a tournament like the Euro can be marred by reffing controversy.