Who: Seattle Sounders (WwLWW) vs. Real Salt Lake (LlldD) Where: Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, UT When: 7:00 PM, Saturday, 10/29/2011 Watch: Fox Soccer Channel Listen: KIRO 97.3, La Gran D 99.3 Internet: Usual suspects Time to go into the playoffs and make some sweet, sweet love to the awesomeness of a system has the #2 team in the league playing the #3 team in the league with the likelihood of facing the #1 team in the league as a reward. Woo!! On the plus side, RSL has backed their way into the playoffs by going winless in their last 6 games (0W-2D-4L) including losses to quality sides like DC United, Chicago Fire, and Wooden Spoon winner, Vancouver Whitecaps! Hot damn! Of course, they did spend the last 4.9 games without Kyle Beckerman who felt it was an awesome idea to headbutt a Chicago Fire player 11 minutes into their game, followed by a 3 game suspension that he started serving after missing the Galaxy game due to USMNT duties. Good stuff there. In their history the Sounders are 1W-1D-1L against RSL at Rio Tinto (0-1 L 2009, 2-2 D 2010, 2-1 W 2011), so not much to draw from that. However, the Sounders have traditionally underperformed in the playoffs, having lost all 4 games with a whopping 1 GF. Also don't be shy about joining in on the #ClassyRSLhate fun on Twitter
Obviously it is too soon to tell for sure, but the noises out of Sounders land is that Mauro Rosale's injury on Saturday wasn't as bad as it looked, so here's hoping we roll out with the full #1 line-up. Of course, what that full #1 line-up is is anyone's guess. This brings us to Yoshou's Guaranteed to be Wrong Predicted line-up where I whip out the tea leaves and try to parse their meaning. Sadly I am untrained at reading tea leaves. [LINEUP-4-4-2]Fucito, Montero, Fernandez, Evans, Alonso, Rosales, Wahl, Parke, Hurtado, Riley, Keller[/LINEUP-4-4-2] Based on the last few regular season games, I'm thinking Evans has won back the starting CM position from Friberg and I'm thinking Gonzalez was just a one game thing.
RSL fans want some changes to the XI, but given how Kreis has approached things these last few weeks this is what it probably will be for us: [LINEUP-4-4-2]Espindola, Saborio, Johnson, Beckerman, Morales, Williams, Wingert, Olave, Borchers, Russell, Rimando[/LINEUP-4-4-2] The only players with question marks next to their names would be Williams and Russell. Andy Williams age is starting to show in his legs. Robbie Russell is in the same boat. Whoever plays left mid for you guys (Fernandez, according to the above lineup) could have a career night.
Riley has been uncharacteristically bone-headed in the last few games since returning from the concussion. His passing and crossing accuracy have definitely downgraded. Wahl is also frustrating to watch. He has absolutely NO right foot. Only 1 in 99 passes does he complete with his right foot. Is anyone else worried about our outside backs? Does anyone else notice they don't often make the easy diagonal or square pass into our open central midfielders, opting instead to force it forward through our opponents to a marked winger? I'm not saying our central midfielders are always showing for the ball but they frequently show up only to be ignored by the wingbacks (Wahl in particular, who doesn't attempt passes on the ground with his lousy right foot).
Also, just planning ahead, but does anyone know the possible conference final dates/locations should we progress?
Both conference finals will be played on Sunday Nov 6 at the homes of the highest seeded Western and Eastern teams left.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/mlscup/2011/playoffschedule If LA wins their conference semifinal, then the game will be down in HDC, if the team they are playing wins, the game will be up here in Seattle. As far as dates go, both Conference finals will be on Sunday 11/6
Thanks Yoshou and Ciscokid. Downloaded the crazy-stupid playoff bracket from mlssoccer.com website. It has dates (times if available) and broadcasters.
It's been 6 games since Kyle played (counting the one where he got red-carded very early in the game - I don't count that as playing). He hasn't played with RSL since the last time they won, in NY. I don't think that's a coincidence. Kyle was suspended for the game RSL lost in the CCL, which cost them the championship. I don't think that was a coincidence, either. The guy is their captain and mucho important to this team. Kyle and Javi have yet to play together since May 7th, when they were at the top of the league. The key for RSL will be, how quickly will Kyle and Javi be able to click? Also, can RSL avoid red cards and hand balls (tape their hands to their sides)? Both of these usually just being bad calls. Sheesh! A really great ref would be good, too. One that isn't fooled by flops, controls the game and is fair. Should be fun.
Status on Rosales: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/soundersfcblog/2016599139_rosales_jogs_in_warmups_will_h.html
Photos from training today (Monday)! http://goalwa.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/monday-sounders-playoff-training-photos/
2 vs 3 in the first round to get 1 in the second is really a bad MLS joke. Anyway enjoyed your city and its fans when we won the cup in 09, this series will be fun but I fear RSL going in losing 4 and tying it last 2 is not a good sign for us. Only hope is we can put at least two on you at Rio Tinto and then hope to hold on in Seattle. If RSL cannot get this done I hope Seattle will take it all and send Keller out as a champion.
News not good on Rosales. Major Bummer An MRI Monday revealed that Sounders midfielder Mauro Rosales has re-injured the MCL in his right knee. Coach Sigi Schmid generally speaks cautiously about injuries, but I thought he sounded doubtful that Rosales will be ready for the playoff opener at Real Salt Lake this weekend, and less than certain the MVP candidate will even be ready for the series-ender next week. Read more: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/socc...e-injures-mls-unlikely-for-rsl/#ixzz1bpD3k3h6
Photos / Quotes from Tuesday training: http://goalwa.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/sounders-tuesday-training-photoa/
Not to be off topic but: Chivas player/hack; zemanski went over and kneed Rosales with no interest in making or keeping contact with the ball as salazar stood a few feet away watching. What? Do we expect any talent to come to this league...I don't get it, maybe someone could tell me why for the good of the game that was just a yellow. We have to play a very efficient RSL at home without Rosales, it will be a good game but probably funner for a neutral to sit back and watch with a cold one.
Because there is no interpretation of the rules where that foul alone is a red, and the refs are trying to earn a paycheck too. That said, the foul against Fernandez was an easy 2nd yellow in any league in the world, so Salazar likely got himself booted from any playoff assignments anyway. The refs can't really do anything about and the league won't... I've heard some people suggesting the league should put responsibility on ownerships to corral their players, fining them with allocation money or draft picks even... we'll see if that ever happens. But regardless, the only other option is to settle it on the field. Seattle's only real bone-snappers are Zach Scott and Carrasco... As much fun as it would've been to see them put on to end Zemanski's knee, they each stand a good chance of having a role in the playoffs. Like it or not, Tyronne Marshall was the last good thug on this team, and now that he's gone, teams have no problem sending their worst players diving into injuring tackles against our best players.
Good luck Sounders from Kasey Keller fans in LA. Hope to see KK at home depot center. Go Sounders beat RSL (real sore losers).
I'm sure many would agree that the best championship game would be between LA and Seattle, both at full fitness. I hope it happens for the conference semifinal, but things are not looking well at all for Rosales. Please have a playoff system next year that lets us play against LA for the final.
Just curious - any talk about the stadium capacity for the return leg on Wednesday? What kind of attendance number should we expect for that one?
says the fan of a team that still bitches about the 09 final (thanks Seattle for an awesome host site in that one, by the way). I'm sad to hear about Rosales. I was hoping to see him in person this season. However, it's hard to say I hope he makes it back in time. That guy is something special. While I won't wish any injury upon a player, we'll take any sort of advantage we can get. A bit ironic that he got hurt against Chivas considering what that team did to Morales.
Last I had heard was a couple of days ago that they had sold 33k tickets and weren't planning on going beyond the regular season capacity of 36k. That seems like a shame to me.
Well it's unfortunate that it's a midweek game but I would expect there to be demand for a minimum of 50k if things were opened up. And yeah 15 to 32, I am so down on Chivas. Is there any team LESS important to MLS than them? Do they really contribute anything at all?
that is a shame. This will likely, no matter the result, be the last home game for you guys (I don't see LA losing). Can't complain about 36K, though. Well done.