The Seattle Sounders face one of their biggest challenges yet this Saturday as the team takes on St. Louis CITY SC (7:30 p.m. PT; Watch free on Apple TV | TICKETS) in what will be a battle to take the first-place position in the Western Conference.
“It's exciting,” said veteran midfielder Cristian Roldan. “We want to compete against the very best, so for us, this is an opportunity to give that same confidence that we've had and continue moving forward against a strong team.”
St. Louis currently sits in the No.1 spot with 15 points after collecting five straight wins to start the season. With the expansion team’s recent loss over the weekend against Minnesota United, the Sounders have an opportunity to push ahead to the top of the leaderboard on Saturday if the outcome ends in their favor. The Rave Green have tallied 13 points so far this season, making them one win shy of leapfrogging CITY for first in the Western Conference.
“It certainly adds a little bit of spice,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “And I have confidence that if our team plays up to our potential, chances are we'll come up with a good result.”
Success hasn’t been an issue for the Sounders in their last two away matches, and with the team back at Lumen Field this Saturday, the players will have the club’s supporters to push them to new heights while making life difficult for their opposition.
“It's always great to play [at] home…Our home fans give us that energy that we need to go against a high motor team,” said Roldan. “They give us that extra bit of intensity and that's why we've been really successful at home and hopefully that continues this weekend.”
St. Louis CITY SC Tickets
Come watch Seattle Sounders FC as they face MLS newcomers St. Louis CITY SC at Lumen Field on Saturday, April 8!
Saturday’s matchup promises plenty of fireworks. Sounders winger Jordan Morris sits atop the Golden Boot race with eight goals from six games, while CITY striker João Klauss is close behind with five goals. Fans will be treated to a thrilling attacking matchup, as Seattle and St. Louis have combined for 27 goals scored and eight conceded just six matches into the campaign.
While the Sounders have a positive outlook on the upcoming match, they also recognize the difficulty of solidifying a win against the dangerous Midwest team.
“We notice St. Louis\] is a good team, consistent with five wins in this league," said midfielder [João Paulo. “So, we need to be prepared because it’s going to be a tough game.”
But the Sounders are determined to make St. Louis’ time playing in Seattle as grueling as possible — especially with it being the first time the two teams go head-to-head and St. Louis’ first-ever appearance at Lumen Field.
“It's another home game,” said Schmetzer. “And we want to make sure that the Lumen Field is a hard place to play.”
