A lot has changed since the Sounders last MLS match. In less than a week, the team has seen the signing of two new players, including new Designated Player Nelson Valdez and the Rave Green picked up a point in its first Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League match of the year. Now, its time to head to sunny Southern California for a match against the LA Galaxy. To preview this Soccer Sunday clash, SoundersFC.com sat down with longtime soccer writer Scott French. French has covered soccer since the late 1970s and is in his second season covering the Galaxy for MLSsoccer.com.
A Work in Progress
This is a team that’s still finding itself. In the first three months of the season, there were so many injuries, especially in the front six. They were changing lineups all the time and the club was struggling to build chemistry. It has all come together in the last month or so. It’s a work in progress, though, as Giovanni Dos Santos begins to fit in since debuting with the team this week.
Keep Your Eyes Peeled
Robbie Keane remains dangerous for this team and he’s arguably the best player in the league over the last four seasons. He’s sharp now, but he is coming off a minor shoulder injury.
Sebastian Lletget is also one to watch. They signed him in May and pursued him during their preseason-training trip in Europe. He has come in and been fantastic. When he started playing regularly in mid-June, he added dynamism to their attack. He keeps people shaking their head and he pops up in the best spots repeatedly. He’s energetic and a great player one-on-one.
Right now, he’s one of their best pickups this season.
Home Field Advantage
This is a team that has scored 19 goals in their last four league home games. They are scoring at will at StubHub Center. Sigi Schmid knows how to approach this match, but the biggest thing is that the Sounders have to be conservative. They have to be tight and organized at the back and take their chances when they come. If you leave any space in the back, with the way the Galaxy is able to interchange, they are able to carve teams up and they’ve been doing that at home.
This will be a difficult match for the Sounders for a variety of reasons, but especially as they play here. They cannot allow the Galaxy attack to move freely from side to side. If they do, there’s not much they will be able to do to stop them.
