TUKWILA, Wash. — The Seattle Sounders held a quick training session on Saturday before traveling to Los Angeles for their massive Sunday tilt against the second-place Galaxy (1 p.m. PT; ESPN, 107.7 The End, El Rey 1360AM).
The team scrimmaged, worked on tactics and set pieces and focused on staying composed, something it will need to be for 90 minutes on Sunday against an LA side with no shortage of offensive firepower.
“There’s not one singular [challenge], they’re a really good team,” Sounders interim head coach Brian Schmetzer said. “Lots of weapons, lots of danger guys, so we’ll have to be sharp defensively, but when we do create whatever amount of chances we get, one guy will have to bury one. We need one guy to bury one.”
Seattle did exactly that last week in its 1-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC at CenturyLink Field when forward Jordan Morris dove to head in the game-winner in the 81st minute. But this is a Galaxy team that hasn’t lost at home in 15 matches this season and still has its eyes set on the Supporters’ Shield.
It won’t be any easier for the Sounders now that LA's Giovani dos Santos is expected to play after missing the previous game with hip flexor tightness. Seattle knows what’s at stake though and is fully prepared to earn a result.
“For us, we have to hustle, we have to outwork them,” goalkeeper Stefan Frei said. “Once we outwork them and have a bit more possession, I think our class will come through.”
