The Seattle Sounders will take on Columbus Crew SC on Wednesday (4:30 p.m. PT; Q13 FOX, ROOT Sports, SoundersFC.com, El Rey 1360AM) at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, in their only match of the regular season. Here are three matchups to watch:
Center back Gustav Svensson vs. forward Ola Kamara
A midfielder by trade, Svensson has filled in admirably on the Sounders’ back line all season, with his best performance coming last Saturday in Seattle’s 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers. Svensson got his first taste of Timbers forward Fanendo Adi, one of MLS’ most physically imposing and productive strikers, and held his own magnificently. He shut down the notorious Sounders killer and helped lead Seattle to its second consecutive shutout, and he’ll need to have another massive performance on Wednesday against Kamara. The Norwegian international has seven goals so far this season after tallying 16 last year and is a lethal combination of speed and strength with superb finishing technique. The Sounders will need Svensson to have another huge output.
Right back Brad Evans vs. left winger Justin Meram
Brad Evans started his second consecutive match at right back against the Timbers and led the Sounders to their second straight shutout. The veteran is finally healthy after missing the first two months of the season with a calf injury, and did well to slow down U.S. international teammate Darlington Nagbe last Saturday. Like Svensson with Kamara, Evans will have another giant test when he faces arguably 2017’s best winger in Justin Meram, who has seven goals and four assists. Meram is especially dangerous running at defenders with the ball at his feet, so Evans will need to either deny Meram the ball or make sure to give himself enough time to recover should Meram come at him with a full head of steam.
Defensive midfielder Osvaldo Alonso vs. attacking midfielder Federico Higuain
With two of the Sounders’ top offensive weapons in Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris away on international duty, expect Columbus at home to push the tempo and keep a higher line to try and force the game in Seattle’s half of the field. Crew SC No. 10 Higuain is still one of the league’s most productive playmakers with four goals and four assists this year. Alonso will need to keep Higuain in check by either making sure he has the ball as little as possible and/or plugging the gaps in the back line where Higuain will try and spring Kamara or Meram.
