- Osvaldo Alonso to return for Seattle
- Earthquakes 2-3-0 since Frank Yallop’s departure
- Seattle won last meeting, 4-0
The up-and-down season of the Seattle Sounders hit another trough last weekend in Vancouver, their 2-0 defeat at BC Place their first MLS loss to the Whitecaps. This week, however, the roller coaster looks set to climb once more, Sigi Schmid’s side in Santa Clara on Saturday to face an Earthquakes team they beat 4-0 at CenturyLink on May 11.
While the shift of venue should have San Jose hope (the Earthquakes are 4-1-4 at home), their results since the ouster of Frank Yallop shouldn’t. Though the Mark Watson era started with a win at Colorado, they played up a man for 72 minutes. In the four games that have followed, San Jose’s only points came from their remarkable comeback against the Galaxy at Stanford Stadium. Recently losses at Chicago and New England only reaffirm the notion that their coaching change has done little to curb the team’s struggles.
The Gold Cup isn’t helping matters. Chris Wondolowski is posting hat tricks for the United States. Marvin Chavez bagged a goal in Honduras’s opener. Nana Attakora’s living through Canada’s disappointment. Add Clarence Goodson to the list, and San Jose is tied with Real Salt Lake and Toronto for most absences for this year’s competition, even if Goodson has yet to suit up for the Earthquakes since moving back to Major League Soccer.
Seattle’s roster if Gold Cup-free, but with Obafemi Martins, Sharlie Joseph, and Steve Zakuani set to miss the game with injuries, starting a first choice team continues to be a problem for the Sounders. They’ll get their best player back, however, with Osvaldo Alonso expected to play for the first time since June 1. That will solve Seattle’s problems in central midfield, but with their top scoring threat (Martins) out, it’s worth wondering if the stars will ever align to keep a number of key, fragile parts healthy at the same time.
Were Seattle closer to the top of the conference, that would be less of an issue, as Schmid could manage his squad with the idea of preserving his veterans near the end of the season, cruising into the playoffs while recharging his core. Without the U.S. Open Cup or CONCACAF Champions League to worry about, Seattle’s deep quad should may still be able to do that, but unless that process involves a quicker climb from their seventh place hole, the Sounders will be pushing their players in important games through at least the end of October.
To put Seattle’s plight in perspective, for as many troubles as San Jose have had this season, the Earthquakes are only three points behind the Sounders. While Seattle has played four fewer games -- a huge number -- the thin gap between them and a team few are talking about for a playoff spot highlights the work that remains They have the games in hand to make up their five-point gap on fifth place Vancouver, yet Seattle are quickly descending to a place that makes those games vital.
Losing to San Jose -- allowing the Earthquakes to become another competitor for a playoff spot -- will only complicate life for the Sounders.
More: San Jose have allowed 19 shots on goal in their last two games ... Seattle have scored twice in their last four road games, both goals coming at Chivas USA ... Wondolowski is the only Earthquakes player who has scored against the Sounders this season (two games).