Sounders FC hope to improve seeding
Seattle could finish anywhere from first to fourth in Western Conference
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"There is still a lot at stake for us this weekend," said Seattle coach Sigi Schmid. "We could finish anywhere from first to fourth. For us that seeding is important."
To move up, Sounders FC must find a way to shackle FCD's attack, which has led the club on an improbable run of form which has left them on the brink of the playoffs. As one of four teams with 39 points battling for a playoff spot, Dallas can sneak into the playoffs if it captures all three points and gets some help.
"They're the hottest team in the league right now, led by probably the hottest player in Jeff Cunningham and the way he's come on late," said Pete Vagenas, who at age 31 has been a key contributor for Seattle in the middle of the field.
Winners of five of their last six, FCD has put up six goals twice this season and lead the league with 49 goals scored. The lion's share of those goals belong to the streaky Cunningham, who has scored 16 goals in his last 14 matches.
Seattle defender Tyrone Marshall, who has played with Cunningham for both club and country, knows it will be difficult to contain the in-form striker. He said that a healthy Cunningham, who leads the league with 17 goals, is a threat to score at any time.
"You have to be aggressive with him; have to be tight," Marshall said. "He's an opportunistic striker -- he's always in the box waiting to pounce on anything. You have to know where he's at at all times."
The goals have come, but the FC Dallas back line deserves a lot of credit for turning those goals into victories. Bolstered by the arrival of U.S. international Heath Pearce, the FCD defense has only conceded twice in the last four matches, an astonishing success considering how many players they have been sending forward.
University of Washington product George John, who scored the first goal of his rookie season in FCD's last match, has been integral as a center back. Schmid credits newly installed FCD midfielder Daniel Hernandez with adding stability to the club's defensive strategy, allowing the outside backs to get forward and join the attack.
"They have played with a tremendous amount of emotion," Schmid said of Dallas. "I think in each of their games they have played with a little bit of reckless abandon in that they have really thrown a lot of people forward."
Having not scored a goal at home since July 11 against Houston, Seattle looks to get back its home form. Earlier in the season, Qwest Field loomed as one of the most imposing venues in all of Major League Soccer. However, Chivas USA, Toronto, New England and Chicago have all left Seattle with at least one point in the last four matches.
With another sellout crowd of more than 30,000 fans expected for Saturday night, Vagenas knows the importance of seizing the momentum Seattle has built and putting FC Dallas away in the regular season.
"They're on a roll right now," said Vagenas. "If they get into the playoffs, they're going to be a problem. Not only do we want to finish as high as we can, but we don't want to see a team like that in the playoffs either."
Andrew Winner is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
