FRISCO, Tex. – Losing always stings for Sounders FC and the 4-1 defeat to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday was no different, particularly because Seattle has shown consistently throughout the year that it is a better team than the one that took the field at Red Bull Arena.
With that in mind, the Sounders took to the training fields outside of Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on Monday to prepare for their next match, a Wednesday night clash with FC Dallas.
“It’s just good to get back at it and train. Getting on the field and knocking the ball around is a good thing,” Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid said. “This group is obviously disappointed in the performance on Saturday night. It doesn’t matter who played. And we’re looking forward to putting in a normal Seattle performance on Wednesday. We know we’re capable of playing better soccer.”
Although the Red Bulls are the defending Supporters’ Shield winners and hotly in contention in this year’s playoff chase, Saturday’s match was far from the character that Sounders FC has shown throughout the season to earn the league’s best record.
That’s why much of the focus at Monday’s training session was of the introspective variety, making sure that the team was at its best before facing an FC Dallas side that has caught fire on its home field, winning the last six matches at Toyota Stadium.
“The mentality is more about us and not about who we’re playing. It’s about getting back to what we’re good at and the hard work that got us here,” said midfielder Lamar Neagle, who picked up his seventh assist on Seattle’s lone goal on Saturday. “I think we’re ready to get back to it. Having a slip-up in New York, going into Dallas we definitely know that we need these points. I think people are motivated and ready to get back on track.”
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Now with only Western Conference foes left on the schedule, Seattle is readying to make the final push for the playoffs, as that race has tightened up in the West. Sounders FC remains at the top of the standings, but the LA Galaxy has equaled Seattle’s point total while Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas aren’t far behind.
Because each match has the potential for a six-point swing, the intensity finds another notch for Seattle’s final six matches.
“It’s three points every single game all season, but toward the end of the season it seems like they count a lot more. We know we need to stay on top of the league and on top of the other teams,” Neagle said. “I don’t think there’s pressure. We want to get back to where we know we are. We’re in the number one position and we need to show that every single game, especially heading into the playoffs.”
Kickoff on Wednesday is scheduled for 6 pm PT with television coverage on JOEtv (KZJO-Ch. 22/Cable 10).