CenturyLink Field has played host to some momentous Sounders FC games this season, but none have loomed larger than what’s on tap this weekend.
The league-leading LA Galaxy come to town to take on the Sounders at CenturyLink Field on Sunday (6:30 pm PDT; FOX Sports 1/KIRO Radio 97.3 FM/El Rey 1360 AM), the third and final regular season matchup between the two Western Conference rivals. From the booming crowd in the stands to newfound star power on the field to historic coaches on the sidelines, here are five reasons this Sunday’s game is the biggest so far this season.
The Sounders Have Their Stars
Since their last meeting with the Galaxy in August, the Sounders have added proven veterans Nelson Valdez and Andreas Ivanschitz to the mix, and both have contributed to the team’s unbeaten run over the past five league matches. In addition, Clint Dempsey is healthy and ready for his first matchup against LA this season – Dempsey didn’t play in either loss at the StubHub Center earlier this year – and Obafemi Martins and Osvaldo Alonso are ready to go after missing time against LA this year as well.
The Galaxy Have Theirs Too
The Galaxy have also added a bevy of talented players to the mix since the summer, most notably legendary English midfielder Steven Gerrard and Mexican striker Giovani dos Santos. Although both played against Seattle during LA’s 3-1 win on August 9, it was dos Santos who recorded a goal and an assist in his MLS debut. Midfielder Gyasi Zardes, meanwhile, has burst onto the U.S. Men’s National Team scene this year, and reigning MVP Robbie Keane is having another stellar season. Seattle fans didn’t get to see Keane or All-Star centerback Omar Gonzalez in Seattle late last year, as both players skipped the season finale, when the Sounders beat LA to clinch the Supporters’ Shield.
Hall of Fame Coaches
By the time kickoff comes around this weekend, Seattle’s Sigi Schmid will have joined LA’s Bruce Arena in the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Schmid is being inducted on Saturday along with former Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller and the late Glenn Myernick. This weekend’s match features the two most successful coaches in MLS history – Schmid has the most regular-season wins (221) and Arena owns the most playoff wins (30). The two have combined to win seven MLS Cups, six Supporters’ Shields and six U.S. Open Cup titles. They've faced off as coaches 33 times, with Arena holding a 15-11-7 edge – that includes one win for each as college coaches, Arena at Virginia and Schmid at UCLA – and once as players, with Schmid's UCLA side beating Arena and Cornell in the 1972 NCAA tournament.
Playoff Positioning on the Line
The Galaxy jumped into the top spot in the race for the Supporters’ Shield last weekend, but there will be plenty of competition for the league’s regular season crown down the stretch. That includes a resurgent Sounders squad who trail LA by just five points with three games to go. The Sounders currently sit in fourth place in the West and would face a Knockout Round game against Sporting Kansas City if the season ended today, but there’s room to move up with a win against LA and strong results in the team’s final two games this season. And don’t forget - another postseason series between these two teams is always a possibility.
Full Stadium, Full-Throated
Sunday’s game will mark the third full stadium game at CenturyLink Field this season, following previous games against Portland and Vancouver. The Sounders are 1-1 in full stadium games in 2015 and 14-2-2 all-time during the regular season and postseason when the crowd surpasses 45,000 in attendance.
