Sounders focused on finishing the job ahead of Champions League second leg at New York City FC

Going into Leg Two of the club’s Concacaf Champions League Semifinals series against MLS foe New York City FC, the Seattle Sounders find themselves on the doorstep of a historic achievement.

Seattle enters the second leg with a 3-1 aggregate lead thanks to commanding performance in the first leg at Lumen Field, delivered by goals from Albert Rusnák, Jordan Morris and Nicolás Lodeiro. Now, the task becomes finishing the job on Wednesday with a cross-country trip to Red Bull Arena.

Should they do so, it would mark the first CCL Final appearance in club history, where Liga MX opposition would await in the form of the winner of the other series between Cruz Azul or Pumas UNAM.

“I think number one, we’re playing well right now and we have to keep that up,” said midfielder Cristian Roldan. “I think on the ball we were really good these past two games, but when we get to New York we know they’re going to step it up a notch. It’s a do-or-die situation, they need two goals minimum. And for us it’s about being solid defensively and taking it up a notch as well.”

The 3-1 lead puts Seattle in prime position, but Roldan said it’s important to recognize that it’s by no means an insurmountable deficit for their Eastern Conference counterparts.

Thanks to Thiago Andrade’s goal in the first leg, NYCFC would advance on the road goals tiebreaker with a 2-0 victory. Knowing the hosts are going to come out firing in search of those two goals, Roldan said smart defending becomes paramount, while also being opportunistic when they have chances to get a road goal of their own that would drastically enhance their chances.

“We understand we’re going to get chances in front of goal, we can create those, but it’s about keeping them to zero as long as possible and settling their confidence and keeping their confidence to a low,” Roldan said.

Seattle will have a largely healthy squad for the matchup, save for the notable absence of center back Yeimar, who is currently on the mend from a sprained ankle. Rookie Jackson Ragen has deputized admirably while the Colombian has been sidelined, flashing his lofty potential in both league and CCL play.

To advance it will require a similar blueprint to Seattle’s quarterfinals series against Liga MX outfit Club León, which saw Seattle draw 1-1 in the away leg to preserve a relatively comfortable 4-1 aggregate triumph.

“The warning is: New York City can play better, I know they can play better,” Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer said. “I know their coach is going to get them to play better, so we have to be prepared for the entirety of the game and not just focused on one singular event. But having said that, would it be nice to score a goal in the first half? Yes, absolutely it would.”