It all comes down to Match 3 of the Round One postseason series as the Seattle Sounders battle it out one last time against FC Dallas (7:00 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360AM, Sirius XM FC 157) to decide which team advances to the Western Conference Semifinals.
“It’s do or die,” said goalkeeper Stefan Frei. “So, we're going to have to bring it and show that we have the quality from the first minute, from the first moment [of the match].”
The Sounders and FC Dallas are currently tied in the best-of-three-series with both teams having a win and a loss to show for leading up to Friday’s match at Lumen Field.
Home-field advantage is a crucial factor for the Sounders heading into Match 3, but the team will need to shut down FC Dallas early in order to take full control of the 90 minutes.
“With being at home, we want to come out on the front foot, press hard, and put them under pressure,” said forward Jordan Morris. “We said we kind of have to impose a rule on the game in the first 10, 15 minutes and come out flying.”
Intensity will be vital for the Rave Green to gain momentum right away, and while tactical adjustments will be necessary after last Saturday’s loss on the road, it’ll be the mental side of the match that’ll ultimately determine the winning team.
“I think you can shift little things here or there, but we didn't come out well enough in the last game, obviously, and [FC Dallas] came out firing and put two goals in against us and from there it was really tough to come back,” said Morris. “In the end, in games like this, sometimes it's not the prettiest but it's about mentality.”
To play one team three times in a row is a challenging undertaking, but the Sounders squad is assured in their abilities to come together as one, at home, in front of their fans, and secure a spot in the Western Conference Semifinals.
“I think there's that confidence when you come back home, especially in big games,” said defender Kelyn Rowe. “This team just shows up.”
