SAN JOSE — The Seattle Sounders’ last match two weekends ago in Portland was over before they knew what hit them. The Timbers scored four times in the opening half en route to a 4-2 victory over their Cascadia rivals.
The onus then for the Sounders’ match on Saturday night in San Jose (7:30 p.m. PT; JOEtv, Univision-Seattle, KIRO 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360AM) is team defense and how well Seattle can shut down an Earthquakes offense that features Chris Wondolowski, who has scored more regular-season goals against the Sounders than any other player (9).
“You know how difficult it is to win on the road in MLS,” Sounders interim head coach Brian Schmetzer said on Friday. “The statistics are crazy. We have to play a good, strong, smart defensive game because San Jose has weapons.”
Wondolowski has nine league goals this season and will present a tough task for a Sounders back four that has not recorded a shutout since July 13 in a 5-0 win over FC Dallas. But this is a rejuvenated Sounders defense, coming off a bye week and the return of center back Roman Torres, who saw his first game action as a substitute in Portland for the first time in almost a year while recovering from a torn ACL. It was an injury that happened coincidentally against the Earthquakes last September, in just his fourth match with the club after signing from Colombian side Millonarios.
“I feel good, physically I’m a little tired but I’m ready to play,” said Torres, who returned to Seattle on Thursday after leading Panama to the Hexagonal in 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. “I’ve been working hard and I think with a few more games, I will be back to the level that I was in before [the injury].”
Torres could start alongside Chad Marshall in the center of the defense, leaving captain Brad Evans to play elsewhere and “find a new position,” as he mentioned after the Timbers match.
“We gotta have concentration during the entire game,” Torres said. “It’s going to be a difficult game, Wondolowski is a good forward…I need to be a leader, organize the defense and play to zero.”
Playing organized defense is something Schmetzer has stressed all week in practice because he’s wary of how dangerous another slow start can be.
“If you’re not strong or smart or aware of Wondo, he can burn you,” Schmetzer said. “It has to be a complete team effort. I think we’re ready.”
