TUKWILA, Wash. — Landon Donovan scored his first goal for the LA Galaxy on Sunday after returning from retirement two weeks ago, and it’s safe to say Seattle Sounders interim head coach Brian Schmetzer noticed.
Donovan scored the equalizer for LA in the 76th minute to salvage a point in a 2-2 draw with Sporting Kansas City, proof that the Galaxy have another weapon to wield against the Sounders when they travel to StubHub Center on Sunday (1 p.m. PT; ESPN).
“For Landon to come back and score was great,” Schmetzer said. “I would have wished he scored one more to push Kansas City closer to us. It was a good performance for Landon. That’s what they brought him on for. We’ll have to definitely watch for that as Sunday comes up.”
Seattle may have a difficult time if the team is again without captain Brad Evans, who has missed the last two matches dealing with lower back pain. He was a late scratch against San Jose two weeks ago before seeing his condition worsen over the course of last week and eventually sitting on Saturday in the Sounders’ 1-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps.
His status is up in the air this week as well.
“Evans is doing good,” Schmetzer said. “It’s going to be another one of those game-time [decisions]. We’re trying to get him where we don’t damage him for the long-term. We have to make sure that he can get through a 90-minute game.”
The implications for the Sounders’ match in Los Angeles are big. Seattle sits in seventh place in the Western Conference standings, five points out of the sixth and final postseason spot. And getting points against the No. 2 team in the West on the road won’t be easy. Preparation and a strong start like they had vs. the Whitecaps will be essential.
“I watched bits [of the LA game] already,” Schmetzer said. “I will dissect that game in detail.”
