TUKWILA \u2014 Everything is on the line for the Seattle Sounders on Friday night.
If the No. 2-seeded Sounders beat No. 7 FC Dallas at Lumen Field in the decisive Game 3 of their MLS playoff series, they will advance to play Los Angeles FC in a knockout match<\/a> in the Western Conference semifinals. If they lose, their season is done.\u00a0
Talk about high stakes.
After their disappointing 3-1 loss in Game 2 in Dallas<\/a> on Saturday, Seattle comes in hoping to turn the page and finish the series with a victory in front of its home fans. It\u2019s sure to be an electric, pressure-packed environment, but the Sounders have played in plenty of important matches before, and those experiences in do-or-die playoff games are a valuable resource as this year\u2019s squad potentially advances deeper into the postseason.\u00a0
The Sounders are in an enviable position as the highest-seeded<\/a> team remaining in the West, with three potential home games in front of them on the road to an MLS Cup appearance. As long as they keep winning, they\u2019ll keep getting chances to play on their own turf.
\u201cI think that’s such an incredible opportunity for us,\u201d forward Jordan Morris said Thursday. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to take it one game at a time. It all starts with Dallas. But I think guys are excited about that opportunity, obviously, and having the experience that we do playing in games like this, playing in front of our fans, we know how much that helps. I think experience is a big part of games like this. It\u2019s nice to look at the guy next to you and know that they\u2019re ready for the game, and I think we have that with the guys on our team.\u201d
Seattle won the first game of the series back on Oct. 30, 2-0, but Dallas took advantage of a few Sounders mistakes in Game 2 to tie the series up. Morris, who scored a goal in both games, is excited for the Sounders to play this all-or-nothing match with the home crowd cheering them on once again.\u00a0
\u201cOur goal was to finish it in Dallas; unfortunately, we weren\u2019t able to do that,\u201d Morris said. \u201cBut yeah, it\u2019s a big game. I think that\u2019s what this team is built for, though. You\u2019ve seen in the past, we know the quality that we have. Getting to play at home is a huge advantage, so we\u2019re really confident going into the game.\u201d
Luckily for the Sounders, it sounds like the enthusiasm from their fan base is at an all-time high. Seattle always ranks toward the top of the league in attendance, and for a playoff game like this, head coach Brian Schmetzer has no doubt the stadium is going to be rocking with the season at stake.
By Thursday afternoon, the Sounders estimated attendance was tracking toward more than 33,000 fans, with the lower bowl expected to be completely full.
There were 30,741 people in attendance for Game 1 in Seattle, and 19,096 in the stands for the Dallas victory.
\u201cI’ve heard reports that single ticket sales have been off the charts, like more than even the first game,\u201d Schmetzer said. \u201cSo thanks to all the single people that are coming out to watch a playoff game. \u2026 I heard that it’s impressive, that there’s a lot of individual tickets being sold, so good on the fans.\u201d
The biggest challenge facing both teams is that this will be the third consecutive game that they\u2019ve played each other, which happened thanks to the new playoff format the MLS instituted this season.<\/a>\u00a0
Rather than the single-elimination format of year\u2019s past, MLS playoff teams this year play a best-of-three first round series, followed by single-elimination matches in the conference semifinals, finals and MLS Cup.<\/a>\u00a0
Seeing the same team so much in such a short time creates a level of familiarity that can be both a help and a hindrance. Teams get to know each other\u2019s tendencies so well that adjusting quickly and making the right changes at the right time becomes absolutely crucial if they want keep playing deeper into November.
The Sounders have made a few adjustments in the series already, and they know that they\u2019ll have to do it again Friday to snag a victory and keep their championship dreams alive.
\u201cAfter the third game, both teams know each other pretty well,\u201d Schmetzer said. \u201cI mean, the tactical shifts that [Dallas coach] Nico [Estevez] made in his opening of the second game down there, we countered him a little bit at halftime, and I think those worked. And so yeah, I mean, we kind of know who they are, and they know who we are.\u201d
Both Sounders players who had been dealing with nagging injuries are good to go for Friday night, according to Schmetzer. Midfielder Reed Baker-Whiting (hamstring) was a full participant in training, while Jo\u00e3o Paulo is expected to play after dealing with a sore knee earlier this week.
\u201cAll of our guys are good. \u201d Schmetzer said after Thursday\u2019s practice.
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