The Seattle Sounders will aim to end a 12-year losing streak when they battle Real Salt Lake on Saturday night in Sandy, Utah.
Seattle (6-2-1, 19 points) has not beaten RSL in a regular-season road match since 2011 and the club’s last victory in the Salt Lake City area came in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs. It seems like this version of the Sounders is well-equipped to end the streak.
Seattle has boasted one of the most stifling defenses among MLS clubs early in the season. The Sounders have surrendered only seven goals in nine matches. Until falling 4-1 to Portland in their most recent road match, they had not surrendered more than a single goal in any game.
Seattle has accumulated shutouts in all five home matches to date — tied for first in the MLS in that category.
Defense carried the Sounders during last weekend’s 1-0 win over Minnesota that wasn’t decided until Albert Rusnak’s game-winner in the 79th minute.
“I feel like last year we would have found a way — or the game would have found a way — for us to lose it,” Rusnak said. “It’s a different thing right now than last year.”
Salt Lake has undergone a major offensive revival just in time to challenge Seattle.
RSL (3-5-0, 9 points) are seeking their third straight home victory after scoring six goals over their last two matches in Utah. Jefferson Savarino and Andres Gomez each had a goal and an assist to pace the Utah club’s 3-1 triumph over the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend.
Savarino became the fifth RSL player to record at least 30 goals and 30 assists during his tenure with the franchise.
The victory over the Earthquakes was the second in three matches for Salt Lake and has breathed new life into a team on verge of going off the rails after a four-match losing streak.
“I think through all the hardships that we’ve been going through, there’s definitely a lot of silver linings,” Salt Lake coach Pablo Mastroeni said.
Seattle and Salt Lake met previously on March 4, with the Sounders claiming a 2-0 home victory.
–Field Level Media
