SIGI: WE CAN TURN IT AROUND

Seattle Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid has said that he is confident that his team can turn around the poor run of form they have experienced in the last couple of weeks. Sigi Schmid saw his team go through a very painful 2-0 defeat at the hands of Columbus Crew on Wednesday.

They will be taking on Chivas USA at the The Home Depot Center on Saturday knowing that another defeat would be extremely painful for their chances of winning the MLS title this season. Due to the 2-0 defeat at the hands of Columbus Crew, Seattle Sounders had taken just one point from their last three matches.

This defeat also leaves them four points behind the leaders of the Western Conference – San Jose Earthquakes. In addition to this, Seattle Sounders also have to consider the competition from Real Salt Lake, who can go top of the table if results go their way this weekend. Even though that is quite a bit of difference between Seattle Sounders and the fourth placed team, Sigi Schmid has said that he wants to win the match against Chivas USA in order to win the title. One of the main problems for Sigi Schmid has been conceding goals in recent weeks, which he attempts put it right against Chivas USA.

“We need to soul search. I need to soul search. We’ve got to have a coming to the mountain and understanding that we have to get back on the same page. Goals change games. It doesn’t matter how much possession we have or how much we dominate that part or how much possession we have in their end of the field. It’s the final quality of what you do. Right now we’re just making individual errors and those individual errors are costing us. People are punishing us for them,” said the coach.

CLOSE ENCOUNTER

Seattle Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid has said that it will be a close encounter between his team and LA Galaxy when the two meet each other on Wednesday night. LA Galaxy are the visitors to Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night in one of the high-profile matches of the MLS season.

However, LA Galaxy’s best player David Beckham is likely to be missing for this match. According to reports, LA Galaxy manager Bruce Arena has reportedly given the former England midfielder time off in order to celebrate his birthday. Seattle Sounders are best placed to take advantage of the lack of the England midfielder according to Sigi Schmid, who thinks that the match will be close.

It has been three years since Seattle Sounders last beat LA Galaxy in a league game. In many ways, LA Galaxy are the bogey team for Seattle Sounders, but Sigi Schmid reckons that the record has to change sooner rather than later. Seattle Sounders have failed to score against LA Galaxy in the last three encounters, which have finished in an aggregate total of 6-0 in favour of LA Galaxy. It is this poor record that has motivated the players ahead of this encounter according to Sigi Schmid.

“I’m happy with us being fired up. We’ll take all the fire we can get. I don’t think you can get too fired up for that. We’re a team that’s been very consistent over the past three years and we’ve started off this season all right, as well. We just want to take it to that next level, and winning games of this magnitude is something that will help us get to that level,” Schmid said ahead of the match. Midfielder Brian Evans also has said that it is extremely crucial for the club to take all three points.

ZAKUANI WINS SUPPORT

Seattle Sounders midfielder Steve Zakuani has received a lot of support from football players across the world after suffering a fractured right tibia and fibula following a challenge from Brian Mullan.

It has been a tackle that has been criticised around the world, while Brian Mullan has also been subjected to intense criticism within North America as well. However, even after a year after suffering the horrific injury, Steve Zakuani is long away from returning to the game. It was initially hoped that the player will be returning to action at the start of the season, but he has now suffered a setback in his attempts to recover from the problem.

Steve Zakuani was subjected to a horrible challenge from Brian Mullan in the match at Colorado. It is exactly one year since the incident has happened, but Steve Zakuani is no closer to returning to first-team action. It was initially expected that he would be returning to first-team action in a few weeks, while he was also to play in the reserves match against Chivas USA in order to get some fitness under his belt. However, following consultation with the medical staff at Seattle Sounders, Zakuani has decided to postpone his return.

“(Sunday marked) a year since the injury. It definitely would (have been) special to be out there. … But I have felt a little bit of pain. That’s how rehab goes. You go up a bit, and you plateau, and then you go up a bit. I’ve pushed a lot the last couple of weeks, and it may be a reaction to that. But it’s just bad timing. I don’t really think about it. The only thing I’m concerned about is getting back playing,” Zakuani said regarding his comeback to the centre of the Seattle Sounders midfield.