No. 1 Real Salt Lake a ‘good measuring stick’ for Sounders

RENTON — Fresh off moving into a Western Conference playoff spot for the first time this season, the Seattle Sounders will put that status to the test when they host first-place Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.

RSL come into the match with a conference-leading 29 points and 30 goals scored, while riding an 11-match unbeaten run that stretches back to March 9.

The Sounders have gone 4-1-3 in their last eight matches across all competitions over the past three weeks. The only blemish is a 2-0 loss to RSL in which the Sounders used a heavily rotated lineup.

In Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer’s mind, the timing for a rematch is good.

“We saw them a few weeks ago, so that’s still fresh in our minds,” Schmetzer said. “Our team is on a little bit of an uptick, but we have to get our home form right. It’s a good measuring stick for sure.”