How does Pedro de la Vega factor in Sounders’ ideal XI?

RENTON — One consistency throughout the Seattle Sounders’ improved play over the past couple of months has been, perhaps counter-intuitively, inconsistency with their starting lineup.

The Sounders haven’t played the same starting lineup in consecutive games since April and, in fact, have yet to use the same lineup twice since then.

To some degree, that’s a product of fixture congestion and other availability concerns. But with the team both playing well and as healthy as it’s been all year, Brian Schmetzer is hoping to get a better sense of his Best XI.

“It’s still TBD,” Schmetzer said when asked if he knows his preferred starters. “With 10 game to go, I’d like to narrow it down, but until Pedro [de la Vega] plays enough minutes I don’t know yet.

“I like to get that starting XI with enough games to go at the end of the year that they get a feel for each other. But right now it’s still a little open.”

With de la Vega likely in line to start against LAFC on Saturday, Schmetzer should have a much better idea what that looks like.

Schmetzer said he had planned to use de la Vega in the 2-0 win over St. Louis City on Wednesday, but opted against it due to the game-state. De la Vega was also coming off his first start since March 2, logging 45 minutes against Austin FC. He will likely still be on a minutes restriction, but will presumably be pushed closer to 60 minutes.

“He’s ready to go,” Schmetzer said. “He’s itching to play.”

Payback on their minds

The Sounders seem to be catching LAFC at as an opportunistic time as possible. Not only are the Sounders both as healthy and hot as they’ve been all year, but LAFC have cooled off a bit since claiming 28 out of 30 points during a recent 10-game uneaten streak. They’ve now dropped points in each of their last two games, which includes a 5-1 loss to the Columbus Crew.

The Sounders also have a degree of revenge on their minds, with Schmetzer reminding his players that it has been more than three years since they beat LAFC. That includes a 1-0 loss at home in the Western Conference semifinals last year and a 2-1 defeat in the season-opener earlier this year.

When asked if it’s possible to put too much emphasis on this game, Schmetzer didn’t mince words.

“There’s no such thing,” he said. “The last time we beat them was in 2021, May 16. It’s been a long time. We’re looking to change that and it was put out there in our film session.”

The message was clearly received.

“It’s a big game for us,” midfielder João Paulo said. “We know last year they won here in the playoffs. We know winning a game against LAFC is a boost for us going forward. It’s a big game but we need to be in control and do what we’ve been doing the last few weeks.”

How to beat LAFC

Going by the advanced metrics, no one has been better than LAFC last season. Their expected goal-difference is +19.5 nearly twice as good as anyone else.

They’ve done that mostly through a style of play that concedes a fair amount of possession and then tries to get opportunities in transition. They rank 22nd with 47.5% possession and are second with 63 direct attacks.

“They like to flood the middle and force teams wide,” João Paulo said. “It’s sort of a trap to go straight to the sidelines and it’s easy to defend. We need to be smart and mix our plays through the middle, hit some long balls.”