In gaming there's a tradition of making things more difficult as the story goes on. One technique is to force resource management. With fewer resources the game is harder to solve. Another technique is to make the opponent bigger, more powerful.
MLS decided to make both of these true for the Seattle Sounders in these playoffs.
Brian Schmetzer is running low on resources.
- His third best attacking player is out for the remainder of the playoffs.
- His best defender is 50/50, and if returning may not be at full strength.
- The rotational left flank player is less likely to return, and also may not be 100% if he does.
- The best lockdown defender missed most of the past couple weeks of training due to international play and then an illness.
At the same time, the LA Galaxy are like a bigger, badder version of LAFC – an all offense team with four massive scoring threats. Galaxy scored even more than their neighbors, had a better home record and their xGF was better too.
If there's one blessing about the Galaxy it's that their defense is bad (8th worst xGA in the league, down with bottom feeding teams and Inter Messi).
Which is great, because Seattle's attack could use some help.
Sounders can't count on Galaxy being flawed though. They have to be their own best selves. Because at this stage in the game, with the pressure as high as can be with the monsters more threatening and the resources dwindling, it is time to find new solutions.
That's part of what made the win over LAFC so grand.
Brian Schmetzer adapted to all the problems and discovered possibilities. New roles for roleplayers, new routes in the attack. And, new verve from the iconic homegrown player.
Schmetzer & Co. will need to level up again. The only way to reach the final level is through creative deployment of the dwindling resources, exploitation of the weaknesses offered and a player or two who demand a story written about themselves.
Things to watch for:
- Galaxy like to play on their right side, generally possessing in their own half.
- Sounders like to play wide, slightly more on the right with possession trending towards the opponent's third.
- Galaxy are one of the worst teams at shooting inside the 6, with their shots coming from the right.
- Seattle is more balanced in the angles it shoots from, though unlike their possession, the shots are from central spaces.
- Galaxy are extremely good at counters. They can't defend set pieces.
- Sounders are good at generating attacks from dead ball situations. They are quite good at defending counters.
Who do you expect to level up on Saturday night?
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Catching up on Sounder at Heart
Here's what you missed on the site this week.
Sounders
Next match: Saturday at LA Galaxy on MLS Season Pass at 7 pm. The winner hosts MLS Cup on Dec. 7.
- Free of pressure, Sounders relish opportunity to play spoiler
- Paul Rothrock declared out for the season with quad injury
- Sounders will face LA Galaxy in Western Conference finals
- Realio’s Ratings: Repelled, rebuffed, rebuked
- Lobbing Scorchers: Jordan Morris Magnum Opus
- Postgame Pontifications: Changing the script
- Stefan Frei turns in performance for the ages
- Down goes LAFC: Sounders end winless streak in dramatic fashion
- Black Friday sales on merchandise, memberships
Reign
Defiance
- Defiance players are training with Sounders, helping them prepare for the latest test of the greatest team you've ever seen.
Spokane
Zephyr are at Ft. Lauderdale Dec. 7.
Looking back at the news
Everything else you need to know
Backheeled offers up a preview of the Conference Finals, including a focus on Riqui Puig. Matt Doyle went deep with a few thousand words too. Like most, Give Me Sport has Seattle as the underdogs. GMS also points out that LA Galaxy were awful quite recently and had to build from those ashes. According to Greg Vanney Seattle doesn't really have that problem, as it is a team of veterans used to finding ways to win.
MLS awards voters didn't get everything wrong, according to FotMob's stats.
On loan Reign fullback Sofia Huerta talks about her time here, there, everywhere.
The NWSL Final was their most watched ever.
Banda is the BBC Player of the Year. The NWSL continues to be the best league in the world – Marta is right! She's eternal.
Soccer fans in Boston hated their new team's name, logo and rollout so much they're rolling it back and maybe even starting over.
The Men's Club World Cup still isn't a certainty. Part of that is because there's no sponsorship, no broadcaster and the players don't really want to play 7 games a month for 11 months.
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