FC Dallas-Sounders Preview
After earning a draw with an away goal in the first leg, the Seattle Sounders are certainly in control of their Western Conference semifinal against FC Dallas.
It'll still take a win or a scoreless draw Monday night in front of a home crowd for the Sounders to keep alive their hopes of a third trophy this season, and they'll have to contend with the return of Dallas midfielder Mauro Diaz.
Despite being able to advance without scoring, the Sounders won't change their attacking style as they try to become the first Supporters' Shield winner in three years to advance beyond the conference semifinals and the first team ever to win the Shield, U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup in the same season.
"It's been our mode of operation all year to imprint our style on the game and have teams adjust around us," defender Zach Scott told the club's official website. "So there's not much different we're going to do. We're not going to bunker in. We're not going to look for any specific scoreline. We're just going to play our soccer."
Seattle fell behind in the first half of the 1-1 draw in Dallas on Nov. 2 on Michel's 34th-minute penalty kick. Osvaldo Alonso tied it in the 54th to make Dallas' task in the return leg considerably more difficult.
Seattle advances with a win or a scoreless draw, while Dallas can pull off the upset with either a win or draw of at least 2-all.
"We have 90 minutes remaining and we can score there also," coach Oscar Pareja told the club's official website. "It's frustrating any time that you concede a goal, especially because I understand the advantage of scoring away and the players do, too, but that is nothing we can't repeat. We can score there also."
Diaz could make that easier after being suspended for the first leg and missing two of three regular-season matches against Seattle due to injury. Dallas is 11-5-2 with him this season, including a win over Vancouver in the knockout round, and 6-7-4 without him.
The Sounders could also have some midfield help with Gonzalo Pineda returning to full training.
The regular-season series ended with the Sounders taking two of three and extending their home winning streak over Dallas to four with a 12-3 scoring advantage. All time, Dallas is 1-5-1 in Seattle.
That's about the level of success all teams had this season as the Sounders went 15-4-2 at home in all competitions while conceding 18 goals.
"They already scored away but who says we can't do it?" said Pareja, whose team lost 2-1 in Seattle on May 7 and has averaged a goal in each of its last four visits. "We're prepared for 90-plus minutes in Seattle and they need to make sure that we don't score there. We can do it and have done it this year already."
Michel's first-leg goal was his fifth in six career games against the Sounders, while teammate David Texeira has three goals in the season series. Seattle's Clint Dempsey and Lamar Neagle have each scored twice this year against Dallas.
The winner will play the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference final, with the first leg scheduled for Nov. 23.