Matchday Magazine: Sounders FC vs. Real Salt Lake - October 23, 2016 by Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Real Salt Lake

October 23, 2016 Â· CenturyLink Field

PRESENTED BY

3 Matchup

4 Sounders FC Central 6 Match Preview 8 Storylines 10 Team Rosters 12 Posters by the People

15 Mr. Sounder 18 Ready or Not, Decision Day is Here. 22 Decision Day 2016 27 2016 Season Stats 29 The NINETY

Seattle Sounders FC Editorial Offices 159 South Jackson, Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 512-1200 Editorial · Sounders FC Communications Advertising · JT Newton Program Design · Janet Jensen, Jensen Graphics Photography · Corky Trewin, USA TODAY Sports Images, Rod Mar, Jane Gershovich, Josh Weisberg, Jeff Marsch and Dan Poss

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In the regular season finale, Sounders FC returns home on Sunday afternoon for a crucial contest against Real Salt Lake. Seattle played to a 2-1 loss at FC Dallas last week, putting the club in fifth place in the Western Conference heading into Decision Day. Brian Schmetzer’s club would secure a spot in the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs with a win on Sunday, but could also clinch if either Portland or Sporting KC records a loss or draw. With 46 points, Real Salt Lake currently sits one point ahead of Seattle on the conference table and can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a draw. Seattle midfielder Osvaldo Alonso is set to return after serving a one-game suspension last match due to a red-card ejection.

DID YOU KNOW??? With a victory on Sunday, Sounders FC would be the first team in the post-shootout era to win 14 matches in seven consecutive seasons. LA Galaxy did the same from 1996-2002, but the Rave Green have accomplished this streak entirely in the league’s new age that replaced shootouts with draws. In addition, Sounders FC could match LA Galaxy’s active streak with eight consecutive postseason appearances.

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The Seattle Sounders host Real Salt Lake on Sunday with a playoff berth on the line. Here is a breakdown of everything you need to know about the match. WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 1 p.m. PT at CenturyLink Field and telecast on ESPN. On the radio, the game will air on 107.7 The End and in Spanish on El Rey 1360AM.

RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders (13-14-6, 45 points, fifth in the Western Conference), RSL (12-1110, 46 points fourth in the West).

ALL-TIME HISTORY: The Sounders are 7-8-4 all-time against RSL and 1-1-0 this season. LAST MEETING: The

Sounders won 2-1 at home on Aug. 14 behind the first career MLS goal from Nicolás Lodeiro and a Jordan Morris header on an assist from Lodeiro. Joao Plata scored for RSL.

WIN AND IN: The Sounders failed

to clinch a spot in the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs in their previous two matches, but can still qualify with a win on Sunday. Three points would wrap up fourth place in the West and secure a home match for the Knockout Round on Oct. 26-27.

FOUR TEAMS, THREE SPOTS:

Neither Seattle nor RSL have wrapped up playoff berths with Sporting Kansas City and the Portland Timbers still in the hunt competing for three spots. RSL qualifies with a win or draw, while a loss could send them home if Portland and SKC win. The Sounders can still qualify with a draw or loss, but they wouldn’t control their own destiny either.

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INJURY QUESTIONS: The

Sounders brought a depleted squad to Frisco, Texas, in their 2-1 loss to FC Dallas. Andreas Ivanschitz (right knee sprain), Brad Evans (re-aggravated left calf strain), Nelson Valdez (bruised tailbone) and Oalex Anderson (right hamstring strain) all didn’t travel. Interim head coach Brian Schmetzer said last week that Ivanschitz was doubtful for the match vs. RSL, while Evans, Valdez and Anderson are working to try and be fit for Sunday.

ALONSO RETURNS: Osvaldo Alonso makes his return to the Sounders’ midfield after missing the match at FC Dallas while serving a redcard suspension. The Sounders boast a winning percentage of 49.8 percent when Alonso is in the lineup dating back to 2009, but just a 26.3 percent chance of winning when he’s out. FAREWELL, MR. SOUNDER: Veteran Seattle

Sounders defender Zach Scott will play in his final regular-season game on Sunday. He will retire at the end of the season after 15 years with the organization. Scott is not a regular starter, so Schmetzer said on Thursday that the game scenario would dictate whether he has a chance to substitute Scott into the match. “If Zach were telling me what to do on Sunday, he would say, ‘Make sure the team wins. I don’t care if I play,’” Schmetzer said.

TRIPLE THREAT: RSL’s Joao

Plata, Yura Movsisyan and Juan Manuel “Burrito” Martinez have combined for 25 goals and 17 assists this season. Plata and Movsisyan each have nine tallies, and it was Plata who scored RSL’s lone goal against Seattle the last time the two teams met.

WINLESS IN SIX: There’s still a

high probability (96 percent) that RSL makes the postseason, but the team is limping into Decision Day. RSL has not won since Aug. 26, going 0-3-3 down the stretch of the season. It has also only scored one goal over its last five matches.

KB400: A little over a month ago,

RSL Midfielder Kyle Beckerman became the first field player in league history to appear in 400 games. He joins former goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and current RSL goalie Nick Rimando as the only members of the 400 club. Beckerman also holds the MLS record for games started with 376.

TURF TOE: Real has not won on an artificial surface since 2013 and is 0-11-4 in its last 15 games across all competitions on turf. RSL is 8-26-18 all time and has been outscored 90-43. The club hasn’t won in Seattle since 2012.

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MATCHDAY STORYLINES Radio Play-by-Play Commentator Matt Johnson tells you his three storylines to follow in this afternoon’s match vs. Real Salt Lake. 3 Thoughts on RSL WIN This is pretty easy. The Sounders will have their third chance to clinch a playoff spot this Sunday vs. Real Salt Lake. With a win, Seattle not only will clinch but they will finish fourth and host a playoff match in a matter of days. As this week builds up (my favorite part of the rhythm of the season) the nerves, the thoughts, predictions and scenarios are being chatted about amongst fans of the Rave Green. But let’s keep it simple; in ninth place after the 1-1 draw in San Jose on September 10, Brian Schmetzer has led a historic run that again can be paid off on Sunday.

Brian Schmetzer What Coach Schmetzer has done is remarkable. He doesn’t fancy taking the credit, doesn’t enjoy when someone says “congratulations” and would rather be behind

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the scenes even if he is in charge of the biggest squad in the U.S. After taking over after the tough loss in Kansas City, the team reeled off a run of 3-0-2 and gave hope to fans all across the Pacific Northwest. He has repeatedly told those who would listen that he wanted the team to grab ownership. They had done the work so why not have them feel the reward of the work. With 14 games left, this thought process worked

the last two matches and Seattle is now facing the most pressure that has come their way since mid-season. I think the team will face it like they have the last 10 or so matches.

Veteran Leaders Look for the leaders on the pitch on Sunday to come from familiar faces. Ozzie Alonzo, Chad Marshall, Brad Evans and Lodeiro have all been in this spot before. for his squad. The These are the names that obvious infusion of talent will lead the squad to a of Nicolás Lodeiro and possible playoff berth. No Román Torres’ return from one will need help getting injury, and all of a sudden up for this match. the 18 was as competitive as any in MLS. Two red cards and one point from @MattJStretch

Find your local agent at

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No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 29 31 33 39 80 91

Name Tyler Miller Clint Dempsey Brad Evans Tyrone Mears Jimmy Ockford Osvaldo Alonso Cristian Roldan Erik Friberg Herculez Gomez Nicolás Lodeiro Aaron Kovar Michael Farfan Jordan Morris Chad Marshall Dylan Remick Nelson Valdez Darwin Jones Nathan Sturgis Zach Scott Alvaro Fernandez Charlie Lyon Andreas Ivanschitz Stefan Frei Tony Alfaro Román Torres Damion Lowe Joevin Jones Oalex Anderson Victor Mansaray Oniel Fisher

Pos. Height Weight Age GK 6-4 195 23 F 6-1 170 33 D 6-1 170 31 D 5-11 163 33 D 6-1 185 24 M 5-11 155 30 M 5-8 165 21 M 5-11 154 30 F 5-9 161 34 M 5-7 150 27 M 5-10 155 23 M 5-19 160 28 F 6-0 185 21 D 6-4 190 32 D 6-0 165 25 F 5-10 160 32 F 5-10 175 24 M 5-10 160 29 D 5-11 175 36 M 6-1 159 31 GK 6-2 215 24 M 6-0 180 33 GK 6-3 195 30 D 6-2 190 23 D 6-2 195 30 D 6-3 175 23 D 5-11 160 25 F 5-8 155 20 F 5-11 180 19 D 5-9 155 24

No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 27 28 29 30 49 50 70 80

Name Lalo Fernandez Tony Beltran Phanuel Kavita Jamison Olave Kyle Beckerman Boyd Okwuonu Juan Manuel Martinez Sunday Stephen Joao Plata Javier Morales Omar Holness Yura Movsisyan Justen Glad Chris Wingert Demar Phillips Nick Rimando Luke Mulholland Ricardo Velazco Aaron Maund Jeff Attinella Danilo Acosta John Stertzer Chris Schuler Pedro Baez Emery Welshman Devon Sandoval Sebastian Saucedo Jordan Allen Olmes Garcia

Pos. Height Weight Age GK 6-3 170 23 D 5-8 150 29 D 6-1 184 23 D 6-3 210 35 M 5-11 165 34 D 5-9 170 23 F 5-9 170 30 M 5-11 148 28 F 5-2 135 24 M 5-9 150 36 F 6-0 174 22 F 6-1 179 29 D 6-0 145 19 D 5-11 165 34 D 5-6 132 33 GK 5-9 184 37 M 5-9 150 28 F 5-8 150 23 D 6-1 185 26 GK 6-2 190 28 M 5-11 170 18 M 6-0 170 27 D 6-4 185 29 F 5-11 170 19 F 5-11 180 24 F 6-1 185 25 M 5-7 145 19 M 5-11 160 21 F 6-0 175 23

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Presented by:

ARTIST: JOAQUIN DEL ROSARIO Joaquin Del Rosario is a freelance artist, photographer, and graphic designer based out of Durham, NC. Joaquin has played soccer his entire life and drew inspiration for this design from matchday posters of the past. He imagined a kid putting this above their bed to keep them motivated and also to remind them of their Sounders FC matchday experience. Zach Scott is featured taking Real Salt Lake’s crown on his way out. BUY NOW: Sunday’s Matchday Poster

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MATCHDAY Â· 11

LET THE

MARCH BEGIN. THE STARTING XI IS READY. Delta is proud to kick off the season as the presenting partner of the Starting XI. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to another raving season.

SCARVES UP!

MR. SOUNDER

Seattle Sounders FC Interim Head Coach Brian Schmetzer vividly remembers the first time he saw Zach Scott. Schmetzer was sitting with current Sounders FC Academy Head Coach Dick McCormick and former Sounders forward Chance Fry watching open tryouts for the USL Sounders at the small field of Memorial Stadium in 2002. The quality of play wasn’t too strong and there were a ton of balls played in the air. Without fail, one particular player won every header that came his way. “Chance looks up at me and goes, ‘You’ve got to sign that guy just because he wins every single header,’” Schmetzer said. “So we said, ‘OK, we’re gonna sign him.’” Nearly 350 matches later spanning two divisions in a 15-year career, Scott, the man who won all those headers at a semi-pro open tryout, would eventually earn the moniker, “Mr. Sounder.” He has made over 100 more appearances for the club than the next-closest player.

“Zach has grown up on his own, he’s a strong man, he has a great family,” Schmetzer said after Scott announced his intentions to retire last month. “His values were certainly in place far before I ever entered the picture. His training habits, his sacrifices for the team – those are the things that stuck out in my mind.” Scott was and is as hardworking a player as they come, and his leadership is something Schmetzer will miss the most when Scott leaves after his 15th season with the club. The way he holds the group together – whether on the field or in the locker room – is not an easily replaceable attribute. But it’s to be expected from a man who always put the team first and did what it took to win, headers and all. “I think he was always determined to prove to himself and to others that he belonged, that he could actually play and play at a high level,” Schmetzer said. He’s done just that.

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Ready or Not, Decision Day is Here.

By Will Parchman Everything leads here. From a coaching change to losing streaks to winning streaks to injuries to new additions to old departures, it’s been a long season in Sounders land. And all the lines on the map lead right here. The final game of the season. Real Salt Lake. Sunday. The Sounders have never missed the MLS playoffs in seven tries, but they’ve left it late over the last two years. In 2015, a poor result at home against RSL on the final day of the season could’ve spelled the end of that streak.

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Instead, Seattle won 3-1 with two goals inside the first 10 minutes for the first time in franchise history. It was a nice way to ease nerves that could’ve become significantly more frayed on such a potentially stressful Decision Day. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Yet again, the Sounders probably need a result against RSL on the final day of the season to progress into the postseason. And they certainly need a result to feel confident about those chances. Last year, the Sounders endured a dire summer before launching off on

a massive unbeaten streak that ran them through the final two months of the season. They more or less followed the same formula this year. Since playmaker Nicolás Lodeiro got his first game on July 31, the Sounders are 7-2-4 in their last 13 to jump a once seemingly insurmountable playoff gap. In fact, the team’s 2-1 loss to FC Dallas on Oct. 16 - one FCD needed two goals in the final 11 minutes to secure - was its first in the months of September and October since 2014. Say whatever

While the battle rages at CenturyLink Field, two other equally important matches take place in other corners of the continent. A Seattle draw combined with a Portland win at Vancouver and a Sporting KC win at home against San Jose means curtains. Strangely enough, a loss doesn’t leave Seattle in much more dire straits. By virtue of Seattle’s one-point lead over the No. 6 and No. 7 spots, it has an iota of wiggle room. Still, the Sounders can put all those scenarios to rest - there are more than 20 of them - with a win. While Seattle’s been feverishly climbing the ladder the last two months just to get to this point, RSL’s been knocking out rungs on its way down.

you want about Seattle’s early-season performances over the past two seasons, but it gets things done when the oven is hottest. In one sense the playoff race from Seattle’s perspective isn’t at all complicated. Win and you’re in with the No. 4 seed, no questions asked. But the prospect of even a draw leaves the door open for the book on the Sounders’ season to close emphatically on Sunday.

RSL was once in firm, unassailable playoff positioning. On Aug. 26, the team was bouncing off a 2-1 win over Supporter’s Shield-leading Colorado and clinching a postseason berth seemed assured. Six games later and RSL hasn’t won since that day, eschewing multiple chances to clinch a playoff berth over the last several weeks with a single win they haven’t been able to find. Entering the final game of the season in one of the most hostile road environments in North America, RSL is 0-3-3 in its last six and trailing an awful lot of smoke into town. Part of the problem from RSL’s perspective has been goals. They’ve

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simply blinked off. Since a 3-3 draw against the LA Galaxy on Sept. 7, RSL’s scored a meager one goal in its last five games. In fact, its only two points in the last six weeks came off scoreless draws. Until attacking line-leaders like Yura Movsisyan, Javier Morales and Burrito Martinez find their groove again, RSL will continue to struggle in the final third. The Sounders haven’t exactly been pounding in goals left and right lately, but they’ve found timely ones. They’ve had eight goals in their last five games down the stretch, and they’ll be heartened by a relatively clean bill of health and the almost incredibly consistent form of the two most important cogs of the attack: Lodeiro and rookie striker Jordan Morris, who’s on 12 goals into the final regular season game of the year. But the biggest boost to the team’s chances isn’t up top. It’s in the return of Osvaldo Alonso. Alonso missed the FC Dallas loss with the carryover one-game suspension from a red card he picked up in the scoreless draw against Houston four days earlier. The Sounders simply aren’t the same team without Alonso, the genesis of most every meaningful foray forward and a stunningly calm presence between the attack and defense. The Sounders are now 0-13-3 on the road without Alonso in the lineup. That’s not an eventuality the team has to deal with this week. Alonso is back, almost assuredly to pair with Cristian Roldan in the middle to bring back together the partnership that helped get the Sounders to the doorstep of the postseason in the first place.

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The Sounders will almost assuredly be without the injured Andreas Ivanschitz for this game. The question is whether they’ll have Brad Evans, Nelson Valdez or Oalex Anderson, all of whom are dealing with injury questions of their own. But the integrity of the team’s spine is intact, and interim coach Brian Schmetzer has been dealing with width woes all year. That won’t come as a surprise this week. The Sounders have so far had two cracks at putting themselves in the playoffs. Wins against either Houston or FC Dallas would’ve done it, but they drew the first and lost the second. They get their final chance to win and assure themselves of an eighth playoff appearance in eight years in MLS. Whether they get that win or not, Decision Day will be one heck of a ride either way.

DECISION DAY 2016

For the second year in a row, Sounders FC’s postseason fate comes down to the final day of the regular season. Sunday marks the second annual Decision Day across Major League Soccer, in which all 20 teams kickoff simultaneously in intraconference matchups, maximizing the drama as the final berths in the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs are on the line. For Seattle, the easiest way to secure a spot would be a win against Real Salt Lake, and the three points would vault Brian Schmetzer’s side into fourth place and ensure a home match in the Knockout Round (very possibly against RSL). “We would have liked to be in a more advantageous position, but it is what it is,” Schmetzer said earlier this week, referencing the club’s failure to clinch a playoff spot the past two games. “We’ve got to just keep after it.”

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However, a win on Sunday isn’t the only way Sounders FC can find itself in the postseason for the eighth consecutive season. If Sporting Kansas City or Portland – currently sixth and seventh, respectively, in the Western Conference – lose or draw on Decision Day, then the Rave Green are in, regardless of what happens against RSL. Both of those conference rivals have tough tests ahead of them. Sporting KC hosts a pesky San Jose Earthquakes squad, while the Timbers take their winless road record up to Vancouver for a bout with Whitecaps FC that will decide the 2016 Cascadia Cup. “I love it. As a fan, I love it,” Schmetzer added about the drama of Decision Day. “I think it just adds to the emotion, the heartbreak, the joy. I think it’s a great thing.”

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2016 MLS REGULAR SEASON STATS UNF POS Player

GP GS MIN

G A SHT SOG FC/FS OFF CK C/E

13 F Jordan Morris

33 31 2766 12 3 70 36 29/22 16 0 0/0

2 F Clint Dempsey

17 17 1429 8 2 65 22 23/27 6 1 1/1

10 M Nicolás Lodeiro

12 12 1080 4 8 33 11 6/39 3 31 5/0

14 D Chad Marshall

29 29 2544 4 0 21 9 12/19 0 0 1/0

M Osvaldo Alonso

Andreas Ivanschitz

25 1910

36 13

13/30

6 100

5/0

31 2736

41 11

49/59

7/1

7 M Cristian Roldan

32 27 2542 3 3 27 10 23/38 4 2 2/0

33 D Joevin Jones

32 28 2457 2 3 16 5 29/11 1 0 6/0

3 D Brad Evans

22 21 1854 1 1 9 1 12/13 0 0 1/2

11 M Aaron Kovar

16 10 811 1 0 21 5 11/8 0 10 1/0

8 M Erik Friberg

24 17 1513 0 2 12 2 16/5 1 12 3/0

4 D Tyrone Mears

31 31 2745 0 1 2 0 30/21 1 2 2/0

16 F Nelson Valdez

23 8 879 0 1 30 11 21/21 9 0 4/0

21 M Alvaro Fernandez 9 7 452 0 1 4 1 7/11 3 0 0/0 91 D Oniel Fisher

6 2 232 0 1 1 0 10/5 0 0 1/1

24 GK Stefan Frei

32 32 2880 0 0 1 1 0/5 0 0 0/0

20 D Zach Scott

14 9 886 0 0 4 1 7/13 0 0 2/0

9 F Herculez Gomez

21 9 842 0 0 14 7 16/18 2 23 1/0

29 D Román Torres

8 7 675 0 0 2 0 3/5 1 0 1/0

D Dylan Remick

537

6/5

1/0

39 F Oalex Anderson 15 2 334 0 0 9 4 7/14 0 0 0/0 50 D Tony Alfaro

6 1 286 0 0 2 0 1/4 0 0 0/0

1 GK Tyler Miller

1 1 90 0 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 0/0

17 F Darwin Jones

2 0 22 0 0 0 0 1/0 0 0 0/0

Team totals

33 2970

42 38 421 150 337/424

54 181 45/5

Opponent totals

33 2970

42 41 420 140 424/337

47 126 59/3

GP-games played; GS-games started; MIN-minutes; G-goals; A-assists; P-points; SHT-shots; SOG-shots on goal; FC/FS-fouls committed/fouls suffered; CK-corner kicks; OFF-offsides; C/E-cautions/ejections

GAME-WINNING GOALS: Morris 6, Dempsey 5, Marshall 1, Evans 1 GAME-WINNING ASSISTS: Ivanschitz 3, Morris 2, Roldan 2, Lodeiro 2, Friberg 2, Dempsey 1 PENALTY KICK GOALS/ATTEMPTS: Dempsey 2-3, Brad Evans 1-1

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC INDIVIDUAL GOALKEEPING UNF POS Player

GP GS MIN SHTS SV GA GAA PG PA W-L-D SO

24 GK Stefan Frei

32 32 2880 136 91 40 1.25

1 GK Tyler Miller

1 1 90

6 8 13-13-6 8

4 2 2 2.00 0 0 0-1-0 0

Team totals

33 33 2970

140

42 1.27

8 13-14-6 8

Opponent totals

33 33 2970

150 102

42 1.27

4 14-13-6 8

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What is THE NINETY? THE NINETY, located at 406 Occidental Avenue S., is a cultural hub of soccer and a gathering place for all soccer fans to celebrate the world’s game.

What type of events are held at THE NINETY? Be on the lookout for new events every week! We will host radio shows and podcasts, Sounders FC player autograph sessions, chalk talks, speaker series and more. THE NINETY is also open before every home match and hosts away match viewing parties while the team is on the road. Follow along at #TheNINETY and check our calendar frequently to plan your next visit!

Doors open on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Stop by to catch the prematch show and celebrate Fan Appreciation with drink specials, free pizza and giveaways! As always, fans can play FIFA 17 on our big screens. While supplies last, fans can get Alcatel Player Emojis and Rave Green leis to celebrate Zach Scott’s final regular season match with the Sounders.

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MILK ISNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T ORANGE. SO WHY IS YOUR CHEESE?

NATURALLY

WHITE

Cheddar.