Real Salt Lake at Seattle Sounders FC
May 26, 2018; CenturyLink Field
3:00 p.m. MT; KMYU, KSL.com, KSL app
RSL (4-6-1, 13 points); SEA (2-5-2, 8 points)
Player to Watch – Clint Dempsey has yet to score in five appearances this season, but the 35-year-old is still a star in MLS and one to keep an eye on regardless of individual or team form. He gets deployed in various roles for Seattle, due in large part to injuries and international duty that have left Head Coach Brian Schmetzer utilizing the team’s depth throughout the first nine games of the season, but whenever the ball is at his feet, he makes things happen.
Matchup to Watch – Nick Rimando vs. Stefan Frei. It’s the all-time leader in every MLS goalkeeping category against one of the top contenders on the active leaderboard. Frei has seen plenty of success since coming to Seattle in 2014 to see him climb the all-time list and is now third on the active wins list with 83 in his MLS career. However, he still has a long way to go to catch Rimando’s 200 (and counting).
All-Time Record – RSL in 9-9-4 against Seattle in MLS regular season play, but just 2-8-2 at CenturyLink Field. While it is the home to the club’s 2009 MLS Cup championship win over the LA Galaxy, it has not been kind to RSL of late, as Real has posted seven consecutive defeats in the building.
Last 5 Head-to-Head – Salt Lake is 2-3-0 against the Sounders in the last five matches, winning both matches at Rio Tinto Stadium and losing all three at CenturyLink Field.
Last 5 Overall – Seattle is 2-2-1 in the last five matches, posting wins at home against Minnesota United and on the road against Toronto FC. Both losses were 1-0 road defeats that saw the Sounders allow the game-winning goal in the closing minutes of the match – in stoppage time against LAFC and in the 86th minute against the Portland Timbers.
