On Wednesday Real Salt Lake travels to face Seattle Sounders FC in the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, the next step in the club’s venture to clinch the MLS Cup for the second time in team history.
The match will take place on Wednesday, October 23 at 8:00 p.m. MT at CenturyLink Field. The match will be televised on FS1 and the club will be hosting watch parties back in Salt Lake City at Beer Bar.
The two teams have previously met each other during the postseason in two-consecutive years from 2011 to 2012, with RSL playing to a 1-2-1 record. In 2011, RSL out-scored Seattle 3-2 based on aggregate scoring to advance on to the Western Conference Final against Los Angeles Galaxy. Since the Sounders joined the league in 2009, RSL has obtained a 11-10-4 (37 points) record all-time against the team from Washington.
Real Salt Lake’s opponent enters the midweek matchup fresh off an overtime 4-3 victory with FC Dallas in the first round of the playoffs. The seven goal thriller lasted over 120 minutes and took a hat trick from forward Jordan Morris to push the Sounders into the next round.
During the regular season Seattle finished just one spot and three points ahead of RSL, taking the second position into the postseason. Their 16 regular-season wins ties it with RSL, however it's eight draws that give it the edge.
This past season Real Salt Lake and Seattle were almost evenly matched, with each team taking a win against the other on their home turf. Early in the season RSL was bested by the Sounders at CentryLink Field where Nicolas Lodeiro scored for Seattle to take the 1-0 victory. However, in August RSL took the upper hand when it defeated the Sounders 3-0 behind goals from Albert Rusnak, Corey Baird and Sam Johnson.
Offensively, the Sounders are led by forward Raul Ruidiaz, who scored 11 goals during the regular season and Morris, who added ten of his own. Seattle captain, Lodeiro, leads the team in assists with 12, meanwhile he netted seven goals for the squad.
Stefan Frei serves as Seattle’s goalkeeper, starting and playing in all 34 regular season matches, tallying 10 shutouts and 116 saves, the fourth-most in the league. In front of goal, the backline is highlighted by Australian right back Brad Smith and Panama captain Roman Torres who anchors the Sounders at centerback.
The winner of Wednesday’s match will advance to face the winner of (1) Los Angeles FC and (5) LA Galaxy. If RSL wins and LA Galaxy defeat their cross-town rival, then RSL will host the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday, October 29.
