PREVIEW: Red Bulls @ Seattle Sounders

By: Dave Martinez | March 18th, 2009

OVERVIEW

Welcome to the opening game of the MLS season! We are mere hours away from another 30 game tournament towards the MLS Cup, and the excitement surrounding the Red Bulls hasn’t been this palpable since the signings of Reyna and Angel.

The Bulls open their season against the “Don’t Call Us Expansion” Seattle Sounders. And what a way to open a season; the Sounders have launched a major campaign in the area that has resulted in 20,000 season tickets sold. An atmosphere like that will surely be electric.

For the Bulls, they start the season with a major target on their back as the Western Conference Champions. Surely, starting the season with a win would be of paramount importance.

WHATS AT STAKE

For the Bulls, it is a chance to start off the season on a winning foot. Juan Carlos Osorio has gone to great lengths to create a proper mix of young upstarts and class veterans. The Bulls are currently sporting 3 starters who have at one point or another worn the Captains armband for their international teams. And the youngsters have grown under his tutelage. Coach will be looking to build on last seasons successes through his winter signings, and the cultivation of youth players. In doing so, he hopes to cement a winning attitude amongst the group that would carry them through the season.

For the Sounders, it’s the chance to impress a hungry fan base with a win against a team that made it to the MLS Cup final a mere few months ago. What a better way to get up for a new team, right?

WHAT TO EXPECT

Logic tells you that an expansion team, missing its key player in Freddie Ljunberg, would be looking to take a defensive stance in the bottom third and stand their ground against a more experienced Red Bulls squad.

Well, screw logic.

Fact is, with over 20,000 people in attendance, everyone from Drew Carey, to Sigi Schmid to Courtney Love wants to see the Sounders on the attack. And they will be, until the Red Bulls catch them in transition. Expect a high flying start to the game, with the Red Bulls gaining momentum for the final 2/3rds, and escaping with the win. Not even Keller can hold up that unproven line, especially against the new, faster and more dangerous Red Bulls attack.

KEY PLAYERS

RED BULLS: Jorge Rojas. Red Bull fans have been screaming for a quality CAM since Amado Guevara skipped town. Osorio believes Rojas is that man, and he has shown why this preseason. Expect Rojas to be the Bulls midfield general, directing a lot of the play and creating cheeky seam passes that will surely have the Sounders defense looking for answers. If Rojas proves ineffective, the Sounders have a better chance at a win. Simple as that.

SOUNDERS: Kasey Keller. The one big question mark for the Sounders is their defense. Fredy Montero will be able to hold up the attack, with or without Ljunberg. But Keller may be looking at his backline and asking himself, “Who will save me?!”

If Keller is able to duplicate the kind of play that kept Fulham from relegation, then the Bulls will be in for a long night. Its that simple.

STARTING LINEUPS

Sounders: 4-4-2

——–Jaqua–Montero———-
Nyassi–Evans–Alonso–Le Toux
Sturgis—Marshall-Hurtado-Riley
———–Keller——————

Red Bulls 4-2-3-1

———Angel————
Oduro—Rojas—–Richards
—-Stammler–Celades——
Hall—Petke–Goldie—Johnson
——–Cepero————-

* Good call by StarMetroSC (in the Offside fantasy league- League name: TheOffside, PW: garber) aka Johnny G, for the Khano injury bit.

PREDICTION:

Red Bulls 3 – Sounders 1

Juan Pablo Angel starts the season off solidly with a brace, and Rojas caps it off for the Bulls. Montero nets one for the Sounders.

img credit: seattle times – keller
img credit: ny times – cup