RSL vs. Seattle Sounders, Redux: Three Questions with Sounder at Heart

1 - How buoyed are you by the fact that we had a midweek match, while you didn’t? Will the continuity help your side, or does our win on Saturday preclude that?

Remember last week when I thought Seattle could take advantage of the bad Real Salt Lake attack? That was a perfectly good idea, except for one key problem -- the Seattle Sounders will define themselves. It’s not the opposition that is stifling the attack. The offense is troubling itself. Whether facing a good defense or a poor one the Sounders are struggling. It hasn’t mattered if they are more rested than their opposition, or if they are on short rest.

They must define themselves. There will be no end to their troubles until they end it on their own. It will not matter that RSL is running on fumes, not if Seattle players cannot reclaim what they have been previously.

2 - It’s sure strange that we’re facing each other in back-to-back weekends. You know what’s stranger? Portland has the same situation with us at the end of the year. Are we special, or is MLS doing something weird here? Would you rather we face each other in different parts of the season? It sure seems better for competition.

I figure MLS did this because they enjoy reading our chats. They certainly didn’t do it for soccer reasons. Schedules like this are another way to unbalance schedules. Right now Portland is pretty good (I feel sick) and RSL doesn’t have to face them, instead they get crappy Seattle. Maybe when RSL does face the Timbers the Timbers will suck (as is right and just).

The normal excuse for quirky scheduling like this is TV, but these games aren’t on national TV. At best they are a by product of the national broadcasters trying to avoid this matchup. That’s kind of odd, considering that RSL and SSFC have been pretty darn good (minus small blips) over the past ten years. Back when the schedule was made these were supposed to be two good teams with full stadia, while the quality of the matchup may be reduced now, the schedule remains baffling.

3 - Last time we talked about what you might see as a favorable trade for an RSL player. How about this: Who would you take from RSL, outside of Albert Rusnak? (That one just hits too close to home right now.)

I can take anyone? That’s easier, it’s Brooks Lennon. No, the Sounders don’t need a right back, but getting young in an outside spot would help over here. His versatility is something that Seattle tends to appreciate too. Maybe here Lennon gets more right mid/left mid time, which would be great, as they need that. They need assists and goals from a player who defends competently. At this point they’d probably put him back at forward, since one of those is lacking.

There’s just no way it’s going to happen. Kid is cheap, young and quality. RSL would be dumb to let him go now that they have him they should never let him wander away again.