Columbus Crew SC hopes to take the momentum from its recent success at MAPFRE Stadium on the road as it travels to Seattle to face the Sounders on Saturday.
The Black & Gold head to CenturyLink Field with two consecutive home wins under their belt. They will face a Sounders side that recently saw a three-game unbeaten streak come to an end with a 3-1 loss at the Colorado Rapids.
With seven points from eight matches, Seattle currently ranks ninth in the Western Conference. Despite the Sounders’ rough start to the season, Crew SC is prepared for a tough match at CenturyLink Field, where Seattle won its last two matches.
“We know they have a great atmosphere; sometimes a difficult atmosphere to play against, so you know we are excited about it,” Crew SC Head Coach and Sporting Director Gregg Berhalter says. “We know they are going to give a tough opposition, so it’s going to be a difficult game for us.”
The Black & Gold last met Seattle on May 9, 2015, when they defeated the Sounders 3-2 at MAPFRE Stadium thanks in part to a brace by Kei Kamara. The striker says he’s ready to face the Sounders on their turf this time.
“That’s one of those environments in this league that you want to play at,” Kamara says. “I’m really excited to go over there. Last year I had a couple of goals against them, but this is 2016 and this is a different year […] Maybe it might be three.”
Kamara will see some familiar faces in Seattle including his former coach, Sounder's Head Coach Sigi Schmid, who led Columbus to an MLS Cup victory in 2008.
"Sigi has always been great to me," Kamara says. "He followed me since high school and college and drafted me here to Columbus, and every time I get to play against him I'm excited."
Kamara will also face off against his former Crew SC teammate, Seattle defender Chad Marshall who had an outstanding career for the Black & Gold from 2004 to 2013.
“It isn’t just going up against a former teammate, but we’re actually going to face each other a lot,” Kamara says. “Chad is one of the top defenders in the league and every time I get to play against someone I can respect, it’s good competition for me.”
The Sounders will aim to take the competition to Kamara and the rest of the Black & Gold, who will have to find the right balance between defense and attack to earn their first three points on the road.
Crew SC defender Waylon Fancis will be one of the players looking to strike that balance as he continues to be heavily involved on offense.
“It’s very important that we keep pushing forward,” Francis says. “Continuing to make crosses and helping Kei score is going to be good for me and good for the club.”
Francis says after a slow start to the season Crew SC is beginning to find its form.
“In the beginning of the year we may not have won the games, but the important thing is that now everything is going well,” he says. “We are doing a great job switching the ball side to side. I think that is going to be very important in Seattle if we want to play and win that type of game.”
Crew SC has won the last two meetings in Seattle, defeating the Sounders 2-0 in 2012 and 2-1 in 2014. Find out if the Black & Gold can make it three wins in a row on Saturday. Catch the action on ABC 6, Time Warner Cable SportsChannel or BCSN 2. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET.
