Seattle Sounders: 3 Keys vs. Real Salt Lake
By Paul Taylor
2) Osvaldo Alonso versus Kyle Beckerman
If training this week is anything to go by, Alonso is chomping at the bit. In truth, this should come as no surprise to anyone, as he looks to make up for being suspended for the last game against FC Dallas.
Not that the Sounders’ bulldog will have it all his own way on Sunday, as he goes up against Beckerman. Certainly, their clash in the middle of the park will go a long way towards influencing the outcome of the game.
When asked about their matchup, Schmetzer acknowledged they are one of the big stories heading into the game, but pointed out the midfield battle will go deeper than that: “Whether RSL play Luke Mulholland or Sunday Stephen with Beckerman, because Javier Morales is going to play in front of them, that’s kind of a key storyline too.
“It’s not just Beckerman versus Ozzie – it’s Cristian (Roldan) and Ozzie or Christian and Erik Friberg, or however we shape our triangle, versus Stephen, Beckerman and Morales or Mulholland with a little more of an attacking threat. So it’s going to be interesting from a tactical standpoint, which group of three can control the game.”