The top spot in Major League Soccer is on the line this Saturday as the league-leading Seattle Sounders FC returns home to host second-place Real Salt Lake. The winner of Saturday’s match will be the Supporters’ Shield leader while a draw would allow Seattle to retain first overall. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.

Saturday’s match will be televised locally on Q-13 FOX and regionally on ROOT Sports with Ross Fletcher and Taylor Graham on the call, and can be heard on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM. Spanish radio is available on ESPN Deportes 1490 AM with Rene Aleman and Noe Menendez calling the action.

Sounders FC (8-3-2, 26 points) remained first in the race for the Supporters’ Shield with Saturday’s late comeback draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Seattle has earned 17 of its league-high 26 points in the final 10 minutes of matches, including five game-winners and two equalizers.

Two Seattle newcomers shined in Saturday’s Cascadia Cup draw as Chad Barrett scored in his first start and Gonzalo Pineda converted a late penalty for his first MLS goal. Goalkeeper Stefan Frei kept Seattle in the match with four saves, including a last-second stop that is nominated for MLS Save of the Week.

Saturday’s match against Salt Lake marks the last home game until July 13 as the team will play three-straight road games with a three-week World Cup break. Sounders FC has earned the most points (15) at home this season, including a league-best four-game home winning streak – two short of the club record.

Real Salt Lake (6-0-6, 24 points) sits second in the full table, matching the MLS record for longest unbeaten streak to start a season. RSL has won its past two road outings by a combined score of 8-4 and enter Saturday’s match with a 2-2-2 regular-season record at CenturyLink Field.

The two sides will meet again on August 16 at Rio Tinto Stadium before concluding the season series at CenturyLink Field onSeptember 12.

Following Saturday’s match, Sounders FC will continue MLS Reserve League play on Sunday with a match against the LA Galaxy II. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. PT at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Wash.

Sounders FC will learn its opponent for the fourth round of the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night when the LA Galaxy II host PSA Elite at 7:30 p.m. PT. Sounders FC would either host PSA Elite (USASA) or visit the LA Galaxy II (USL PRO).

The MLS regular season continues on June 7 with a visit to the Chicago Fire, and will resume on June 28 at D.C. United. The next home match is July 13 against the Portland Timbers on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.

Tickets for Sounders FC home matches, including the Tottenham Hotspur friendly, are available now at www.SoundersFC.com and 1-877-MLS-GOAL. The 6-Match ticket package is also available now with expanded seating to include the upper bowl at CenturyLink Field.

Competition Schedule (All times Pacific; subject to change)

May 31, 1 p.m. – Sounders FC vs. Real Salt Lake, CenturyLink Field

June 7, 5:30 p.m. – Sounders FC at Chicago Fire, Toyota Park

June 28, 4 p.m. – Sounders FC at D.C. United, RFK Stadium

July 5, 7 p.m. – Sounders FC at Vancouver Whitecaps FC, BC Place

July 13, 7 p.m. – Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers, CenturyLink Field

Battle of the Best

Sounders FC and Real Salt Lake enter Saturday’s match as the top two teams in MLS. Seattle has held the top spot in the Supporters’ Shield race since April 26, marking the longest first-place stretch in club history. Salt Lake is the lone undefeated team in MLS this season, tied for the longest unbeaten start to a season in league history. A win or draw would allow Sounders FC to stay atop the full table for another week while a loss would vault RSL into the top spot.

Top Two Snapshot

Category (Rank) Seattle Sounders FC Real Salt Lake Points 26 (1st) 24 (2nd) Wins 8 (1st) 6 (3rd) Goals 25 (1st) 23 (2nd) Goals Against Average 1.62 (T-12th) 1.08 (3rd) Scoring Percentage 13.2 (4th) 15.5 (1st) Shots on Goal Percentage 40.2 (2nd) 39.9 (3rd) Multi-Goal Games 8 (1st) 7 (T-2nd) Goals Scored in Final 15′ 8 (1st) 7 (T-2nd)

The Home Show

Seattle’s CenturyLink Field has remained one of the most difficult venues for opponents to play as Sounders FC has developed into the top home team in MLS this season. Sounders FC is the lone team to win five games at home this season, earning a league-best 15 points. Seattle’s current four-game home winning streak is tied with New England for the longest this season, and is two short of the club-record six-match home winning streak (July 28-Sept. 13, 2013).

Seattle’s home dominance will be tested by a strong Salt Lake side that is yet to fall on the road, going 3-0-3 for the best road record in MLS. Currently riding a league-best six-game road unbeaten streak, RSL has won its past two road outings and has scored the most road goals (14) in MLS this season.



Going Forward

Seattle and Salt Lake’s attacks feature two of the top players in MLS this season in Obafemi Martins and Joao Plata. In the absence of several national teamers, both Martins and Plata will look to lead their team’s attack on Saturday. Martins is the MLS assists leader with six helpers and has added five goals, ranking second on Sounders FC. Plata, who left Saturday’s match in the first half with a hamstring injury, ranks sixth in MLS with six goals and has added three assists.

Category Obafemi Martins Joao Plata Height 5-7 5-2 Goals 5 6 Assists 6 3 Games Played 13 9 Minutes Played 1,158 599 Shots 28 18 Shots on Goal 14 13

Late Game Drama

Sounders FC has shown a penchant for late drama this season, earning 17 of the team’s 26 points in the final 10 minutes of matches. Gonzalo Pineda was the latest Sounders FC player to score a late goal when he converted his penalty attempt in the 82nd minute to earn a 2-2 draw at Vancouver on Saturday. The penalty marked the league-high eighth goal scored in the final 15 minutes this season, including five game-winners and two equalizers. Seattle has scored two more second-half goals (16) than any MLS side, averaging 1.23 goals in the final 45 minutes. While the scoring increases as the match continues, so does the defense as Sounders FC leads the league with a 0.54 goals against average in the second half, including just one goals allowed in the final 15 minutes.

Battling Back

Sounders FC has developed into the best comeback team in MLS this season, securing 12 points when allowing the game’s first goal and earning two more wins than any other MLS team. Seattle’s latest come-from-behind result came Saturday at Vancouver as the team earned a 2-2 draw after falling behind, 2-1. Sounders FC has trailed at the half five times this season, going 3-2-0 with two more wins than any other MLS team. Seattle’s three wins when trailing at the half are two more than any team as only Salt Lake, Chicago and Columbus have won in that situation.

A Look Ahead

Saturday’s match against Real Salt Lake will conclude a strong month of May for Sounders FC. Seattle has posted a 3-1-1 record this month, including victories in all three home matches. The next contest is at

Chicago on June 7, kicking off a three-game road streak with stops at D.C. United (June 28) and Vancouver (July 5). Seattle will take a 21-day break during the group stage of the FIFA World Cup as MLS will break from June 11-27.

A Familiar Foe

Sounders FC and Real Salt Lake have become familiar foes over the past six seasons, meeting 12 times in the regular season, four times in the MLS Cup Playoffs and once in the U.S. Open Cup. The 17 total meetings between the two sides are the second-most in club history, and Saturday’s match will tie the most games against one opponent.

Opponent Games Played MLS Playoffs U.S. Open Cup LA Galaxy 18 3-5-4 1-3-0 2-0-0 Real Salt Lake 17 3-5-4 2-1-1 1-0-0 Chivas USA 16 8-2-4 0-0-0 2-0-0 San Jose 15 6-7-1 0-0-0 1-0-0 FC Dallas 15 8-2-4 0-0-0 1-0-0

Series Fast Facts

* RSL has outscored Seattle, 11-10, and holds the advantage in total shots, 149-117.

* Seattle is 2-2-2 at home in the regular-season series, outscoring RSL 5-3.

* Lamar Neagle (two goals) and Robbie Findley (3) are the active goal scoring leaders in the series.

* Seattle won the lone home meeting in 2013, 2-0 on September 13. The last home loss in the series came on May 12, 2012.

* The two sides met in the 2011 and 2012 Western Conference Semifinals, with Seattle ousting RSL in the 2012 series.

* Kenny Cooper leads all Sounders FC players with six career goals against RSL. A total of eight active Sounders FC players have scored against RSL.

About Real Salt Lake

At 6-0-6, Real Salt Lake is the last unbeaten team in MLS, marking the longest streak to open a season in the post-shootout era. The team’s scoreless draw with FC Dallas on Saturday snapped a three-match winning streak in which RSL scored 10 goals. The Claret-and-Cobalt are 3-0-3 on the road with a 14-9 goal advantage, including a 1-0 win at Los Angeles to open the season and a 5-2 win at Houston earlier this month. Salt Lake ranks second behind Seattle with both 23 goals and 21 assists, as well as fifth with 43 shots on goal. RSL starts and finishes well, scoring 10 of its goals in the opening half hour (T-1st) and seven goals in the final 15 minutes (T-2nd).

RSL Notables

Coach Jeff Cassar’s attack is led by Joao Plata, who leads the team with 15 points in 2014. Plata, an Ecuadorian international, is second on the team with three assists and has registered 10 goals and 12 assists in 38 appearances since the beginning of last season. Javier Morales leads the club and ranks second in MLS with five assists, bringing his career total to 58-tied-fifth among active players. The Argentine has added four goals this season-all in the last three games-including a hat trick in the 5-2 win at Houston on May 11. Second-year keeper Jeff Attinella will man the nets for RSL with Nick Rimando away on international duty. The University of South Florida-product has allowed three goals in four appearances this season, including two clean sheets.

Sounders FC Reserves Remain Unbeaten

Seattle Sounders FC (2-0-2) remained unbeaten in the MLS Reserve League after playing to a scoreless draw at Real Salt Lake (1-0-2)on Monday afternoon at America First Field. Reserve League play resumes on Sunday, June 1, when Seattle hosts the LA Galaxy II at Starfire Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. PT and admission is free.

Academy Update: U-18’s Clinch Division Championship

The Sounders FC U-18 team (16-4-6, 54 points) clinched the USSDA Northwest Division title with a 4-0 win over Strikers FC on Sundayat Santa Ana College. Duncan McCormick and Victor Rojas each scored a brace as the Rave Green jumped De Anza Force for first place and built a four-point lead over Vancouver with one game remaining (De Anza Force’s has no games remaining).



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