Sounders FC Preview

Opponent: Kansas City Wizards

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field

TV: KONG 6/16

Radio: KIRO 97.3 FM. Spanish broadcast available on 1210 AM.

Scouting report

It’s back home for Sounders FC (3-0-0) after an impressive 2-0 victory in Toronto last week. Seattle started 2-0 at home, but last weekend’s road victory further cemented the legitimacy of the first-year franchise. Kansas City (1-2-0) got its first win last weekend, which in the mind of Seattle coach Sigi Schmid, is a good thing.

“I was happy they got their win last week, so they weren’t coming in here winless,” Schmid said earlier this week.

Seattle is likely to start Fredy Montero, the team’s leading scorer, and Freddie Ljungberg, the club’s designated player, together for the first time tonight. Ljungberg missed the first game and played only 30 minutes in the second while recovering from hip surgery, and Montero didn’t make the trip to Toronto last week while battling the flu. Ljungberg scored his first goal as a Sounder in the win over Toronto. Schmid hasn’t said yet who will come out of the starting lineup to make room for both.

“It’s exciting for us because it gives us a lot of options, a lot of opportunities,” Schmid said of having Fredy and Freddie in the same lineup. “And they’re different, but they’re similar in that they’re both dangerous players. They’re both players that help us keep possession of the ball, which is always a good thing. Right now having them both on the field at the same time just means that we have to change in little subtle ways just to cover and balance and make sure that we’re in good position when we lose the ball as well. That’s going to take a little bit of time, but I think we have enough intelligent players on the field that they can do that.”

Schmid said the biggest concern about the Wizards is their speed on the flanks, which could challenge a Seattle defense that hasn’t allowed a goal all season.

John Boyle, Herald Writer