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Sounders-Wizards Preview

Oct 16, 2009 - 5:11 PM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Seattle (10-7-11) at Kansas City (8-12-8), 8:30 p.m. EDT

Seattle Sounders FC is on the verge of doing something that hasn't been done in 11 years.

The league's biggest surprise this season, the expansion Sounders look to clinch a playoff spot with a victory at Kansas City on Saturday night.

Seattle (10-7-11) is trying to become the second club in MLS history to clinch a playoff berth in its inaugural season after Chicago did it in 1998.

The Sounders, sixth in the eight-team playoff format with two games remaining, could also secure a postseason spot with a draw or even a loss depending on other results around the league this weekend.

They hope it doesn't come down to that.

"It's nice to be in control of your own destiny," coach Sigi Schmid told the Sounders' official Web site. "It's always a lot better to be in the position that we are in. The only scoreboard we need to watch is our own scoreboard."

Though the Sounders have scored seven goals while going 3-4-4 since last winning consecutive matches in early July, they are coming off a 1-0 win at Columbus on Oct. 3.

They snapped the Crew's 24-game home unbeaten streak as Schmid returned to Columbus after guiding that club to its first MLS Cup last season.

Seattle recorded its fifth shutout in 11 matches thanks to another solid effort from Kasey Keller, who's second in MLS with 10 shutouts and a 0.87 goals-against average.

More importantly, it moved the Sounders closer to a postseason berth.

"Our main goal is to make the playoffs right now and we need every point we can get," said forward Roger Levesque, who scored his first career goal in the Columbus match. "It'll be the same thing in Kansas City; those points are going to be just as important as these were."

While this match could have historical significance for Seattle, it's a must-win for Kansas City (8-12-8), which is six points behind New England for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Anything but a win in this contest, or any point earned by the Revolution against Chicago this weekend, would eliminate the Wizards from playoff contention. Kansas City hosts D.C. in its regular-season finale Oct. 24.

"It's pretty simple. We know we have to win those games," interim coach Peter Vermes told the Wizards' official Web site. "But more importantly, we have to be sure our performance is good. If our performance is good, and we can hold onto something for 90 minutes and play and know how to manage the game, then we give ourselves a good chance to gain those points."

That might not be easy for the Wizards, who fell to 0-1-2 in their last three with a 2-0 loss at CD Chivas USA last Saturday. They now return home, where they haven't played well all season.

Kansas City has scored the least home goals in MLS with 14 and is tied for the fewest home wins in the league, going 4-5-4 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

The Wizards won 1-0 at Seattle on April 11 as Davy Arnaud, third on the club with five goals, scored in the 80th minute. The Sounders then beat Kansas City 1-0 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals July 7 on Sebastien Le Toux's penalty kick in the 89th.