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Red Bulls-Sounders Preview

Apr 2, 2010 - 5:44 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

New York (1-0-0) at Seattle (1-0-0), 11:30 p.m. EDT

The New York Red Bulls may have opened 2010 with a victory, but they're still carrying the weight of a league-record, 27-match road winless streak.

Their first opportunity to break it under new coach Hans Backe will come Saturday night in one of the league's most hostile venues at Qwest Field against the Seattle Sounders FC.

New York (1-0-0) is looking for a new beginning after an embarrassing 2009 campaign in which it finished with a league-low 21 points.

The Red Bulls made numerous changes, hiring sporting director-general manager Erik Soler and Backe, and looked like an improved club in winning 1-0 over Chicago last Saturday in its first game at $200 million Red Bull Arena.

It should be a tougher task for New York to travel across the country for this rematch of Seattle's first-ever game. The expansion Sounders made their MLS debut an emphatic one with a 3-0 victory over New York on March 19, 2009, in front of a frenzied sellout crowd.

"Last year Seattle clearly came out and took it to us," forward John Wolyniec told the league's official Web site. "They had the crowd and the energy behind them. I'm not sure we expected it to be quite like that."

The Red Bulls were outscored 27-3 in going 0-13-2 on the road last year, and are 0-20-7 since a 2-1 victory at Los Angeles on May 10, 2008.

The Sounders (1-0-0) finished with 21 points at home last year to tie for the most in the league. They took advantage of the atmosphere at Qwest Field in a 2-0 win over the expansion Philadelphia Union last Thursday on goals by Brad Evans and Fredy Montero.

"Hopefully we start something this year like we did last year. It's important that we jump (out) with three points and put the pressure on a bit early," Evans said. "I don't think it was as smooth as last year or as connected, but it's always good to have three points."

Montero scored the Sounders' first goal in last year's home win over the Red Bulls, and also had their lone goal in a 1-1 tie at New York on June 20.

The Red Bulls got their goal last week from Estonian newcomer Joel Lindpere, who looks like he could be a budding star. Lindpere also scored the previous week in a 3-1 exhibition victory over Santos FC.

"It took me two weeks to study the team and then I felt like I've been here for awhile," Lindpere told the Red Bulls' official Web site.

Seattle star midfielder Freddie Ljungberg's status is in doubt after he left the opener with back problems that continue to plague him.