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Sounders-Crew Preview

Sep 17, 2010 - 5:48 PM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Senior Writer

Seattle (9-9-6) at Columbus (13-6-5), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Only one team has earned more points at home than the Columbus Crew, who hope to bounce back from a tough road loss by extending a four-game unbeaten streak at Crew Stadium.

Their opponent, however, has experience halting a much more significant streak in Columbus.

The Seattle Sounders snapped the Crew's MLS-record home unbeaten run at 24 games in their inaugural trip to Columbus last season, a loss the Eastern Conference leaders look to avenge Saturday night.

Columbus (13-6-5) has a three-point lead atop the East and a game in hand on second-place New York, but coach Robert Warzycha's club didn't look too impressive against the West leaders last Saturday.

The Crew came up very short in an attempt to pull into the driver's seat for their third straight Supporters' Shield. Los Angeles took a three-goal lead early in the second half, and Andres Mendoza's 85th-minute strike came far too late in a 3-1 loss.

"We didn't play well from front to back," midfielder Eddie Gaven said. "Sometimes that happens over the course of a season. We have to make sure it doesn't happen again for us this year."

Columbus bounced back Tuesday with a 3-0 Champions League win over visiting Trinidadian side Joe Public, and it's no surprise the East leader looked good in central Ohio. The Crew are 9-2-1 in MLS competition in Columbus - only reigning champion Real Salt Lake has earned more home points (30) - and they've outscored opponents 8-1 in their past four home matches.

That 3-0-1 stretch, though, is nothing compared to what the Crew had built when Seattle (9-9-6) visited Oct. 3. Columbus hadn't lost at home in 24 games, including playoffs, before the Sounders spoiled the streak with a 1-0 win on Roger Levesque's goal.

"We were very motivated," Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said of his return to Columbus, where he led the Crew to the 2008 MLS Cup. "We had it as a goal to stop that streak as well."

The teams have played to 1-all draws in both matches at Qwest Field since Seattle entered the league last season.

Three points in this visit would put Seattle in excellent shape to make the playoffs. The Sounders occupy the eighth and final postseason slot, but Kansas City and Chicago - both with two games in hand - are within striking distance.

Seattle is coming off Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Saprissa but is 5-1-3 in its last nine MLS matches, rebounding from its only loss in that stretch by earning a point against the defending champions. Kasey Keller stopped Robbie Findley's penalty kick in the 30th minute of the Sounders' scoreless draw against Salt Lake on Sept. 9.

According to midfielder Steve Zakuani, Schmid wasted no time getting his team prepared - perhaps even a little more than usual - for Saturday's match.

"There is a rivalry between us and Columbus - a friendly rivalry because of Sigi's connections - so we've been very good against them," Zakuani said. "Our trainings are always competitive, but you can see him paying extra attention to detail."

Zakuani and forward Fredy Montero have scored 18 of Seattle's 26 goals but have one in the past three games.