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Seattle seeks three points at home against K.C.

May 20, 2011 - 5:20 PM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Seattle Sounders FC has earned just eight of a possible 15 points in its five home matches this season, and hosts struggling Sporting Kansas City on Saturday in need of a win at Qwest Field.

Seattle (3-3-5) has lost just once at home, where it easily leads Major League Soccer with an average attendance over 36,000, but has also settled for a pair of draws in five matches.

Kansas City (1-5-1) started the year with a 3-2 win at Chivas USA, but has not won since on its season-opening, 10-match road trip. K.C. has lost five of its last six matches.

Seattle goalie Kasey Keller admitted last week's 1-1 tie against the expansion Portland Timbers was "disappointing," as Sounders led the game at home but did not hold on to earn the full three points.

"We just kind of messed it up a little bit, which is frustrating," Keller said about Portland's tying goal, which came off a set piece in the second half.

Sounders coach Sigi Schmid was also upset about the tying goal.

"Not pleased from the standpoint that we had the lead," Schmid said, "and we gave them a goal back."

Still, Seattle is undefeated in its last four at home and a win in the middle game of a three-game homestand could give the team a boost ahead of the finale against FC Dallas on Wednesday.

And with Steve Zakuani among the players Seattle has been without because of injury, a pair of results over the next two week's could go a long way.

Sporting has struggled with injuries early this season, but got good news this week when designated player Omar Bravo returned to training. He is probable to play this weekend, and his return would provide a boost.

K.C. suffered its worst loss of the season in its last match, 4-1, to the Los Angeles Galaxy in a match it led.

"I thought in the first half we played really solid. Getting it to 1-0 was good unfortunately we made a critical mistake right before the half and gave a penalty kick," Sporting coach Peter Vermes said.

But with defender Michael Harrington, midfielder Ryan Smith and forward Teal Bunbury all nearly fully recovered from early-season injuries, K.C. could be primed for a run of good results before opening Livestrong Sporting Park, its new soccer-specific stadium, on June 9.

"It is not easy (playing so many games on the road) but at the same time it is not so difficult that we should turn in a second half performance that we did (against L.A.)," Sporting captain Davy Arnaud said.