Sounders 1 - 2 Real Salt Lake
Final
  for this game

Struggling Sounders hit the road to face RSL

Mar 29, 2013 - 7:55 PM Sandy, UT (Sports Network) - Seattle Sounders FC have matched their poorest start to a season since the club's MLS inception in 2009, and the team hits the road to face Real Salt Lake on Saturday in hopes of ending its slide.

A 1-0 defeat against the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend was the club's fourth successive setback against the 'Quakes, and leaves the Sounders with just one goal scored in three games.

Despite the poor start to the campaign, Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid feels his team just needs a win to help restore confidence.

"It's just you need a result to help your team get confidence," Schmid said. "We've got guys who are pretty ambitious and driven, and when they don't get results, they get a little ornery. We've got to continue to have that hunger and turn that hunger into wins."

The Sounders will host Santos in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal on Tuesday, but first the club would love to get three points on the board in the league to kick start its season.

In Salt Lake, Seattle will be facing a familiar foe since the two sides have met in the postseason each of the last two years.

The Sounders emerged as 1-0 winners over the course of two legs last term, and that result continued a trend of scoring being at a premium.

Both games in the regular season last year between RSL and Seattle ended 0-0, and with both teams struggling to find offense this year, it may take just one goal for the winner.

The Sounders will get a number of key offensive players back this weekend after international duty as Obafemi Martins, Eddie Johnson and Mario Martinez should all be available, while veteran players Brad Evans and Shalrie Joseph are also close to returning after injury.

Reinforcements are on the way for Seattle, but Salt Lake will be a dramatically different side this weekend as well after head coach Jason Kreis was missing 11 players due to injury and international duty last time out in a 2-0 defeat to FC Dallas.

"We absolutely miss those guys. But, I have to say, I'm impressed with how well the rest of the guys did," Kreis said. "I thought Lovel [Palmer], Cole [Grossman] and Josh Saunders all had solid games. We made a lot of shifts and I thought the team took it quite well. I'm really happy about the effort. I'm disappointed in the result but I am pretty pleased with the guys' fight tonight."

After opening the season with a 2-0 win, RSL has scored one goal and earned one point from its last three matches.






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