By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

Sounders looking for home crowd boost in Leg Two of Champions Cup with Tigres

Sounders FC is looking to the home crowds as it looks to overcome its 2-0 aggregate deficit against Liga MX side Tigres in Leg Two of the Concacaf Champions Cup. The Sounders will need to start on the front foot, play with high energy, and be disciplined on both ends of the pitch. Wednesday will be the Sounders’ first home match since the season opener on February 22nd.  While the Sounders’ road show ended with last week’s 2-0 loss to Tigres at Estadio Universitario, the Rave Green finished the eight-game journey with an impressive 5-2-1 record.  Impressive but grueling was the road trip.

PLAYING AT HOME WILL DICTATE CHANGES

The return home brings familiarity and a raucous crowd at Lumen.  Both sides are sure to make tactical adjustments.  The Sounders will look to feed off the home crowd’s energy as they attempt to dictate the tempo and get the first goal.

“ We are going to play with confidence. As soon as the ref blows the whistle in the game, we are going to try and dictate tempo,’ said Schmetzer.  We will play with intensity and the right amount of physicality without going overboard.”

Part of playing smart for the Sounders means being clinical on both ends of the pitch. Defensively, the Sounders made two defensive errors that turned the tide. After a goalless first half, a sloppy giveaway ten minutes into the second half led to a soft goal and a 1-0  deficit. The second self-inflicted would come in the 76th minute when the Sounders were defending a corner.   

On the play, the ball glanced off defender  Jackson Ragen’s head and into the back of the net.  The goal was especially frustrating for Schmetzer and his staff. “ We have been working on set pieces all season long because that is something we were not good at last season.”

HAVE TO BE SHARP OFFENSIVE

 Despite the 2-0 scoreline, the Sounders had two big chances to Tigres’ three. The difference between the two was the Sounders’ inability to finish their chances.   Winger Paul Rothrock had a golden chance that went begging. “ We will need to finish our chances, and I had a couple of chances I should have finished,” said Rothrock. “ So it’s important that we be clinical in our finishing.” While he was being gracious, Rothrock was not the only Sounder who missed opportunities. Paul Ariola and Jordan Morris both had opportunities that went begging. On Wednesday, the team is looking to turn its shooting fortunes around.

MANAGE TEMPERS


In addition to being clinical, the Sounders will need to check their emotions. One of the tactics Tigres will use will be aggressive tackling and slowing down during set pieces and game restarts.  The tactics were evident in the first  Leg and will be on display in Leg Two.

“ The players are a tight-knit group. When it gets challenging, they always stick up for each other. They all have each other’s backs. 
I know that for a fact. And then, as far as refereeing, the game, and control, the referee down there did a good job. Look, it’s a heated game.  Said Schmetzer.”


”There’s gonna be emotions, but I always tell the players, control the controllables. We cannot control what the referee calls or does not call. We have to play the way he is feeling in that particular game. 
If the referee tomorrow allows a little more physical play, these guys will understand they can play a little more physical, and they have to make those adjustments based on how they see the game unfolding with the referee. But we never, ever, ever try to say that the referees lost us games. We never, ever say that we will never stop fighting and protecting each other.”

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