Playoff implications underscore Sounders- Red Bulls showdown

Time is not on their side. With every passing week, opportunities become fewer and fewer to solidify playoff spots and ensure a chance for glory. With both sides looking to determine their own futures, the Seattle Sounders (17-7-3, 54 points) and New York Red Bulls (9-8-11, 38 points) face off for a Saturday afternoon showdown.

What time? 7:30pm

What channel? NBC Sports Network

Head-to-Head in 2014: This their first meeting of the season. Due to the imbalanced schedule in MLS, Eastern and Western Conference teams normally only play each other once in a season.

Seattle currently hold a 3-2 advantage over New York all-time head-to-head with three draws. At Red Bull Arena, both sides have won one match and drawn two.

Outlook: With Seattle looking to extend their first-place lead in the Western Conference (they are currently three points ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy) and the Red Bulls just a point ahead of the Philadelphia Union and the Columbus Crew for fourth, both teams need three points in this match. One would expect the pressure to be on the Red Bulls, given that they are not even assured of making the MLS playoffs at this point. But with all of the talk put out recently by the Sounders about winning the Supporters Shield, expectations have been raised about what they can accomplish this season. The Sounders are currently seven points ahead of D.C. United for the regular season trophy.

On the pitch, this should be a high scoring affair. Seattle have scored the highest number of road goals in Major League Soccer with 26, while the Red Bulls are currently tied for second in goals scored at home with 29. Both teams like to open defenses on the wing, with Sounders midfielder/forward Lamar Neagle and Red Bulls midfielder Loyd Sam moving the ball from the defense into the attack. Both teams have an attacking combination where one forward sets up the other for shots inside the box. The attacking duos of Thierry Henry (9 goals) and Bradley Wright-Phillips (21 goals) for New York and Clint Dempsey (11 goals) and Obafemi Martins (13 goals) are among the league’s deadliest sets of forwards.

For the Red Bulls, the key to the match will be getting midfielders Dax McCarty and Tim Cahill involved in the attack. Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid will likely use defender DeAndre Yedlin to match up with Sam, meaning that his speed will be negated. If the Red Bulls can build through the center of the pitch, they will likely find some additional opportunities as the Sounders center-back combination of Zach Scott and Chad Marshall have at times been spotty at tracking forwards. Red Bulls coach Mike Petke may rest Wright-Phillips again due to a hamstring injury. If this happens, expect Cahill to move up top with Henry.

For Seattle, Oswaldo Alonso must be an active presence in setting up the attack. The Sounders are at their best when the 30 year old Cuban-American midfielder can find Dempsey and on occasion Martins in open space. New York has all sorts of trouble this season on defense with center-back Jamison Olave struggling to regain his 2010 MLS Defender of the Year form. Right-back Roy Miller will be back in the Starting XI after finishing his international service with Costa Rica.

Both managers will also have to juggle their rosters a bit after playing in midweek matches. While the Red Bulls opted to use mostly reserves in their loss to the Montreal Impact in the CONCACAF Champions League, the Sounders fielded their full roster for the U.S. Open Cup final. Although they were able to defeat the Union and claim their first trophy of the season, the team did have to play 120 minutes of football to win.

Important stat to keep an eye on: Seattle’s plus-5 road goal differential is the highest in all of Major League Soccer.