Seattle Sounders Have Los Angeles Galaxy In Their Sights

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Oct 25, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Lamar Neagle (27) protects the ball from Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Baggio Husidic (6) and midfielder Robbie Rogers (14) during the second half at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Los Angeles 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

If you are a Seattle Sounders fan, you are rubbing your hands, licking your lips, cracking your knuckles, nodding your head, etc. If you thought that the last two matches between Sigi Schmid’s Sounders and Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy were huge, these next two games may go down as the biggest in the history of the organization in its young history as its current incarnation. Leg 1 of the MLS Western Conference Championship is scheduled for Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET (ESPN) while Leg 2 is scheduled for Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET (ESPN).

The Sounders advanced on away goals, 1-0, after a 1-1 aggregate following a scoreless draw against FC Dallas at CenturyLink FIeld in Seattle, Wash.

“I thought our intensity was really good and I thought our concentration was really good,” Schmid told SoundersFC.com’s Justin Lester. “There was communication between the guys on the field, and the willingness to do unselfish things and help each other – I thought it was very high tonight.”

“It was tremendous. The crowd really was amazing,” defender Zach Scott said. “You could definitely feel the energy, and it was one of those games where you almost feel like a goal was going to happen because the ball was getting sucked back into their half with the crowd cheering.”

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“You want to compete against the best and prove that you are the best,” goalkeeper Stefan Frei added. “We had that series against them and did fairly well, but now it’s a different story. So we need to get back to work and get better during the week in practice and be ready.”

As for the Galaxy, defender Tommy Meyer will need to come up huge for Leonardo, who suffered a hamstring injury in the second leg of their Conference Semifinal against Real Salt Lake.

“He played very well,” Arena told LAGalaxy.com’s Larry Morgan. “A very impressive performance from a guy that hasn’t played that much over the last couple of months.”

“I think he did really well to step in like that,” Gonzalez said of Meyer. “I don’t know if he was that warm … just a bang-bang play and Leo has to come out really quickly. He steps in and does a great job.

“It’s not surprising. He’s been in these kinds of situations before in playoff games, championship games, and he knows what it’s like. I’ve been watching him at practice for the last few weeks and he’s focused. It was no surprise that he stepped in and did a great job. It’s great that Bruce gave him the chance to come in and he played great.”

“It was a great game to come into,” Meyer added. “We were up 2-0, so it always helps when you have the lead. Everyone else on the field made it easy for me.

“You always want to be playing. But it’s easier to prepare yourself knowing what to expect going in. It’s much easier going in and feeling comfortable. It’s great getting on the field, especially in a playoff game. It was great getting an opportunity to move forward and show Bruce I can still contribute.”