The teams will meet for the third time this season with Seattle Sounders leading the West with 51 points and Real Salt Lake in third place with 46 points. With less than seven weeks until the regular season ends, the five-point gap will give the match a special meaning in the fight for the top spots in the Western Conference.
In terms of recent results, Seattle Sounders reached their third straight win on September 3rd after beating Chivas USA 4-2. On the other hand, Real Salt Lake grabbed a 2-1 home win against FC Dallas on Saturday.
Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid praised their rivals and expressed his respect and admiration towards the Salt Lake side after a training session on Wednesday.
“They have a very good team. They have a very good nucleus. They have a group of six or seven players that have been together for five or six years or longer. They know each other. They know what they’re capable of. They push each other. They have a tight knit locker room that really helps them.
“Consistency is the important thing. I think Salt Lake makes good player decisions. I think LA makes good player decisions and I think we’ve made good player decisions to maintain that consistency,” Schmid added.
“Sometimes we talk about the depth and when you look at all those teams, they all have players that have come along.”
With only seven regular-season games left, Friday’s match will also be of high importance for Real Salt Lake’s Supporters’ Shield aspirations. RSL manager Jeff Cassar is aware of the difficulty of playing against a team like Seattle as he considers them one of the best teams in the league.
“They’re incredible,” Cassar mentioned. “They’re doing very well and they’re having a lot of success. I think Martins is arguably have an MVP-type season. I think together, they’re just a very dangerous duo.
“I want to play against the best team. That’s how it’s going to be in the playoffs. That’s how it should be.”
The last time these teams met back in May, the Sounders managed to get a comfortable 4-0 home win.
Where to watch this match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Like live on Friday, September 12, 2014:
In the USA at 22:30 EST:
- TV: SiriusXM FC, ESPN 700, NBCSN, MLS Direct Kick
- Online: MLS Live, NBC Sports Live Extra
In Canada at 22:30 EST:
For complete TV/Online/Radio listings of this MLS match, please visit the Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake match page.
