Tough matchup awaits Sounders in U.S. Open Cup

Without question, the Seattle Sounders must hold Chivas USA playmaker Sacha Kljestan in check to advance in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

And that job will fall mainly to defensive-minded and physical Sounders midfielder Kenji Treschuk.

How Treschuk does on Kljestan (pronounced KLESH-taun) will determine if the Sounders (7-2-7 overall) can continue their recent dominance of Major League Soccer teams. Seattle entertains Chivas USA at 7 tonight in a third-round match at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.

Seattle knocked Chivas USA out of the Open Cup last season 3-1 in the third round.

Kljestan, the 22-year-old native of Huntington Beach, Calif., was called up to the U.S. national team last year and has five goals and three assists for Chivas this season.

Treschuk says he's ready.

"Any time you get to play against great players like him [Kljestan], it gives you a chance to improve your game," said Treschuk. "It's a challenge. You don't play this game because it's easy. You play for the challenge. I just have to do my job, and it doesn't matter that it's against a U.S. national team player."

Treschuk, 25, became the Sounders' enforcer on the way to a United Soccer Leagues First Division title and Rookie of the Year honors in 2007.

"Kenji is going to have his hands full tonight," Sounder coach Brian Schmetzer said. "I doubt just physical play is going to be enough. There needs to be some cleverness and a little bit more doggedness ... Kenji will have to be on him [Kljestan] the entire game and wear him down."

On the flip side, Chivas USA (5-6-3) must contain Sebastian Le Toux, the Sounders' goal-scoring machine and leading scorer with 11 goals this season.

Chivas counters with 39-year-old center back Claudio Suarez, one of the greatest central defenders in Mexican soccer history.

"They'll do whatever they can to slow Seba down," said Schmetzer of Chivas' defensive strategy on Le Toux. "They know he's a good player.

"They won't man-for-man mark anybody, but they'll keep a close watch on him."

Notes

• If Seattle beats Chivas USA and reaches the fourth round — or quarterfinals — of the Open Cup, it would host the winner of the MLS Kansas City Wizards-USL First Division Carolina Railhawks match on July 8 at Qwest Field.

• Schmetzer and Chivas USA coach Preki Radosavljevic, known just as Preki during his playing days, were roommates and teammates for the Major Indoor Soccer League's Tacoma Stars from 1988-90.

• The lone link from the Sounders to Chivas USA is Cuban defector Maykel Galindo, who helped Seattle win a USL First Division title with the tying goal in the 2005 title match. Galindo will miss today's match with a sports hernia injury.