Chris Eylander will likely start in goal for Sounders FC on Saturday

Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said Friday that he is leaning toward Chris Eylander over Ben Dragavon as today's starting goalkeeper.

His pronouncement came just before the team left for Los Angeles for its match today against Chivas USA.

"We'll probably give the nod to Eylander going into this game," Schmid said. "But Ben has been well. The competition has been good, but it's good for both of them."

Both Eylander and Dragavon were hoping to get the call, with starter Kasey Keller having to sit this game out because of a red card he received in Sounders FC's 1-0 loss to Kansas City last Saturday.

Schmid and his coaches got a long look at Eylander and Dragavon this week in a reserve game and in practices. Eylander, coming off a knee injury, looked healthy enough to be an option, Schmid said.

Not having team captain Keller for a game between the top two teams in Major League Soccer's Western Conference makes winning more of a challenge. But Sounders FC players say they believe in Eylander and Dragavon.

"It's a mental thing," midfielder Brad Evans said. "It doesn't matter who's in back of you as long as they're trying their hardest. They want this. This is their chance."

Eylander, of Auburn, led the United Soccer Leagues First Division in saves in 2007 and 2008 and finished second in USL Sounders history with 29 clean sheets. He was signed to be Keller's backup, but he partially tore a knee ligament in March after the team returned from training and exhibition matches in Argentina.

Dragavon, a Monroe native, was Eylander's backup with the USL Sounders. Dragavon was Sounders FC's emergency goalkeeper in the team's first four games, and wasn't expected to play with the veteran Keller in the net. But he ended up playing most of last week's match after Keller's red card for using his hands on the ball outside of the penalty area.

Sounders FC lost to Kansas City on a goal from 30 yards in the 80th minute that Dragavon just missed knocking away. It was Seattle's first loss of the season.

"If somebody would've said, 'OK, after four games, you're going to be three and one,' we would've said, 'OK, we'll take that,' " Schmid said. "So we're at a stage where we'll take that. And we're not going to get shut out too often. So it's a matter of just making sure that we get back on the horse and score our goals and feel good about ourselves offensively. I'm not worried, and I think our attitude of our team is good."

Notes

• MF Stephen King was limited to mostly running in practice Friday because of a strained groin. King did not travel with the team to Los Angeles.

• F-M Lamar Neagle, who recently trained with Sounders FC for a second stint after working with the team in February, has returned to classes at UNLV.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com