Sounders FC hopes to erase memory of tie with a victory at New York

The New York Red Bulls have a special place in Sounders FC history as the team against which the Rave Green got its first win.

That was three months ago on a night to remember at Qwest Field, when it seemed that Sounders FC was destined for greatness after a 3-0 victory before a big crowd and on national TV.

Reality has since set in.

Sounders FC is 5-3-6, its wins coming in convincing fashion, its draws mostly frustrating and its losses to either a better team or because it was playing short-handed. Sounders FC remains one of the better teams in Major League Soccer, even though it has struggled to close out its past two opponents.

Now comes a trip east to play New York (2-10-3) at Giants Stadium. Seattle has only one win in six road matches. And Sounders FC is coming off a 3-3 draw Wednesday in which it gave up a two-goal lead in the second half and missed chance after chance to build on its lead and put D.C. United away.

"Obviously, it's an emotional one, but that's what it is now. You've got to forget about it and you've got to get focused on the next task," Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said after Wednesday's game.

"New York, in New York, is going to be difficult. ... They're a desperate team. They're playing for their jobs right now. They're playing for their coach. They're playing for more things than just trying to get a result. So that's obviously going to come into play. We'll have to judge where we are fitness-wise, physically, and that'll determine our game plan."

Last month, with similar words, Schmid described another hungry team that hadn't had much success, FC Dallas. Sounders FC traveled to Texas and got a 1-1 draw in that match.

Schmid is encouraged by Sounders FC's attacking on offense and its ability to create chances, though not all are finished. He also likes the improved work between midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and forward Fredy Montero.

"If we were a team that wasn't creating opportunities, I'd be really, really worried," Schmid said. "We're creating good opportunities. Our timing's starting to become better in the box. The cohesion between Ljungberg and Montero is becoming much better. Montero's very comfortable right now out on the right flank, and there's a lot of good work there. Even being out there, he's still getting three, four, five quality chances a game. That's something that we can continue to build on."

Along with the fitness of the players, who will play their third game in eight days, the team also has some bumps and bruises to worry about. Midfielder Brad Evans hurt a shoulder in the first half Wednesday after being taken down, and defender James Riley turned an ankle.

Wednesday's tie was hard on the players, if the mood in the locker room was an indicator. There's only one way to boost it back up.

"We have to win. We have to go off to New York and get this result out of our heads," midfielder Steve Zakuani said. "It's [the D.C. game] going to feel like a loss because they scored really late ... That's not easy to take. The way to get it out of our systems is to go to New York and to get three points."

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