Sounders FC continues busy road trip Saturday at Columbus Crew

WASHINGTON — Sounders FC players have some time to hang their heads in the wake of Wednesday night's 2-1 defeat at the hands of D.C. United. The second game of a two-game East Coast swing comes Saturday, when they'll face the Columbus Crew.

It's the conclusion of a busy stretch of MLS action for Seattle.

Including last weekend's win over Toronto FC, the club will have played three matches in eight days. It's an occurrence players have grown accustomed to.

"It's difficult, but it's something the club faced last year with the (CONCACAF) Champions League, and it's something that we'll face later on in the year," midfielder Brad Evans said after Wednesday's loss. "Bottom line is, you keep in a rhythm, have to have a short memory."

Like the trip to D.C., Seattle is traveling to a venue where it has never lost. In two trips to Crew Stadium, the club has come away with two victories, including a 4-0 romp last season.

This time around might not be as easy, as the Crew is in good form. Since losing its first game of the year, Columbus has rattled off a six-game unbeaten streak. A defense led by center backs Julius James and Chad Marshall has conceded just two goals during that stretch.

"They're a team right now that's on a good streak, they haven't given up a lot of goals, played pretty tight in the back and they're dangerous on set pieces," Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. "We have to be aware of those things."

Saturday's game is a return to old stomping grounds for the Sounders FC coach, who led Columbus from 2006 to 2008. During his final season, he led the Crew to an MLS Cup triumph over the New York Red Bulls.

Schmid's former assistant Robert Warzycha is the coach of the Crew, which will be heading into Saturday's game with a full week of rest — in sharp contrast to Seattle coming off a midweek matchup.

According to Schmid, it'll require a certain mental sharpness to come away with a win.

"We're going to play a team that's been resting all week, so when you play like that, and you're a little more bit fatigued you have to be a little bit smarter with the ball," he said.

Aside from the hamstring injury picked up by midfielder Mauro Rosales on Wednesday, Seattle emerged from the loss mostly unscathed. The team traveled straight from D.C. to Columbus on Thursday.