One of the faint glimmers of hope the Seattle Sounders were looking for as they try to climb out of a 3-0 deficit to Real Salt Lake on Wednesday was the health of midfielder Mauro Rosales. Unfortunately, Sounders coach Sigi Schmid did not sound particularly optimistic about Rosales playing a major role.
Mauro Rosales Injury Update: Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid Doesn’t Sound Optimistic
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Joshua Mayers Schmid said Rosales is improving: "I still think it's more of an outside shot, but at least it's a shot."
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Without Rosales’ ability to hold possession and send it crosses, the Sounders looked downright feckless during Saturday’s destruction. The Sounders did not have a single shot on goal and really only had a couple decent scoring chances.
Lamar Neagle, who basically started in place of Rosales, looked completely in over his head during his first playoff appearance. It will be interesting to see if Schmid rolls the dice with Neagle again or if he goes with a different approach. Neagle clearly is the most offensive of Schmid's options, but he could opt for someone like Erik Friberg, who has played as a wide midfielder to differing levels of effectiveness at various times.
The more likely changes in the Sounders' lineup are elsewhere. Mike Fucito seems a likely bet to step in for Sammy Ochoa at forward and Tyson Wahl will almost certainly slot in for Leo Gonzalez at left back. Wahl's passing and Fucito's speed were sorely missed in the first leg.
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