Seattle Sounders vs. CD Olimpia | CONCACAF Champions League Match Preview

Seattle Sounders vs. CD Olimpia
2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League
August 19 | 10 pm ET | CenturyLink Field
FOX Sports 2

After opening up CONCACAF Champions League play with a 1-1 draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place on Aug. 5, the Seattle Sounders return to CCL action on Wednesday night at CenturyLink Field, this time against Club Deportivo Olimpia of Honduras. Wednesday is the first of two Group F matchups between the sides that will take place in the next week, as they’ll meet again in Tegucigalpa on Aug. 26.

The Sounders blew out Orlando City SC 4-0 in MLS play at home on Sunday, a resurgent performance that they hope carries over to Wednesday. Prior to the breakout against Orlando, Seattle had scored just three goals in nine league games dating back to June 20.

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LEARNING THE OPPONENT: The matchup with Olimpia offers a stark contrast to the one with Vancouver. Seattle meet the Whitecaps five times this season across MLS and CCL competition, more than any other opponent. Olimpia, however, presents a less familiar challenge.

“We have some idea, we have a little bit of tape that we’ve looked at,” Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid said on Monday. “We know right now they haven’t got off to a good start in their league, I think they’re 0-3 right now in league play. But that doesn’t mean anything. Champions League is a whole different ball of wax.”

PROTECTING HOME TURF: Seattle will look to capitalize on the home field advantage that comes with taking on an Olimpia side making a 4,000-mile trip from Tegucigalpa. Seattle make the trip to Honduras next week, and protecting their home turf to the tune of three points would go a long way toward putting the Sounders in prime position to advance out of a very tough Group F.

INJURY REPORT: Forward Clint Dempsey and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso don’t figure to see minutes as they work their way back from hamstring injuries. New acquisition Andreas Ivanschitz didn’t make his team debut against Orlando on Saturday with a sore quad but has been progressing in training and could be ready Wednesday.

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PLAYERS TO WATCH:

LAMAR NEAGLE, SEATTLE: Neagle scored Seattle’s lone goal in the CCL opener, tallying in the 72nd minute at Vancouver to salvage the draw. Sans Dempsey, he’ll look to replicate the feat on Wednesday.

ROGER ROJAS, OLIMPIA: The 25-year-old striker has been on loan with Mexican side Necaxa, but Schmid says he could be back in the fold for Olimpia. Rojas has 70 goals in 119 appearances for Olimpia since 2007.

“They have Rojas back with them now,” Schmid said Monday. “He hasn’t played in any of the league games, so he probably will be available to them.”