MLS Preview: Schmid counting on Sounders´ fighting spirit against Dallas

Sigi Schmid has urged Seattle Sounders to display their battling qualities once again when they host Dallas in MLS on Wednesday.

The Sounders are two points clear of Real Salt Lake at the top of the Western Conference and in Clint Dempsey they boast the league’s top scorer, the United States captain having eight goals to his name thus far.

Wednesday sees the leaders host third-placed Dallas, who have lost three of their last four matches – including a 3-2 defeat to Schmid’s side in the reverse fixture last month.

Seattle come into the game on a run of four consecutive victories, and Schmid wants his players to maintain the never-say-die attitude shown when they came from behind to defeat Philadelphia Union 2-1 last time out.

“The guys fight for each other, the guys battle for each other,” he told the club’s official website.

“We said it at the beginning of the season – we wanted to be a team that fought to the very end of games and we’re doing that.

“We’re showing that when the crowd is here, and they’re behind us, and it’s raining, and they’re still singing and chanting and jumping up and down – we deserve to keep working for them.”

Elsewhere in the Western Conference struggling SJ Earthquakes, who have won just one of their opening seven matches, host fourth-placed Colorado Rapids.

In the Eastern Conference, Columbus Crew can move top of the standings with a win at Houston Dynamo, although they will be without influential midfielder Will Trapp after he sent off in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Sporting KC.

Columbus coach Gregg Berhalter knows Trapp, 21, will be sorely missed.

“I don’t think there’s a like-for-like replacement in the whole league for Wil Trapp,” he said. “I think he’s a good player. For his age, I think he’s one of the better midfielders in the league.

“The short answer is, no. There’s not a like-for-like replacement. We’re going to look in our depth and we’ll find someone who can perform.”