MLS Preview: New England out to stop Seattle

The New England Revolution are the next MLS team to get their chance to stop the high-flying Seattle Sounders.

Sigi Schmid’s Sounders are five points clear atop the Western Conference after coming from behind for the fourth time this season to beat Dallas 2-1 on Wednesday.

With Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, the Sounders have arguably the league’s most dangerous strike force.

And the duo are working wonders to start the campaign.

Dempsey has scored a league-high eight goals, while Martins has netted four times and set up six others.

Schmid knows that with that duo up front, his side are going to worry most teams.

“If we get him (Martins) on the ball or we get Clint Dempsey on the ball in the last 25 yards … it’s problems for them,” Schmid said after his side’s win over Dallas.

“Our team never lost hope and faith and continued to show good character and battled well.”

New England are unbeaten in their past four but they have scored just nine times in as many league matches this season.

Real Salt Lake remain the league’s only unbeaten side, sitting second behind the Sounders, ahead of their trip to the Houston Dynamo.

A stunning 3-2 comeback win at the Chicago Fire was Real’s last outing as they extended their unbeaten run to start the campaign to nine.

Eastern Conference leaders Sporting Kansas City have an opportunity to pull further clear at the top with two matches in five days.

A winnable game at the Montreal Impact is followed by Wednesday’s home clash against the Philadelphia Union, with both their opponents in the bottom three in the East.

The Union face DC United on Saturday.

The New York Red Bulls should keep the pressure on Kansas City as they host the winless Chicago Fire on Saturday.

Dallas will be out to end a three-match losing run when they visit the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy face a trip to the Portland Timbers.

The out-of-form Columbus Crew are winless in six ahead of their meeting with the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Colorado Rapids will fancy their chances at home to Chivas USA.