Sigi Schmid spoke Saturday in the South Bay (Photo: Getty Images).
Seattle Coach Sigi Schmid held a teleconference with a few members of the media this morning ahead of Sunday’s 6 p.m. playoff decided at Home Depot Center.
Incidentally, he was speaking from the team’s hotel at the Torrance Marriott, just down the street from his old house opposite City Hall on Torrance Boulevard (while I’m sitting next door at the Daily Breeze office) and that has to be strange for the former long-time Torrance resident on some level.
In any event, Schmid didn’t have a lot of time, but pointed out that:
*Former Galaxy central defender Tyrone Marshall, who turns 36 next week, is indeed likely to replace the injured Jeff Parke in the center of the Sounders defense. Wonder if Landon Donovan and co., will focus on the veteran as much as Seattle attempted to exploit Eddie Lewis last weekend?
*”We need to win and we need to score,” he said of Seattle’s game plan. “I don’t expect the Galaxy to be that much different because they were successful at what they did in Seattle. But being at home I expect they will be willing to go forward a little more than they did in Seattle.”
*Seattle, owner of the second-best road record in MLS and winners of three of its last four on the road, face a similar challenge to the one San Jose encountered when they went to New York Thursday with a one-goal deficit, but overcame that on the road.
“I’ve called (Quakes coach) Frank Yallop and I’ve asked him for whatever lucky charm (he has). … It’s a situation that you want to attack in an appropriate manner. We are definitely going to attack, but by the same token we’re not going to throw caution to the wind in minute one like you do in minute 80.”
*For old friend Jurgen Klinsmann, a Huntington Beach resident and former Galaxy advisor, getting involved with FC Toronto can only be a positive development. “It’s great. … His involvement with Toronto is good for their organization, but it’s also good for our league to have a person of his caliber involved.”
