The Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy renew their heavyweight rivalry on Monday evening (10 pm ET, ESPN2, TSN2), in what Seattle coach Sigi Schmid is terming "real Monday Night Football." Considering that these two teams have a history of playoff meetings and goal-fests, this should be a good one.
So here are 14 reasons you don't want to miss it:
1. Because Clint Dempsey can allegedly conjure fire.
2. Because Robbie Keane can apparently conjure silence at CenturyLink Field.
The crowd goes away when the whistles blows. I have played in stadiums of 100,000 and 80,000 people and it goes away. You can switch it off. – Robbie Keane, 2012
3. And because he's always done well against the Sounders.
4. Because it's a battle of hair styles: Seattle's DeAndre Yedlin or LA's Gyasi Zardes?
5. Because the Galaxy have not won in Seattle since March 2011 – four games, including playoffs – after winning three of the first four. Though they kind of got their mojo back last time they traveled north, at the end of last season.
6. Because this game includes two of the most dynamic duos in MLS: Seattle's Dempsey & Obafemi Martins vs. LA's Keane & Landon Donovan.
- Dempsey/Martins: 17 goals (1G/1.42 gms), 9 assists, 83 shots, 44 chances created.
- Keane/Donovan: 13 goals (1G/2.33 gms), 10 assists, 95 shots, 66 chances created.
7. Because who doesn't want to reignite the Dempsey-Donovan debate all over again?
8. Because before Omar Gonzalez was everyone's favorite big, young All-star center back, Chad Marshall carried the same tag. And he's rediscovered his old form this year with the Sounders.
9. Because we might see LA's Robbie Rogers at his newest position: left back.
10. Because the soccer geeks want to know where Landon lines up: at the top of a diamond? Out wide? On the (gulp!) bench?
11. Because there's a good chance we'll see a goal off a direct kick, like this one from Seattle's Marco Pappa.
Or this one from LA's Juninho.
14. Because it's on national TV in the US (ESPN2) and Canada (TSN2), which means you've got no excuse.
