The Seattle Sounders have weathered a summer that’s included a combination of depth-depleting injuries, international absences, suspensions and a franchise-record goal-scoring drought. But now, they’ve finally snapped out of their recent slump with a resounding 4-0 blowout of Orlando City SC at CenturyLink Field last Sunday. The Sounders now look to maintain that offensive momentum as they head to Rio Tinto Stadium for a Saturday evening road tilt with Western Conference foe Real Salt Lake (10 pm ET; MLS LIVE). Seattle Head coach Sigi Schmid says the matchup should carry an even greater degree of intensity than usual given the playoff implications involved. Coming into the game, RSL trail Seattle by just three points for the sixth and final playoff spot in the West. “It’s going to be a brawl,” Schmid told reporters Thursday after Seattle’s training session at Starfire Soccer Complex. “It’s going to be a game that’s a hotly contested match, from the standpoint that they see us ahead in the standings and they’re a team that’s becoming desperate for points. But we’re a team that also needs our points, so it’s definitely going to have a playoff feel to it.” Seattle’s depth has seen a marked improvement in recent weeks, as star forward Obafemi Martins made his return to the lineup against Orlando following a nine-game injury absence, and then scored two goals. New acquisitions Nelson Valdez and Roman Torres also debuted last week, drawing positive reviews from Schmid on their contributions in their first game action with the team. But Seattle will still be missing a few key faces at RSL, as forward Clint Dempsey and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso each figure to miss the contest with hamstring injuries.

SOUNDERS LEAVE IT LATE, BUT GET VITAL CCL WIN

“They’re making progress,” Schmid said of Dempsey and Alonso on Friday. “I can’t tell when they’re going to be back or what day they’re going to be back, but they’re both making good progress.” Newly acquired Austrian midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz is also unlikely to make his Sounders debut, as he is still working his way back from a quad injury. The Sounders that do play have the task of keeping their side on track as they navigate through their busiest stretch of the season. Following Saturday’s game, the team heads back to Seattle for one day of training before departing to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to continue CONCACAF Champions League play against Club Olimpia (10 pm ET; Fox Soccer Plus).

FIRST WIN AND FIRST HAT-TRICK OF SEASON FOR HOWE’S BOYS

After two desperately disappointing and unlucky 1-0 defeats Eddie Howe took his newly promoted Bournemouth team to the east end of London and showed West Ham United how to play football – yeah, the Academy? You may remember that I spoke of Howe earlier in this book about being the brightest young manager around and the future of English football and this performance had his stamp all over such words. Not only did they bring their brand of football, which was so attractive in the Championship, into the Premiership arena but they scored four goals which really did not do them justice. Calum Wilson, their leading marksman last season, walked off the Upton Park pitch with the match ball under his arm and along with his manager spoke of how they had not only arrived but with their wonderful work ethic, are here to stay. One day I’m reading (well browsing through) Jose Mourinho bumbing himself up and the next I’m listening to the brilliant Bournemouth boss speak of football in such a different manner. I cannot tell you how much Howe has spent on his very talented team, but at a guess I reckon if you added the whole squad up, Diego Costa would cost more alone.

How exciting it is to have such a team in the Premiership, or should I say, refreshing, as I told Tony Jiminez the night before when talking of the signing of Pedro from Barcelona, ‘Mourinho was great when he first came and was a breath of fresh air, but that air has turned a different coloured Blue since his return’. It seems his incredible success has turned him into some kind of Messiah, one that is turning our game into a circus. If the money and cheating is not bad enough we now have a Jose Mourinho sideshow. He should really take back seat and whilst resting take a look at Eddie Howe, a poverty manager of sheer class, one who gets a hold of players from nowhere and the result was for all to see. Yeah, I hear your reply, “But will he in anything?” When I was playing winning was the one most important thing as you slipped into your playing strip, but as I told Tony, ‘People pay good, hard earned money to be entertained’ and that is what Bournemouth gave us today, whereas watching Chelsea’s mutil-millionaire=pound team against Swansea had me leaving the stadium talking about Gary Monk and his team. Jose Mourinho is paid to select players and players are played to play not to talk utter nonsense.

I can write you a script of what our players will be telling us before the next European Championships and trust me it will not happen, just like all of the other times we have heard that same song, you know tha one that wears thin.

Anyhow, ‘Bravo Bournemouth’ and I can only say I wish I could have been in your dressing room and then in the bar with you afterward.