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Sandy • They've seen Obafemi Martins and they've seen Clint Dempsey. But not together. Not yet in this 2014 Major League Soccer season. The odds remain in favor of Real Salt Lake facing arguably the top forward tandem in the league Friday night at Seattle's CenturyLink Field.
Combined, the duo has scored 23 goals and dished 15 assists for the league's top club and current Supporters' Shield race leader. Individually, Martins' burst and touch stands out across the landscape of forwards in MLS, while Dempsey's ability to float in space and create for himself — and teammates — is well documented.
But an intriguing caveat is the reality that RSL has never faced the Sounders when the two started up top together. Dempsey's return to MLS didn't feature him starting a match against RSL in 2013, and in each of the two meetings between the Western Conference foes in 2014, one was missing from the game-day lineup.
"Arguably the best combination in the league," defender Tony Beltran said. "They're on TV every week, so it's hard to ignore. They're incredible. They're doing very well and they're having a lot of success. I think Martins is arguably having an MVP-type season."
Martins scored in Seattle's 4-0 rout of RSL on May 31 at CenturyLink. Dempsey was absent in that outing, away with U.S. men's national team in preparation for the World Cup. In RSL's 2-1 home win over the Sounders on Aug. 16, Martins missed the match due to yellow card accumulation.
"They're guys that can hurt you in a bunch of different ways, even if they don't score up on the scoresheet," midfielder Ned Grabavoy said.
Saborio's progress
Saturday night's 2-1 win over FC Dallas will go down as one of the more memorable individual performances in RSL history. Forward Alvaro Saborio took 13 seconds to score his first goal after missing nearly four months due to a broken bone in his right foot. It kept RSL in the thick of the Western Conference race and distanced FC Dallas, but with Friday's massive match at Seattle looming, is Saborio fit enough to tackle more than substitute role?
"We'll tackle that as the week goes," RSL coach Jeff Cassar said. "Obviously it's not going out and playing, it's about playing at a high level for a long time."
RSL scoring leader Joao Plata returns to Utah on Wednesday after time with the Ecuadorian national team and new forward Sebastian Jaime continues to become versed in the necessities of being a striker in the club's formation. While Saborio works his way back to full 90-minute fitness, it's possible Robbie Findley and Olmes Garcia start up top against the Sounders.
Sandoval loaned to RailHawks
Second-year forward Devon Sandoval has been sent on a brief two-game loan to the NASL's Carolina RailHawks. The 23-year-old will be in Cary, N.C., until Sept. 20 due in large part to the club's reserve team not having a game until early October.
"It's good for [players] to be in a game, seeing things happen at game-speed," Cassar said. "It's a chance for Devon to hopefully score some goals, and get back that feeling of scoring."
After bursting onto the scene in 2013 and notching seven goals in all competitions, Sandoval's 2014 has been challenging as he worked his way back from an early-season injury and still is yet to the find the back of the net in 15 matches this season.
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
RSL at Seattle
O Friday, 8:30 p.m.
TV • NBC Sports Network