Sounders, D.C. United both trying to break loose

Scoring is bound to feel special to the Seattle Sounders and D.C. United. That's because goals haven't come frequently this season.

The teams meet Saturday night in Washington, trying to snap out of various slumps.

D.C. United (2-3-4, 10 points) had registered at least one team point in three straight matches prior to a 3-2 loss to visiting Orlando and a 2-0 setback at New York City FC.

D.C. United had only 16 players in uniform for the last match, though coach Troy Lesesne refused to allow excuses.

"What I expect is anyone that's in our group has to display the things we talk about," he said.

The team should be closer to full strength this weekend, at least in terms of depth. D.C. has relied heavily on Christian Benteke, who's scored half the team's 12 goals this year.

Seattle (1-4-3, 6 points) is coming off Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Sounders' third shutout in its past four matches.

"We have to find a way to turn that around," Sounders forward Jordan Morris said.

The exception came with a 5-0 romp past CF Montreal, but now the Sounders have gone more than 180 minutes of match time without a goal since Dylan Teves scored in extra time in the Montreal match April 6.

Seattle assistant coach Andy Rose said D.C. United is bound to present challenges with a new system and the energy for a home match. The Sounders can't be overly consumed by that.

"For us, it needs to be really thinking about the fundamentals and ensuring that technically, we're really sound on the ball," Rose said.

Frustration has been evident from the Sounders, with defender Alex Roldan apologizing this week for his red card vs. Vancouver. The red card means he must sit out the match against D.C. United.

D.C. United had some anguish of their own last week, yielding an early goal and that put the team in a bind.

"Can't start a match like that," Lesesne said.

This is part of a two-match East Coast trip for the Sounders, who visit Philadelphia on Tuesday. They hope the extra time together brings a positive vibe.

"I think that could be helpful in terms of bonding together," Morris said.