Sounders hope to kick off CONCACAF group stage with win against Comunicaciones

The Seattle Sounders FC will have their work cut out for them when they face Guatemala's Comunicaciones on Aug. 16. The Sounders haven't had much success in the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, but they're hoping to change that statistic this time around.

"It's better because a lot of our players have not really played internationally or in Central America very often with the exception of a guy like Leo [Gonzalez]," Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said in an interview with Matt Gaschk. "These guys now in year two, they have an idea what the travel is like, they have an idea what the field is like, they have an idea what the accommodations will be like, and that's a big part of things when you play in the CONCACAF region."

The Sounders FC were unable to score any goals in their last outing, drawing Chivas USA 0-0 on Aug. 13. The Sounders FC tested Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy many times during the game but couldn't get a single goal past the veteran on Saturday. Seattle will hope for a better offensive outing when it hosts Comunicaciones at CenturyLink Field.

"You don't really know what to expect," Sounders forward Nate Jaqua said. "We've gone through it last year, so we have a little bit of a better idea. Some of these games, there a lot of kinda gamesmanship to them, and it's always kinda difficult, but if we come out there and play the way we can especially at home, we should be able to get a good result."

Seattle soccer fans were expecting forward O'Brian White's return to the Sounders FC lineup, but the 25-year-old's recovery ran into some problems over the weekend. The timetable of White's return is no longer certain, and the Sounders FC will have to explore their other options. With the summer transfer window coming towards its end, Seattle will have to make its move soon.

David has been a fan of the Seattle Sounders for the past 2 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter.

Sources:
Matt Gaschk, "Match Preview: vs Comunicaciones" SoundersFC.com
Player and game information from ESPN.com and MLSSoccer.com