Even in soccer, where goals and are distributed with frequency nearly equal to Willy Wonka's Golden Tickets, four consecutive shutouts in a row is a highly respectable stretch of defense.

But that can't be said definitively, because a season-high gathering of 39,312 at the Clink Saturday night did not get to witness four. Zeroes stopped at three and a half. So did the Sounders' five-game winning streak.

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MATCH: Real Salt Lake (7-3-2, 23 points, 2nd, West Conf.) at Seattle Sounders FC (7-1-1, 22 points, 3rd, West Conf.). TYPE: MLS. WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m., CenturyLink Field. MEETING: 7th (series tied 2-2-2 in MLS). TV: KONG 6/16. RADIO: 97.3 KIRO FM; SPANISH RADIO: La Gran D 99.3 FM.

The Sounders' most compelling match of the  season is Saturday night when Western Conference leader Real Salt Lake (23 points) arrives to play a Seattle side riding a five-game winning streak and off to the best start in franchise history. A win would give Seattle 15 points in a 15-day stretch of five games.

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For the first six games of the Sounders' season, Fredy Montero could identify a little with Albert Pujols.

Not in terms of profile or contract, but Montero probably could feel the Los Angeles Angels slugger's pain in terms of unfulfilled expectations.

But it appears he's ready to play catch-up.

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Sounders FC  locally have gone from phenomenon to a pleasant fact of sporting life in Seattle, where it's expected that they will sell out CenturyLink Field at 38,000-plus for every home match. It now causes a minor buzz when a few hundred empty seats are visible.

Now that they they are off to the fastest eight-game start in their brief history, there is increasing discussion that the Sounders have upgraded their talent to not only survive injury and win a post-season series for the first time, but to take the MLS Cup.

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MATCH: Seattle Sounders FC (6-1-1, 16 points, 3rd, West Conf.) at FC Dallas (3-3-3, 12 points, 6th, West Conf.) TYPE: MLS. WHEN: Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., FC Dallas Stadium, Frisco, TX. MEETING: 7th (Sounders lead 2-1-3 in MLS). TV: KONG 6/16. RADIO: 97.3 KIRO FM; SPANISH RADIO: La Gran D 99.3 FM.

Third in the Western Conference (19 points) behind the San Jose Earthquakes (22) and Real Salt Lake (22), but playing fewer games, the Seattle Sounders will try to extend the best start to a season in franchise history when they engage FC Dallas Wednesday.

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Mauro Rosales deserves full credit for his first goal of the season, but it probably wasn't coincidence that it happened  just a couple of minutes after Eddie Johnson entered the game as a reserve.

The Sounders' flashy newcomer combined with fellow striker Fredy Montero to advance the ball in the 63rd minute to the foot of Rosales at the top of the penalty area. The Argentine midfielder took it from there, controlling the dribble and blasting a low, hard 10-yarder to the far post past rookie Philadelphia goalie Zac MacMath for the only score in the 1-0 win Saturday at the Clink, the Sounders' fourth in a row.

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MATCH: Philadelphia Union (2-4-1, 7 points, East Conf.) at Seattle Sounders FC (5-1-1, 13 points, 4th, West Conf.). TYPE: MLS. WHEN: Saturday, 1:30 p.m., CenturyLink Field. MEETING: 5th (Union leads 2-1-1 in MLS). TV: KONG 6/16. RADIO: 97.3 KIRO FM; SPANISH RADIO: La Gran D 99.3 FM.

Minus its starting goalkeeper, Seattle Sounders FC aims its fourth consecutive victory hey've isolated it to the particular muscle. Saturday when it hosts the Philadelphia Union in a matinee at. The Sounders are third in the Western Conference, while the Union is in eighth place in the East. Philadelphia has won two of its last three matches.

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Normally it's the Los Angeles Galaxy that has the stars and the scores. Wednesday night, they had nada and nil.

Stars and scores? Sounders FC had both.

Eddie Johnson and Fredy Montero may lack the marquee power of David Beckham and  Robbie Keane. But the Sounders' striker tandem at least had the courtesy to show up at the Clink. And the audacity to show off.

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MATCH: Los Angeles Galaxy (3-3-1, 10 points, 7th, West Conf.) at Seattle Sounders FC (4-1-1, 13 points, 4th, West Conf.). TYPE: MLS. WHEN: Wednesday, 7 p.m., CenturyLink Field. MEETING: 7th (Galaxy leads 5-0-1 in MLS). TV: KONG 6/16. RADIO: 97.3 KIRO FM; SPANISH RADIO: La Gran D 99.3 FM.

After playing three matches in April, the Sounders play seven in May, including three in the next week, starting with a visit by the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Galaxy Wednesday.Surprisingly, L.A. has already lost three times and is coming off a 1-1 draw with F.C. Dallas.

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The Sounders survived a blustery evening, a late scare and multiple post-match scuffles to prevail 2-1 over the Fire in Chicago Saturday night, making for a second consecutive undefeated April.

Cruising along with a 2-0 lead, the Sounders were shocked in the 89th minute by a corner kick from Marco Pappa that went in untouched over the outstretched hands of goalie Michael Gspurning.

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