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Battery Alums Set to Square Off for MLS Cup Berth

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 11/27/16, 10:19AM EST

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Midfield battle between Sounders’ Alonso, Rapids’ Azira key in Sunday’s clash

A pair of former Charleston Battery midfielders could prove key on Sunday afternoon as the Colorado Rapids and Micheal Azira play host to Seattle Sounders FC and Osvaldo Alonso in the second leg of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (4 p.m. ET | ESPN).

The Sounders took a 2-1 lead from the first leg between the sides on home turf at CenturyLink Field on Tuesday night, and with Alonso set to maintain his role as the defensive shield in front of the side’s back four the Cuban standout has a chance to reach his and Seattle’s first MLS Cup Final.

“We’ve got a great opportunity in front of us,” Alonso told RaveTV. “We have to go there and fight. It’s one game – we have to play like it’s a final.

“I’m very excited, just waiting for that moment. You’ll have to see me after the game, to see my excited side. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. It’s time to do it.”

Alonso has helped the Sounders claim four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup’s in his time with the club, and also helped the Battery reach the final of the Open Cup in 2008 when he was named USL Rookie of the Year before heading to Seattle as it joined MLS in 2009.

For the past two seasons, Azira was a teammate of Alonso’s with the Sounders, having made the game journey from Charleston to Seattle prior to the 2014 MLS season. The goal-scorer in Charleston’s 1-0 victory against Wilmington Hammerheads FC in the 2012 USL Cup Final, which earned the Battery’s fourth league championship, Azira made 25 MLS appearances in his two seasons in the Emerald City.

Azira’s time with the Sounders was one of growth, however, as current Sounders Coach Brian Schmetzer – then an assistant – encouraged him to push higher.

“When you are not playing it is easy to give up or complain and whine,” Azira told ColoradoRapids.com’s Richard Clarke. “But Coach Schmetzer was so supportive of me. He encouraged me a lot. He always said: ‘You do not get so many minutes but you are good enough. You are here for a reason.’ He continued to push me. I was happy for him to become head coach as he is a good guy and he knows the game.”

With Sam Cronin suspended for Sunday’s game, Azira is set to step into the midfield after a breakout regular season that saw him make 31 appearances for his new club. With the chance to take a second league championship as a professional at stake, Azira is ready to do what it takes to earn the Rapids’ first trip to the MLS Cup Final since 2010.

“This is my time, my moment,” Azira told Clarke. “And that applies to the club as well. We have not been here for a while. You never know next year if you will be able to do the same things again. So we are going to give everything no matter what.”

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