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Nicolas Lodeiro

Sounders midfielder, Roldan, battles for the ball.
Seattle Sounders

What is going on with the Sounders?

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

Instead of writing the usual match reports, I have spent the last few weeks trying to figure out what the hell is up with the Sounders. Seattle’s “Summer with the Champs” media campaign was a way to take a bit of a victory lap after their historic Concacaf Champions League campaign. The victory celebration culminated with the banner drop in front of the Portland Timbers. The FO did it with the idea that we would rub it into our rivals’ faces with a victory. But, of course, that party was decidedly spoiled on the day, and the Sounders haven’t had a chance to celebrate.

Since the revealing of the banner, the Sounders have only earned six points from the last eight games. In that same time, they have only scored two, TWO goals from open play. Even with having their DP striker out, it’s just plain embarrassing. There are plenty of reasons to think why the Sounders are in their rut, but for now, I am only going to talk about the three most significant things that come to my mind.

Image via Seattle Sounders FC

Can we not score without Raul?

In the previous five games, they have won once, and in the last three, they have not scored. While Ruidiaz has had his fair share of injury issues this season, we still have Jordan Morris, Nico Lodeiro, Albert Rusnak, and Fredy Montero. All of whom are more than capable of scoring on their own. So what is the problem?

Over the last eight games, the Sounders have an xG of just above one (expected goals) and outshoot their opponents 93-84. So it’s clear they are taking chances and getting into positions, but they are not taking any good enough chances. Of those 93 shots they have taken in the last eight games, only 22 have been on target. That makes just 23% of their shots have been on target. That number is astonishing for a team that is considered part of the elite of MLS.

Both Nico and Rusnak have averaged double-digit numbers in the past, but they have not been able to achieve those numbers due to the positions they’ve played. The same goes for Morris. He’s playing on the wing despite being a natural forward. So again, I don’t want to blame position placement or Schmetz’s tactics, but it’s something to consider.

Depth, or lack thereof

Ruidiaz’s absence has shown in the lack of scoring, but João Paulo’s and now Vargas’s injuries may have been the most damaging of all. The injuries have had a cascading effect that has forced a rotating cast at the defensive midfield positions. This is mainly for those who are not defensive midfielders in the slightest. Dropping both Lodeiro and Rusnák back has not worked as they had planned. While Lodeiro said he will always do whatever is necessary to help the team, he prefers the ’10’ or advanced role. Given the Sounders’ roster issues, they may need to find reinforcements outside the organization.

The transfer window is now closed, and it would have been a perfect time to bring in someone. According to Sounder at Heart, the Sounders have $1.175 available in GAM after trading an international spot to Atlanta United. Garth has clarified that they will use that money to balance the books. The MLS window is closed, but there is still time to sign a free agent. There are plenty of players available for free that could fall under the TAM or GAM salary limits.

Signing a player on a free is nothing like it is on FIFA or Football Manager, but you have to think the Sounders will be open to bringing in a player to help fill a much-needed gap.

Playing players out of position.

This is one that I have been sitting on for the entire season. The Sounders have been playing too many players out of position for too long. I get that the players can do a job in those spots, but that does not mean the coach should permanently play them. The most significant example of that is Kellyn Rowe. He is the perfect squad player and utility man. He loves this team. But he is not an out-and-out starter; yet, Schmetz tries to get him on the pitch as much as possible. As a result, Rowe is a player who should be coming off the bench to impact the play late in the game.

Another player that I don’t have too many complaints about is Rusnak. He is a natural #10 and loves being up the pitch. Last season he hit double-digit figures in goals and assists. However, because of the Sounders’ lack of CDM depth and JP going down, he has been moved back into a #6 role and plays like a Regista (Think Andrea Pirlo-esque). The problem with this is that there is no defensive-minded CDM to play along with him so he can move up more. There needs to be a true #6 to play in those roles to hold down the midfield. Those players are not Roldan, not Nico, and please, not Rowe. Instead, we have Leyva and Atencio available, who are capable of starting and hardly see the field.

Final Thoughts

The Sounders always find a way to get back into it. By definition, they are a second-half-of-the-season kind of team. The highs from winning the Champions League are over. It is time to focus on the league and get back in form. Raul is back from injury, so hopefully, the poor scoring rate gets better. Also, he is playing in the MLS All-Star game (not happy about that), so he should be game ready for the next match.

Ten games are left in the season, and every single one is crucial. While the Sounders have a game in hand, they must put games away. The West is as competitive as ever, and plenty of teams are vying for those top seven spots. The Sounders have the squad and pedigree to do it. They just have to show it.

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Sounders celebrate Fredy Montero scoring
Seattle Sounders

Sounders ran through the Six with three points

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The Seattle Sounders headed to the Great White North to take on Bob Bradley’s Toronto FC. By the end, Schmetz was feeling better than Bob as the Sounders left Toronto with a 2-0 win. This win takes them to the number four spot in the Western Conference. 

Coming off the heels of the Sounders’ 2-1 loss to Montreal, Brian Schmetzer had a decision to make. After playing his starters two games this week, squad rotation was something Schmetzer had to consider seriously. Of course, Schmetzer would admit it; there was also the matter of a particular rivalry match a week from Saturday. It would be nice for some of his starters to get a little rest.

Stefan Frei, Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan, and Albert Rusnák were all left at home and allowed to rest while Stefan Cleveland, Léo Chú, Dylan Teves, and Danny Leyva started in their places. In addition, Kelyn Rowe was allowed to start on the bench, and Jimmy Medranda stepped in at left wingback as the Sounders opted for a 5-4-1 with a box midfield.

Lineups:

Seattle Sounders: 5-4-1

Toronto FC: 4-4-2

Match Report

Sounders Starting XI

Image via Seattle Sounders FC

The Sounders opened up the scoring late in the first half thanks to Dylan Teves’ first career MLS goal. The play started with a long ball from Stefan Cleveland down the left side to Medranda. Medranda slipped the ball forward for Léo Chú to run onto and hit a low cross into the box that Teves hit the ball the first time.

Toronto started putting on the pressure after the opening goal, looking to work their way back into the game. Nine of Toronto’s 13 total shots came after Teves scored, but for all their effort, the Sounders created better opportunities and finished the best of them at the hour mark. Jackson Ragen sprayed the ball out wide to Alex Roldan, who cut in-field and found Fredy Montero. Montero dropped the ball back to Nico Lodeiro with his first touch and started his run through the backline. Lodeiro returned the ball, and Montero slotted it home. 

With that goal, Fredy is now the first Sounders player to score 74 goals for the club. Absolutely HISTORIC.

Schmetzer took a risk, and it paid off. Schmetzer can reasonably feel like he hit a mini-jackpot, as the win catapulted the Sounders into fourth place, which would be suitable for at least one home playoff game. Breaking out the 3-man backline, the Sounders got the tactics nearly perfect. Aside from a handful of TFC chances, the Sounders controlled the match’s tempo and could have scored another goal or two. Along with the clean sheet, the two-goal margin boosted the Sounders’ goal difference to +7, vital as they look at tiebreakers down the line.

Post Math Thoughts

Montero magic

Fredy Montero has struggled to influence games for most of the season. But with the Sounders significantly depleted, they needed their once-and-current all-time leading scorer to reclaim a bit of that old-time magic. And boy did he deliver against Toronto. Leading the attacking line, Montero gave the Sounders a big-time boost, tracking back to help disrupt the Toronto midfield and holding up the ball to assist in the transition. He was unlucky not to score early in the second half, when his shot hit the underside of the crossbar in the 52nd minute, but got his reward just a few minutes after.

Welcome to MLS, Dylan Teves

With the Sounders dealing with rotation and injuries, it was a rare opportunity for Teves to make another impression. Consider the Sounders duly impressed, as Teves found himself the beneficiary of a bit of individual brilliance from Léo Chú and clinically finished a pass from the Brazilian to open the Sounders scoring. In addition, Teves also became the youngest Sounder to score in their first MLS start since Fredy Montero did it just a bit younger in 2009. Not bad company to keep.

Léo Chú finally finding his footing

Many fans have written off Léo Chú, but they may want to start changing their minds. The young Brazilian has increasingly found himself part of Schmetzer’s rotation and has rewarded the coaches’ trust. Chú has been able to use his speed and skill on the ball to get himself in dangerous positions all day. He easily could have had another assist or two on the day. It’s been tough sledding for Chú as he gets acclimated to MLS and breaks into an established Sounders side. However, things look like an upswing for the lad.

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Sounders Celebrate after a Ruidiaz goal
Seattle Sounders

Ruidiaz Scores Worldie in Comeback Win

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

On Sunday, the Sounders started their five-game home stretch with a fantastic come-from-behind victory over league newcomers Charlotte FC. Charlotte grabbed an early lead, scoring off a set-piece, and looked to be on their way to their first-ever road win. But, thanks to a Jordan Morris goal in the 71st minute, followed by an unreal goal from Raúl Ruidiaz, the Sounders secured all three points. 

They have now moved within two points of the playoff line with two games in hand.

Lineups

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

Charlotte FC: 4-1-4-1

Match Report

The Sounders started the match with an important message that was 1000% necessary and crucial for the future of this country.

The Sounders seemed destined to be left ruing missed chances for much of the night, having created plenty of opportunities but lacking the finishing touch. Ultimately it was Charlotte that opened the scoring in the 21st minute. Albert Rusnák committed a foul on the edge of Seattle’s penalty area, and Jordy Alcívar stepped up to take the free kick. His shot went around the wall and came off the post. The young Ben Bender was first to the rebound and put the visitors in front. 

Seattle continued to push but found no luck came in the first half.

In the opening stages of the second half, it even looked like Charlotte might be most likely to get the next goal. Although, everything shifted in the 71st minute.

Alex Roldán got the ball on the right-wing and cut it back to his left before sending in a beautiful weak-footed cross that found Jordan Morris unmarked in the box. Morris headed the ball in the back of the net, making it even at 1-1. From there, the search for a winner was on.

Seattle kept probing, and in the 80th minute, Raúl Ruidiaz took it into his own hands. Nico Lodeiro found Ruidíaz with a tricky free-kick from the right edge of the penalty area, and the Charlotte defense blocked Ruidiaz’s initial shot. But, after the initial block, he wheeled to the top of the box and sent an arcing blast to the top corner for the winner. 

While the Sounders had to fight back from a frustrating deficit, three points still count the same at the end of the season.

Post Match Thoughts

Ruidiaz after scoring the winning goal

Image via Seattle Sounders FC

Jordan Morris’ return to glory

It’s fair to say that so far in 2022, Morris has not quite looked like himself. Or at least he hasn’t quite looked like himself at his peak. He’s shown flashes, burning players down the wings, or putting in an instinctual finish or pass here and there, but he hasn’t put it all together since his return from the ACL injury.

Despite that, he’s put together six goals and one assist in 18 total appearances this season. He’s averaging about .40 goals per 90, which isn’t exactly elite, but it’s better than his career average, and it’s exciting to think of how much better he could be down the stretch.

Yeimar is our rock

Yeimar’s absence during the early stages of the season may prove to be a blessing down the road, as it provided Jackson Ragen with valuable experience. Ragen was impressed during his run with the first team and certainly earned himself further opportunities, but against Charlotte, Yeimar reminded all of us why that starting spot is his until someone takes it from him.

He put in a Man of the Match quality performance, winning 6 of 7 duels — 5 of 5 on the ground — 2 of 2 tackles attempted, and adding eight interceptions and recoveries. He was everywhere, closing down attacks and more than ably contributing with the ball at his feet.

Raul Ruidiaz in form

After last night, Raul has now scored three goals in the previous four league matches. The man is on FIRE. In addition, in those games he scored, the Sounders have won. This good run of form started from the CCL final after scoring himself a brace on that glorious night.

Ruidiaz got off to a slow start thanks to an injury at the beginning of the season, but he is back to his usual self. On the wrong side of 30, most pundits and writers would write him off. If anything, he has found his footing even more than before. If Raul can keep this form, he can easily catch up with the rest of the top scorers in the league. Let’s hope he wants to stay in Seattle for the rest of his career. In my eyes, he’s already a legend. I’m sure most Sounders fans would agree with me as well.

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Seattle Sounders

Sounders win Champions League in Style

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

They’ve done it. The Seattle Sounders have finally done what no other MLS team could in the modern iteration of this tournament. They managed hostile terrain, historic Mexican sides, the reigning MLS Cup champions, and the usual array of Concacaf-ing to become the league’s first continental champions. Time to be insufferable.

Lineups:

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

Pumas:

Match Report

Although the Sounders ultimately beat Pumas UNAM 3-0 in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions League — 5-2 on aggregate — and looked pretty comfortable doing it, the opening half provided more than enough reason to worry. Seattle created chances early but lost Nouhou in the 11th minute and João Paulo in the 29th to injuries. After that, both sides pushed, but Stefan Frei stood up to the challenge at each turn to keep Pumas out.

Then in the final minute of first-half regulation time, Raúl Ruidíaz did what we all knew he would: hammered a ball in the area that beat the goalkeeper after a deflection. After that, Lumen Field exploded, and while we didn’t know it then, nothing was ever the same again.

Pumas only had one decent chance in the second half, which drew an excellent save from Frei.

The final 45 minutes were effectively all Sounders, and the payoff came in the final 10 minutes. Ruidíaz doubled his tally on an excellent team goal in the 80th minute, finishing off a sequence that included a ball from Alex Roldan that released Jordan Morris down the wing. Morris drove at the penalty area before playing a drop pass to the top of the box for Nico Lodeiro, who found Ruidíaz running into the box.

Minutes later, Lodeiro hammered the ball home, finishing the rebound following a great play by Morris to create space and get a shot off from the right side. 

That settled any questions about a possible Pumas comeback as the Sounders took their final steps into glory. The Seattle Sounders, Concacaf Champions. History has been made.

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders Striker, Ruidiaz, scores in the final

Image via Steph Chambers/Getty Images

I have never heard Lumen Field this loud. Seattle came out to party and the stadium was BOOMIN. You could even feel the noise and vibrations in the press box! The atmosphere was euphoric, to say the least. I would even compare it to some of the biggest games in Europe. Who would have thought we’d be saying that 10 years ago?

The Sounders deserved to win.

One of the talking points coming into this match was how the Sounders would deal with the pressure of a championship match at home, with the expectations of seemingly the entire league on their shoulders. The last time the Sounders hosted a final was the 2019 MLS Cup, where they started slowly before finishing strong. Unfortunately for Pumas, that wasn’t the case here, as the Sounders dominated for the overwhelming majority of play. That isn’t to say Pumas didn’t have their opportunities, but thanks to another stellar performance from Stefan Frei, they couldn’t breach the Sounders’ net, and the Sounders defense kept Pumas mostly at bay.

A title run for the ages

While the Sounders didn’t face off against Tigres or Club America, they ran through serious competition for the title. The Sounders went undefeated during the run, including twice in Mexico and on the road in New York. Tossing in their opening series against Motagua, they had a dominant run. Four road draws with four dominating wins at home sealed the deal.

Ruidiaz shows up when we need him.

One of the nerviest situations for a soccer team — aside from hosting the Biggest Match in Team History — is when you’re dominating play and don’t have anything to show for it. One misplay or bad bounce could mean heartbreak. But when the tension is at its highest, teams need their stars to shine. Enter Raul Ruidiaz, who always seems to show up when, and where the Sounders need him most. While his first tally won’t win any Goal of the Year nominations, it did give the Sounders the advantage, significant in Concacaf matches, where deficits mean time-wasting and cynicism.

Sounders’ midfield maestros

Much of the credit for the Sounders’ dominant display has to go to the midfield. In particular, Nicolas Lodeiro and Albert Rusnak gave Pumas fits with their dribbling ability and close control, helping the Sounders keep the ball when they needed to or spring attacks when the opportunities presented themselves. Rusnak was instrumental in the opening goal, dribbling several defenders and centering the ball to Arreaga, who laid it off for Ruidiaz’s deflected finish. And what is there to say about Nicolas Lodeiro, who capped off a fantastic game with the third goal of the match late in the game. And the celebration at Lumen was well and truly on.

MOTM

While the official Man of The Match went to Raul Ruidiaz for his brace to lead the Sounders to a historic victory, I feel that Rusnak should have deserved it. The newest DP signing struggled a tad bit in his first few games as a Sounder, but his form leading up to the final has been superb. His form continued into the final as he was KEY in every aspect of the midfield. The game went through him at every opportunity and his work rate was insane. Every player did their part today, but Rusnak was on another level.

 

The Sounders will get a crack at Liverpool, Real Madrid, or Palmeiras in the FIFA Club World Cup in the nearish future. First, however, they’ll look to recover from a slow MLS start to keep their playoff streak alive. Unfortunately, they may have to accomplish a feat without the services of João Paulo. He received his champions medal on crutches after leaving the match with a season-ending ACL injury midway in the first half.

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Captain Nico celebrates a Sounders win
Seattle Sounders

Sounders Advance to CCL Final

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The Sounders have done it! For the first time in club history, the Sounders advanced to the CONCACAF Champions League final after a 1-1 draw last Wednesday against NYCFC. The Sounders withstood heavy pressure from NYCFC in the second half to advance to the final against Pumas UNAM.

Seattle is looking to become the first MLS team ever to win the tournament after the previous four sides from the MLS failed in the final. The top-tier Mexican soccer league, a club from Liga MX, has won the last 16 CONCACAF Champions League finals.

The Sounders have been dominant in this year’s tournament, scoring 13 goals and allowing just three goals in six fixtures.

Lineups:

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

New York City FC: 4-2-3-1

Match Report

The Sounders took the lead through yet another beautifully worked team goal that included a gorgeous diagonal ball from Jackson Ragen to Nouhou and a great cross into the box from Nouhou that Raúl Ruidíaz knocked home.

NYCFC tied the game, bringing the aggregate deficit back to two early in the second half. Seattle had an excellent opportunity to close the door minutes later as Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan got out on the counter. Still, when Roldan found Morris with a great look inside the area, his shot was right at the one defender standing on the goal line.

NYCFC continued to push for more goals to get back into the series, but try as they might, they weren’t going to beat Stefan Frei. As New York racked up 25 shots, Frei recorded seven saves, with more than a few stops coming spectacularly. With Frei making his best brick wall impression and the rest of the squad doing their best to limit the danger of the shots that New York got off, Seattle held off the Pigeons for the better part of an hour and secured their place in the finals.

After that, they will face UNAMs on the road before hosting them in the second leg for a chance to lift another trophy at Lumen Field. Finally, the dates are confirmed, with the first leg on April 27th in Mexico and the second leg at home on May 4th. Tickets for the home leg sold out within an hour!

Key moments

1’ — Taty Castellanos slams into Xavier Arreaga as the Sounder wins a header to draw a yellow.

28’ — Sounders goal! Raúl Ruidíaz opens the scoring with a first-time finish after an excellent pass from Nouhou. 1-0 (4-1) Sounders

44’ — Nico Lodeiro wins the ball outside NYCFC’s area and finds Ruidíaz inside the box. Ruidíaz takes a touch to create space, which leads to nothing.

51’ — New York pulls one back. After hitting the post twice, Alex Roldan gets beat coming into the box, allowing a cutback and a finish through traffic. 1-1 (4-2)

60’ — Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan play a fantastic sequence down the field, and Roldan finds Morris for a great chance, but the shot hits a body on the goal line.

63’ — Another good chance for NYCFC, but Stefan Frei stands his ground and blocks the shot before the ball goes out for a goal kick.

73’ — Stefan Frei! Talles Magno with another great look on a New York counter, but Frei drops and blocks the shot from point-blank range!

88’ — Another close one for NYCFC, but Frei dives across the goal and paws the ball away, then Kelyn Rowe draws a foul to stop the danger.

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders celebrate Ruidiaz's goal in CCL

Image via Seattle Sounders FC Twitter

STEFAN FREI. ENOUGH SAID. Everyone outside the Greater Seattle Metro area has criminally underappreciated and underrated Stefan Frei. He’s been one of, if not the best goalkeeper in MLS for years. He passes the eye test, too, frequently making highlight-reel saves and repeatedly ruining MLS attackers’ lives.

He rightfully won the MLS Cup Final MVP in 2016 but has little love for Goalkeeper of the Year. After missing time to injury in 2021, there were questions about how he’d do in his return. Tonight’s performance was no indication that Stefan Frei’s decline was exaggerated. However, this could finally get the glory that he deserves.

There have been plenty of complaints about the Sounders’ slow start or poor record to begin the MLS season. But fans have every reason to be okay with that because the Sounders are cruising through the Champions League. While they’ve gone 2-2-1 with a goal differential of 0 in MLS play, Seattle has yet to lose a game in CCL play, outscoring their opponents 13-3 while going 3-0-3.

Despite that, they’ve done it while rotating players in and out of the lineup. This is a team built for great things, for making history. As they advance to the CCL Finals, they’ll get to do it at home in front of their fans.

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ECS reveals memorable TIFO in Sounders home opener
Seattle Sounders

Sounders Extend League Winless Streak

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The conditions for the season opener may have been straight from the Sounders’ playbook. But it was Nashville SC who basked in the “Seattle Sunshine” at the end of 90 at Lumen Field. Nashville showed they were up for the fight from the get-go, strategically pressing into turnovers. And while they didn’t create many opportunities, they certainly kept the Sounders from doing much to start the game.

Lineups

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

Nashville SC: 4-2-3-1

Match Report

The city of Seattle had set the scene. The mood surrounding the Seattle Sounders was about as good as you could ask following a disappointing end to last season. They were coming off a resounding win over Motagua in Concacaf Champions League, seemingly shaking off the frustration that had carried over.

Nashville SC came out with a game plan to frustrate the Sounders and execute it flawlessly. However, their press was compelling enough that the Sounders struggled to get out of their end. The Sounders eventually started connecting passes, but it was mainly through their two fullbacks and rarely through the middle of the park.

After Nashville broke through for the game’s first goal in the 80th minute, the Sounders applied sustained pressure. And it wasn’t until the 87th minute that they put a shot on frame. A 0-0 score probably would have been a fair result, but it’s hard to argue the Sounders deserved any better than the 1-0 loss.

“Yeah, that’s an organized team; they are very cohesive in the way they play,” Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan said of Nashville. “We didn’t get too many opportunities to run in behind the backline because of the way they play. It’s always frustrating to play a game like that, but I didn’t think we played very well. I felt that we were lacking a little bit today.”

Perhaps the best illustration of the Sounders’ struggles was the degree to which their two most attack-oriented starters were limited. Sam Adeniran replaced the injured Raúl Ruidíaz at forward. Jordan Morris combined for just 33 touches, one-shot, and zero dribbles inside the penalty area in 119 combined minutes.

Nashville deserves credit for executing their game plan. They were committed to not letting the Sounders break them down through the middle of the park and did an excellent job defending the zones in and around the penalty area.

What’s most frustrating is that it feels like a continuation of what happened through much of last year. When the Sounders had their worst-ever home record during the MLS era, they failed to win their final three home games.

The Sounders mostly rejected this concern. Similarly, they were unwilling to pin this result on having just played in the Champions League. Although, it does seem notable that the three other MLS teams who played a midweek CCL game all lost their openers as well.

Post Match Thoughts

The consensus post-match was Nashville’s defensive qualities aside was that the Sounders didn’t do themselves any favors. The lack of tempo from the Sounders was evident for most of the match. The failure to test Nashville early meant they were in for a grind. 

The Sounders were missing Raúl Ruidíaz and Nicolás Lodeiro starting on the bench certainly hurt. But hoping for a moment of magic as opposed to a consistent dynamic attack will leave you disappointed more often than not.

The Sounders’ home form was the subject of much consternation last season, and dropping the opening match in 2022 won’t do much to quell those concerns. Still, neither the players nor Schmetzer was overly concerned about the early-season loss. But, of course, one or two hiccups are bound to happen, though laying an egg in the opener doesn’t make that reality any easier to swallow.

Sounders will move on and try to right things on the road next weekend in a place they rarely have success, with a Champions League home-and-away series to navigate besides. After that, the team has a week to regroup and prepare for the next game to face Real Salt Lake. That game starts a 10-day run where the team will play four games against Leon in CCL, RSL, and a home game against the LA Galaxy.

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Seattle Sounders

Cascadia Clash ends with the Timbers on Top

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

It was another beautiful Pacific Northwest night as the Seattle Sounders took on the Portland Timbers again in another Cascadia Cup clash. Last time out, fans saw an absolute beating from the Sounders as they topped their rivals 6-2 at Providence Park. Every match between these two is always a fun battle, so it was interesting to see who would come out on top this time.

Unfortunately for Sounders fans, the Timbers would get their revenge in the end. Thanks to horrible luck, poor finishing, and the post, the score would end 0-2 favor the visiting Timbers. So while the Sounders are still at the top of the table, things are potentially looking problematic for the would-be champions.

Lineups: 

Seattle Sounders: 5-2-2-1

Portland Timbers: 4-3-2-1

Match Report

“We are going to try and push past it. We have to. The team is not going to sit back and dwell on that.”

The setting was beautiful for this Cascadia Cup clash with the Portland Timbers. The prematch festivities were grand; Reign beat the Thorns, tributes for Jimi Hendrix and his family, and record-setting crowds in the stadium. Everything was setting up a potential Sounders win. So, what happened? 

The match started with the usual intensity you would expect with a Cascadia rivalry game. However, it looked like it could have gone either way. The Timbers began with the match’s first chance six minutes in as Dairon Asprilla lets off a wicked shot off the crossbar but ultimately leads to nothing. 

Only minutes later, tragedy struck the Timbers as defender Eryk Williamson suffered an ACL tear after getting his feet caught in the turf. From there, there was not much else that happened the rest of the half. A couple of decent chances for either team, but it was far from a dull fest. 

The second half was a bit of a different story. The Sounders came out ready to fight, but the Timbers came out wanting it. 

Overall, the Sounder’s defense, especially Xavi, was playing well. That was until the Timbers got their first goal after a disastrous back-pass from Yeimar. After that, Cleveland had no good choices to make as Blanco finished off a pass from Mora into an empty net to give Portland the lead in the 58th minute. 

That was when the Sounders turned it on. Seattle took control of the half and had a couple of great chances courtesy of Shane O’Neil and Raul in the 61st and 86th minutes. Unfortunately, O’Neil’s header hit off the post, and Clark stopped Raul’s rocket of a shot. Things were not going their way all night. 

Caught sleeping once again, the defense and Yeimar left Clevland alone with Mora. Cleveland came out to win a ball in the air but misjudged the bounce. As a result, Mora was able to gain control and chip the goalkeeper to double Portland’s lead in the dying minutes of the game. 

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders centerback, Yeimar, clears the ball despite a Timbers push in the first half of this Cascadia Cup clash.

Image via Max Aquino

While the Sounders created decent chances, their overall performance was relatively poor for significant game stretches. Considering their usual standard, this was a poor result. Seattle struggled to connect passes, and players seemed to show an uncharacteristic lack of familiarity. 

This loss feels like quite the letdown after coming off of an exceptional three games away from home. To add to the frustration, Lumen Field was the fullest it’s been since Seattle hosted the 2019 MLS Cup Final, and the stadium played host to an OL Reign 2-1 win over the Portland Thorns earlier in the day with over 27,000 in attendance to make history and set an NWSL record.

The Sounders won the Cascadia Cup series thanks to two wins earlier in the season at Providence Park, but the loss tonight continues a strange trend. You have to go back to May  2017 to find Seattle’s last regular-season win at home against the rags. They’ve had five such successes at Providence Park in that time. It almost certainly doesn’t mean anything, but that won’t make anyone feel better about it. For now, it’s just an oddity.

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Vancouver Whitecaps

Cascadia Clash Ends in a Surprise Draw

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

It may have only been a draw, but taking a point from the league leaders? This must feel like a major win for the Vancouver Whitecaps. 

The Whitecaps took on league leaders and Cascadia rivals, the Seattle Sounders. Heading into the match the Sounders were undefeated and the Whitecaps were on a 5 match losing streak. All the odds were stacked up against the Whitecaps. 

Against the Sounders, a team that they haven’t beaten since 2017, it felt like anything but a loss would be seen as positive for a team that was quickly fading after a bright start. 

Lineups

Vancouver Whitecaps: 4-3-3

Seattle Sounders: 5-3-2

Match Details

Scoring Summary

40′ – SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz (assisted by Brad Smith)

49′ – VAN – Cristian Dájome (assisted by Caio Alexandre)

56′ – VAN – Lucas Cavallini (assisted by Cristian Dájome)

71′ – SEA – Jimmy Medranda (assisted by Fredy Montero)

Statistics

Possession: SEA 61.6 – VAN 38.4

Shots: SEA 19 – VAN 11

Shots on Goal: SEA 5 – VAN 4

Saves: SEA 2 – VAN 3

Fouls: SEA 9 – VAN 13

Offsides: SEA 0 – VAN 2

Corners: SEA 2 – VAN 1

Cautions

22′ – VAN – Lucas Cavallini (yellow)

45’+4 – VAN – Caio Alexandre (yellow)

89′ – VAN – Maxime Crépeau (yellow)

 

Match Report

“There’s two things that we addressed the last two days,” “It’s the why of coming out and sometimes lacking little things to dictate the game, and we also spoke about making big plays at the end of games.”

Image via Vancouver Whitecaps Twitter

It was that execution and determination that were most important for the Whitecaps. While it may not have been pretty, they fought hard and climbed their way back for the draw. This is not something that can be said for most of this 2021 season. 

Cristian Dájome and Lucas Cavallini scored the goals for the Whitecaps they finally snapped a five-match losing streak. The first 45 minutes saw Vancouver and Seattle evenly matched. The Whitecaps came at the league leaders hard from the get go and did not make it easy. Again, something we really haven’t really seen much of this season.

Despite a strong showing to start the half, the Sounders opened up the scoring thanks to Golden Boot candidate, Raul Ruidiaz. The Peruvian nets it home to make 0-1 for the league leaders. 

The goal resulted from a poor giveaway in the midfield and some questionable positioning by goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.

The Whitecaps came out just as strong and surprisingly found a bit of life in the second half. Despite being down, away from “home”, AND against the team at the top of the league standings, they fought their way back into the game.

Vancouver found their opening goal in the 46th minute after a beautiful through ball from Alexandre to Dájome. After making an incredible run behind the defense, Dájome slips the ball around the keeper for an easy shot right on goal. This goal could not have come at a better time just as momentum was building.

Thanks to the momentum picked up after that first goal, the Whitecaps then picked up the lead in the 56th minute.  Dájome continued his strong 2nd half. After a wonderful ball out wide from Andy Rose, Dajome looked up and whipped in a cross into the box. The cross came and bounced off of striker Lucas Cavallini and in. Truthfully the striker needed a little extra luck as he had to stick out a limb and just hope that the ball would roll in.

There it was, the Whitecaps were leading the league leaders 2-1 on their home turf! They had the chance to get their first win in 8 matches. Against their Cascadia rivals of all teams. No one would have expected that going into this match. Not even Whitecaps fans! 

Seattle had other plans…

Immediately after the Whitecaps’ second goal, the Sounders turned it on and then came the onslaught. Crépeau stayed busy in the second half with the Whitecaps holding onto dear life.  With three saves, the Canadian international was able to keep the Sounders off the board. 

It felt like a Sounders goal was inevitable and in the 71st minute, that proved to be the case. Jimmy Medranda found some space at the edge of the box with the ball being placed perfectly for him. After failing to close it down, he was able to settle and slam the ball home through a crowd of bodies to tie up the game for the Sounders.

It felt like a Sounders goal was inevitable and in the 71st minute, that proved to be the case. Jimmy Medranda found some space at the edge of the box with the ball being placed perfectly for him. After failing to close it down, he was able to settle and slam the ball home through a crowd of bodies to tie up the game for the Sounders. 

It was a gut wrenching goal as the Whitecaps dream of taking down the league leaders came crashing down. They sat back inviting pressure, so the goal was almost inevitable, but it still hurt. It is also hard to keep the Sounders down but everyone knows their quality. You never let them grow into the game. 

Surprisingly enough, the Whitecaps managed to hold off a late storm, keeping the match even at two a piece. Even more impressively, they almost scored a late winner! Cristian Gutierrez found Brian White with less than a minute to go, but the new striker’s header fell comfortably into Cleveland’s hands. 

Overall it was a solid showing from the boys. From a strong start, to being a goal down at the break, to coming back and taking points from the league leaders. Everything points to a solid performance. The Whitecaps were able to snap their 5-match losing streak. This will definitely be considered a positive performance all things considered. 

 

The Vancouver Whitecaps are back in action Sunday July 4th, when they visit FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Catch the game live on TSN 1/3 and ESPN+  starting at 5:30 p.m. PT.

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Seattle Sounders

Why Weren’t The Sounders Favorites for MLS Cup?

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The Seattle Sounders are first in the Supporter’s Shield race, first in the Western Conference, and they have yet to lose a game this season. So why did it take so long for the Sounders MLS Cup odds to go up? You would think they would have been favorites from the start.

The Sounders are having an excellent start to the season, their best ever in fact.  This has not come as a surprise because the Sounders are synonymous with winning. They have arguably been one of the best teams in MLS over the last 5 years. 

This year specifically has been great for the team. Best goal difference (+11), least goals allowed (3, ZERO from open play), and the second best goal scoring team on top of that (14 goals to SKC’s 15). 

So with all that in mind, you would think that they would have had the best odds to win MLS Cup right? Well, it took the bookies 7 games to finally put them at the top. Why? 

You could argue they should have been at the top from the beginning but it seems others have had their doubts. The reason for this could have been our injury problems to some key players. Many of which are out for a longer while.  

 We have yet to see Nico, our DP #10,  all season due to knee issues, JMO out for the season after picking up another torn ACL in Swansea, Delem out with an ACL tear, and now Frei out for the foreseeable future due to complications with his knee injury. All such key components to the team. 

For most teams, when you lose important players like that, your form has a tendency to take a big dip. That has to be exactly what they were thinking when the season started. That is why the Sounders were second on the list. No one knew what to expect, including Sounders fans. 

Thankfully, the team has stepped up so immensely in the absence of these players. Brian Schmetzler has changed the formation up and the team is performing. Playing a 5-3-2 has paid off immensely. Every single player has stepped into new roles and are playing with a tenacity I have not seen in a while. 

Image via Seattle Sounders FC Twitter

Even without Nico and JMO, the team is still creating plenty of chances and scoring goals. The new emergence of the kids is paying off as they look like they have been part of the team for years. I am excited to see how the team plays when Nico comes back, but for now fans can sleep comfortably knowing the team will still perform. 

As we speak, the Sounders are now getting the best odds in the league at +400 to win the MLS Cup, according to Sports Betting Dime. That’s higher than what LAFC had at the start of the season! 

Things can only get better from here for the Sounders. If they stay on this path, then there is no reason to believe that they won’t win the cup. They’ll also break some league records along the way. Let’s hope the bookies agree with us.

The Sounders now head into the upcoming FIFA international break, with the club pausing from league duty until Saturday, June 19 when they play LA Galaxy (6:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Prime Video, ESPN +)

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Seattle Sounders

How Will The Sounders Look Without Morris?

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

Welp there it is. The inevitable has happened, Jordan Morris has left Seattle after 5 years with the club. He has gone across the pond to English Championship side Swansea City AFC on loan for the remainder of the season. There is also an option to buy in there as well. The rumored amount is $5-$7 million, but that has yet to be disclosed. All this depends on the Welsh side getting promoted to the Premier League. They are in second place, so it is very likely that they will make their way back to the top flight. 

Now enough with the boring details of the transfer. It’s time to talk about the Sounders. Jordan Morris was a key component in the attack for 5 years. Especially once he made his move out on the left wing. His explosive speed and finishing will definitely be missed this next season. He had 43 goals and 21 assists across 131 matches. Finding a possible replacement will be tough to say the least. But the question is… What does this mean for the Sounders?  How will they look without him? 

Here’s what I think. We already know based on comments from boss man Garth Lagerwey that there won’t be any super exciting announcements regarding transfers. There is just not enough in the budget to do so. 2020 hit MLS, as a whole, HARD financially. Almost every club is going to struggle. But come on, this is the Sounders. They always have a plan and we know that they will deliver results. I do have a feeling the lineup will look a little different going forward though. 


lineup (2).png

Normally, Schmetz likes to stick to his 4-2-3-1 and does not stray from it unless truly necessary. But without any true winger depth, it might be time to bring the formation in a bit more and make it narrow. I’m thinking 4-3-1-2. The team plays with a much more possession style anyway, so might as well amp it up. With the official signings of Rowe and JP, this will be the perfect way to bring them both into the starting lineup. For those of you who have been watching football for a long while, surely you would remember the great AC Milan team from the early 2000’s. I could see the Sounders playing in a similar style. With the players they have at their disposal at this current moment, it makes the most sense. 

Another thing I think we can expect to see is the youth movement. The Sounders have some incredible youth players coming through the first team. The main ones to look out for are Leyva, the strong midfielder who can pick a pass and has some good defensive awareness for his age. This last season did not go as planned due to his injuries, but 2020 will be his year. I’m calling it now. 

Attencio is another young midfielder to look out for. He reminds of another Goose type player. A traditional #6 with an eye for a pass. He has impressed in his starts with the Defiance this season so it’s safe to assume he’ll make the jump as well. 

The last player I’ll mention is Ocampo-Chavez. While his numbers are not the best in terms of MLS level striker, he is still a top prospect for the academy. He has trained plenty with the first team and has even made the bench. In a two striker formation, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see him getting some playing time. Once he learns from Raul and Bruin, he can be a solid MLS level striker. 

There are definitely some positives to take away from this move for the Sounders. Those are probably more obvious for Jordan but that’s okay. He plays well, Swansea get promoted, and then he’s playing in the Premier League or earns a move to an even bigger club in Europe. The positives are a bit harder to see in the short term for the Sounders, but doing right by our hometown hero is not something that should go unnoticed. We also can’t forget about the possibility of a potentially massive payday at the end of this, something that could be used to set up the Sounders for years to come.

This Sounders team is definitely going to look very different this season. With the departures of so many key players, mostly Morris and Goose, and the inability to make marquee signings, it’s going to be rough to start. One thing is for certain though, we will figure it out without Jordan. It might take a bit, but the team will be okay. We are still one of the best teams in the league and we will continue to be. That is without a doubt.

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