SEATTLE — For the primary time of their fashionable historical past — courting all of the as far back as their authentic rebirth in 1994 — the Seattle Sounders performed a recreation with none playoff implications. It used to be now not a place many people will have imagined as not too long ago as a few months in the past, however few may just argue it used to be a richly deserved one.
Perhaps it used to be becoming, then, that the season finale in opposition to the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday ended up being just a little of a microcosm of the season.
There used to be the promising get started, a doubtlessly redemptive center and in the end a irritating finishing because the Sounders have been not able to carry 1-0 or 2-1 leads prior to settling for a 2-2 tie.
Despite getting the second one earliest function in franchise historical past — coming off a stupendous strike from Nicolás Lodeiro simply 23 seconds in — and including any other Lodeiro golazo in the second one part, this marked the 9th time this 12 months the Sounders didn’t safe 3 issues in a fit they led. Those 9 video games have price the Sounders 23 issues. A 12 months in the past, the Sounders dropped issues from profitable positions simply 4 instances that price them a complete of 10 issues. If the Sounders were in a position to equivalent that, they’d have secured sufficient issues to complete 3rd within the Western Conference.
The Sounders allowed the primary equalizer simply 3 mins after taking the preliminary lead, any other power drawback this 12 months. It used to be the 5th time that they had surrendered a function not up to 5 mins after scoring and the 3rd time that had took place of their closing 10 video games. The Sounders dropped six issues in the ones closing 3 video games, sufficient to have made up the adaptation between lacking and making the playoffs.
“It was a frustrating night,” stated Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland, who were given his first get started in about 3 months after it used to be printed that Stefan Frei were taking part in with a indifferent ligament in his ribs. “We controlled the game really, really well and gave up two goals we’ll be disappointed in when we look back at them.”
Depending for your viewpoint, those stats may end up in a number of other conclusions.
On the constructive aspect, it’s tempting to chalk this as much as the type of factor that could be fastened by way of the re-introduction of an on-field chief like João Paulo. The defensive midfielder seems to be progressing nicely from ACL surgical treatment and will have to be again in time for subsequent season. It’s a minimum of inside the realm of risk that he’ll go back to one thing on the subject of his MVP-caliber type of 2021 and the Sounders will simply go back to their profitable tactics.
The extra pessimistic will most definitely take hold of upon those struggles as proof of systemic failure. They’ll see it as evidence that the Sounders merely aren’t responding to their coaches or that the skill simply isn’t there. In this model, the Sounders are simplest initially of a much-needed rebuild that might take years to if truth be told be finished.
It can be, possibly, unsurprising that I fall someplace within the center. Hope, it’s regularly stated, isn’t a plan. For all of the Sounders have accomplished nicely over time, even nice organizations can fall into unhealthy behavior. A profitable group is regularly reluctant to make adjustments for concern of unnecessarily rocking the boat. As General Manager Garth Lagerwey not too long ago stated in an interview, lacking the playoffs supplies a possibility to take a major have a look at quite a lot of processes.
Sounders head trainer Brian Schmetzer hinted that a kind of issues could also be in how he handles gamers.
“I’ve been pretty much a players’ coach — if that’s a label I want to put on myself — and there are times when guys take advantage of that,” Schmetzer stated. “We’ll try to tighten things up as far as timings, trainings, we’ll take a look at that.”
Schmetzer didn’t actually elaborate on what he intended, however I feel a part of it may well be associated with the concept that the roster felt a bit stale. That’s now not simply because it simplest modified reasonably from closing 12 months or even much less right through the season, it’s that there by no means appeared to be an actual sense of inner pageant for spots. With uncommon exceptions, the intensity chart by no means actually modified from week to week. If starters have been to be had, their spots have been successfully written in ink. That would possibly sound a bit counter-intuitive whilst you notice that 21 other gamers were given a minimum of 5 begins — two greater than closing 12 months — however that most commonly speaks to how a lot rotation used to be pressured by way of damage or world accountability.
Fostering this type of inner pageant has lengthy been a problem for MLS groups who nonetheless don’t have the roster flexibility that facilitates it, however there may be sufficient younger skill at the roster to signify it’s a minimum of imaginable.
I’m infrequently the primary to look at that this used to be an excessively abnormal Sounders season. The historical failure of constructing the playoffs should be positioned into the context of coming simplest months after the large accomplishment of profitable CCL. Suggesting this season used to be a failure is to be totally trapped by way of the prevailing. But that’s now not a reason why to withstand exchange. In order to stay one of the most best groups in MLS, the Sounders should evolve. Hopefully, this facilitates the following giant step.