Will Sounders Put Their Latest Loss to Sporting KC Behind Them?
By Ben Renner
After a solid 2-1 win to lift themselves once again into the postseason, can the Sounders put their recent struggles against Sporting KC behind them and advance?
First, let’s get to the details. In case you somehow didn’t know, the Sounders will face Sporting KC tomorrow night at CenturyLink Field. The game will start at 7p.m. and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. It’s the first round of the MLS playoffs for the Western Conference, for which the Sounders punched their ticket last weekend with a win over Real Salt Lake.
Seattle advanced to the knockout round despite starting the season 6-12-2. Since their terrible start to the year, they have added Nicolas Lodeiro, lost star striker Clint Dempsey, and replaced their longtime coach Sigi Schmid with interim coach Brian Schmetzer. They’ve had some devastating losses and some shocking upsets on their way to their seventh-straight trip to the postseason.
The Sounders looked awful in their last match against SKC, losing 3-0 in the Kansas City heat. It was the game made famous by their lone shot on goal and precipitated Schimd’s firing. They had to remake their team to still make the playoffs and they did, fighting their way back into contention with the help of Lodeiro and a rejuvenated offense led by rookie extraordinaire Jordan Morris.
Since Schmetzer took over for Schmid, the Sounders have gone 8-2-4. They appear more dangerous now than ever. They’re mostly healthy and suspensions for various players have been served. Osvaldo Alonso, who missed 2015’s and 2014’s playoff runs, will be back for the Sounders tomorrow night for a chance to contribute to postseason glory for once.
It appears the Sounders are in the right place for a deep playoff run. They are full of players hungry to prove themselves, and they are streaking and scoring in bunches at the right time. We’ll see against tough SKC squad tomorrow night.
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