The beauty of a moment can easily be lost depending on your perspective. Growing up, my mom was a boat captain. She ran a fishing charter business as a single mother and I often spent a lot of time on the boat with her. Very early mornings and late nights as a kid who'd rather be playing video games or eating candy or whatever. As you can imagine, I wasn't always stoked to be out on the sea at a young age.
Whether we were doing an early morning fishing excursion or a sunset cruise, my mom would always be filled with joy right before and after the green flash. If you aren't familiar, there's this phenomenon that occurs at sunset and sunrise when conditions are just right. When the sun hits just below the horizon just before it rises or just after it sets, there is a combination of a mirage and the dispersion of sunlight to cause a flash of green light. It happens in a split second and if you aren't looking, you'll miss it.
I missed this more often than not as a kid, be it because of my grumpy mood, sea sickness, or just not having the patience to focus on the horizon in the right moment.
Look, no one is going to stop you from being grumpy about the Seattle Sounders if you want to be, just like no one could stop me from being a moody 12-year-old on a boat in the Pacific Ocean. There's a lot you can focus on and I've, at times, been in the dumps with this team. However, if you're not paying attention, you might miss the special moment(s) of this team. Just like I missed the green flash on multiple occasions.
The Sounders are becoming, and in a sense have already become, a team that is capable of special moments this season. On Saturday night I didn't think they were particularly great over the whole of the 90 minutes against the New England Revolution, but that doesn't matter. In every important moment they rose to the occasion and took all three points. Even Eeyore found himself saying, “It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine.”
Winners & Losers
Winners
Jordan Morris
While we've all been arguing about whether the Sounders need to invest in a DP No. 9, Morris has been cooking at an extremely high level. The forward has 7 goals in his last 9 matches and looks back to his best. Those 7 goals have come off of just 15 shots with all of them coming from inside the box. He's a no nonsense forward and, as we saw against New England, he's at his best when he's terrorizing centerbacks on through balls.
I suppose it's no surprise Morris is playing so well alongside this next guy.
Albert Rusnák
It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that Rusnák is the hottest player in MLS. He's been unplayable since the start of June and has been the focal point of the Sounders’ turnaround this summer. On Saturday, he played the through ball to Morris to open the scoring in the 15th minute and sealed the win with an emphatic strike in the 81st minute.
Like Morris, Rusnák has been at the center of fierce debate about the roster. I think his play this season has shifted the conversation from whether or not he's worth his spot to him needing a contract extension. Look around MLS, few teams have a Designated Player better than Rusnák.
Losers
Xavi Arreaga
The former Sounders defender didn't seem like he enjoyed his return to Seattle on Saturday. Have you ever been around a jealous ex before? They are constantly trying to show off how happy they are without you, being loud and boisterous and then end up doing something to embarrass themselves? That was Arreaga.
He spent most of the match chasing the referee around to complain about everything. To make matters worse, he was lucky to not be sent off for his challenge on Obed Vargas.
Léo Chú
Brian Schmetzer called out Leo Chu for not playing to his own standard. The Brazilian winger was pulled out at half time and replaced with Reed Baker-Whiting.
— Niko Moreno (@ELROLONW) July 7, 2024
The #Sounders head coach did not hold back on the reason behind that substitution.
Full 🎥:https://t.co/XvBTN62i88 pic.twitter.com/gLwlFIvmVZ
Chú was yanked at halftime after just 15 touches in 45 minutes. Reed Baker-Whiting, his direct replacement, looked much more active and the team was better as a whole. The Brazilian also inspired these comments from Brian Schmetzer in the post game press conference.
What Happens Next?
Despite everything they've had to deal with, Schmetzer and Co. have wrestled this team into contention for a top 4 Western Conference finish and a quarterfinal of the US Open Cup. Special moments are on the horizon for those with eyes to see.
Several of these moments have happened over the last 15 games or so. It's not perfect and given the situation, the Sounders are not among the elite in MLS in points. However, that hasn't stopped Seattle from doing special things in the past and it certainly won't stop this current group from trying to do them right now. And nothing should stop them or us from believing it can happen.
Winnie the Pooh says, “You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." Whether or not this version of the roster is perfect or if they're playing the prettiest soccer imaginable is irrelevant. Opportunity to do something special is right in front of us and it starts tonight in Sacramento. This team is capable of capturing a moment. They've done it recently and they can keep doing it if we give them the belief and support.
If you'll allow me to belabor and conflate all the metaphors one last time, let's go out into the Forest together and see if we can see the green flash happen.
