Ship’s Log, May 17: Course correction
A few weeks ago the Seattle Sounders lost to the Vancouver Whitecaps. There’s no shame in losing. Teams do that. The Whitecaps are pretty good and the Sounders in 2024 are somewhere between mediocre and bad.
That particular loss was a horror show, though. Two reds. Two giveaways that put goals on a platter.
If this winds up being a decent to great season, that April 20 match will be the low point. There’s no way it can be worse and have the season be good.
Do-overs are great!
Since that loss Seattle is a modest 2-2-2 and the ‘Caps are 1-2-2 across all competitions.
Want a few reasons for hope? For the first time in 2024, all three Sounders Designated Players are available for selection. Schmetzer has only started even two in a game on six occasions. They are 2-2-2, +3. Yes, the disaster against Vancouver was one of those, as was the positive outlier win over Montreal.
Jeremiah had some napkin math that suggested only 57% of Seattle’s payroll has been on the field for the available minutes so far this season. That type of health concern makes it hard to coach.
The lack of performance by the healthy players well, that’s on the GM, coach and those players. Schmetzer recently told the available media that he wants 4-5 games with a mostly healthy squad to see how things go.
If the Open Cup is part of that process, four games would be through the end of May, which is also the halfway point of the season. Five matches, not including hosting Phoenix Rising next Wednesday, would put us at June 15.
That’s a tight timeline.
It’s a timeline earned by a series of failures across the board – mental mistakes, emotional errors, poor lineup choices, tactical errors, roster choices. No part of the soccer side of the Sounders is immune from criticism to this point.
A timeline this broken can only be fixed slowly. No single massive win will be enough. But purging the memories of April 20 are a great start.
Maybe we’ll see a brilliant goal from Morris, a backheel pass from Rusnàk, vintage Raúl. Maybe we’ll see a little bit of gold inside all the broken things that have been 2024. Maybe we’ll see kintsugi.
Maybe we'll see vengeance. Maybe we'll sail on course, wind at our backs, strong with the current, an honor guard of J-pod escorting us.
– Dave Clark
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Catching up on Sounder at Heart
It's a busy weekend. Here's what you need to know about the teams you love.
Sounders
Next match: Saturday night against the Vancouver Whitecaps at 7:30 pm PDT on MLS Season Pass.
Previewing the match
Rest of our stories
- Sounders 2024 salaries: There should be budget for signings
- Postgame Pontifications: Georgi Minoungou was rare bright spot
- Feeling low at elevation
- Seattle Sounders FC at Real Salt Lake: community player ratings form
- RSL vs. Sounders: Highlights, stats and quotes
- Can Raúl Ruidíaz just keeping doing this?
Reign
Next match: Sunday against Orlando Pride at 3 pm PDT on NWSL+ and KONG.
Defiance
Next match: Sunday at Minnesota United2 at noon PDT on MLS Season Pass.
Velocity
Next match: Sunday against Forward Madison at 3 pm PDT on ESPN+ and SWX.
Looking back at the news
Everything else you need to know
Brazil is hosting the 2027 Women's World Cup.
One council member called into the FIFA meetings form jail.
Is a global standard and symbol for racial abuse coming to soccer? Maybe. FIFA is going to push for it.
Tired: MLS needs pro/rel.
Also Tiring: Premier League should have playoffs.
The Premier League may get rid of VAR, but probably not.
You have to check out the raccoon from Philly’s midweek match.
South Korea’s women’s team is asking for equal treatment, particularly around travel. Reign FC midfielder Ji is among those quoted about the poor standards the KFA has.
The Women’s Club World Cup is aiming for a winter 2026 start.
It may be Bethany Balcer’s least impressive season. She’s also the best attacker so far for Reign FC.
Ray Serrano is No. 37 in the Backheeled list of top talents in the USL Championship.
SaH columnist G Willow Wilson is up for an Eisner Award as one of the best comics writers of the year. Her current books are Poison Ivy and The Hunger and The Dusk.