Faith without works is dead. I’m not religious anymore, but this verse still has meaning for me. I was taught that the faith deserved the works and that’s just how you pleased god after you got the insurance of heaven.
However, in years since, I think it’s actually the reverse that is true. The works beget more faith until there’s a jazz-like symbiotic relationship between the two. The more the Seattle Sounders put in the work, the more we have faith they can achieve something special.
I think just about every reader of Sounder at Heart can recite my “95 Theses” about this team. I have opinions about their flaws but I am coming to believe, just like a building crescendo in a jazz song. We aren’t there yet, but together we can do something special if we all do our part. Are you hitting your notes? Take a sip of your drink. We’re in this moment together.
I am a person driven by doubt. It is my defining feature, just like Thomas, but even he got to touch the holes in Jesus’ side. Where will you be if the Sounders defy the odds?
Dissecting the Narrative
Ideals are out the window at this point. The Sounders have played 20 league games and sit in 10th place. They’ve lost a bunch ground to teams ahead of them but there’s no time to think about that. Win the games in front of you and we’ll see where the dust settles in a few months.
Last week was not an “ideal” week for the Sounders in terms of results elsewhere, but they came away with seven points from three games. You can’t really spend time worrying about how to build a plane that’s already in the air, you just need to get the thing built. Do I think Seattle should make a habit of going down 2-0 in matches? No. Is it rad that they came back twice? Yes. Very much so.
I want to go back to the 70th minute against FC Dallas for a second. The season could’ve come completely undone at that moment when Dallas made it 2-0. The second goal from a second defensive mistake. Léo Chú took too long coming off the field while throwing a tantrum, meaning the Sounders had to play down a man for a minute. But things didn’t come undone. They galvanized themselves and we know what happened next.
Like I said, things aren’t going to be perfect if this thing comes together. Even on Saturday, during the euphoria of the comeback, things weren’t all sunshine and rainbows. Raúl Ruidíaz and Jordan Morris got in a heated exchange. Ruidíaz took an opportunity to “celebrate” his goal by pointing to the name on the back of his jersey, wasn’t seen celebrating with the team after the winning goal, and took off down the tunnel right after the full time whistle.
There’s no two ways about this, the work the Sounders have to put in for the rest of the season is going to be different. But if this last week is any evidence of what’s to come, they deserve that we place our faith in them. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it can be special.
