SEATTLE — The normal cadence for a Brian Schmetzer postgame press-conference is pretty familiar. The Seattle Sounders head coach is always asked if he has some opening remarks. He says “no, let’s just get to questions” and the assembled media start asking.
There are certainly instances where this isn’t the case. Usually, it’s when Schmetzer wants to call out some sort of achievement or acknowledge some off-field issue, either good or bad.
Following Wednesday’s 2-0 win over St. Louis City, Schmetzer used his bully pulpit for something a bit different. After acknowledging a couple of player achievements and congratulating his team on a good win, Schmetzer quickly turned his attention forward.
“What I’m really excited about, what I hope are fans are excited about is Saturday is such a big game against LAFC,” Schmetzer said. “Everyone needs to come out, show up. I know it’s summer in Seattle, but this is a massive game for us. We’ve only lost twice in 18 games. That’s pretty darn good if you ask me. What I’d tell you is the team is playing really well. It’s exciting. … I hope to see all my friends there. It’s a big game Saturday and I’m fired up. It’s shaping up to be a big game.”
As if his point wasn’t clear enough, he followed up with this answer to the first question he received: “Was it our best soccer? No maybe not. But we needed to win this game to set up the next game. If we come out of a result on Saturday, we’re flying.”
He is, of course, correct. The Sounders have done a rather remarkable job of digging themselves out of the hole they were stuck in early this year. The 18-game stretch that Schmetzer spoke about encompasses all the games they’ve played since starting the season 1-5-3, the Sounders’ lowest-ever points total through nine matches.
The Sounders have now gone 11-2-5 across all competitions since then — which includes a 9-2-4 record in MLS play — and have climbed from 13th place all the way up to sixth, just one point out of fourth.
The St. Louis match was a decent microcosm of what has been going well for the Sounders. Despite playing an opponent that was potentially overmatched, the Sounders didn’t exactly dominate the first half and were perhaps a bit fortunate to head into the locker room up 1-0 after a Tim Parker own-goal.
But they absolutely dominated the second half. Jon Bell’s soaring header off a perfectly placed Albert Rusnák free kick gave the Sounders some breathing room and at no point did they seem content to simply hold the lead. Obed Vargas, Raúl Ruidíaz and Jordan Morris all came close to adding goals while the Sounders’ counter-press was as effective as it had been all year.
The mental shift from their early form to now is apparent in so many ways.
“We’re playing with more confidence,” Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei said. “We’re still making mistakes, but not paying the price. There’s more leeway and room for error. They’re breathing and as a result playing better.
“Even if we don’t find a goal, we’re dangerous up there. There’s opportunity and guys could be scoring at any moment. That makes you feel much better about the flow of the game and what you feel might happen. It’s a full team effort on both ends.”
While the table says there’s still a sizable gap between them and LAFC, the match does come at a very opportune time for the Sounders. Not only are they playing as well as they have at any point in the last few years, the Sounders are also in need of a real test.
As impressive as the Sounders’ record is over the past few months, it should be acknowledged that their schedule was also relatively soft. Of their nine wins in MLS play, only four were against teams that were in playoff positions at the the time they played. Their best road win during this stretch was probably against the Timbers, who at the time were near the bottom of the standings and in the midst of what would become a nine-game winless run. For the season, the Sounders are just 1-4-4 against teams ranked in Sagarin’s Top 10.
With LAFC still seven points clear, this is a chance for the Sounders to prove they can play with the league’s top teams.
LAFC are undeniably that. Immediately before they failed to win either of their last two games, LAFC had been on a 10-game unbeaten run in which they claimed 28 out of a possible 30 points. Going back to April 6, they had gone 11-1-2. They are currently just two points behind Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy and their +15 goal-difference is fourth best in all of MLS.
“It will be a difficult match, but we’re confident,” Frei said. “They’re struggling but aren’t any less dangerous. They’re a good side. We welcome the challenge. It will be a good match.”
