RENTON — Heading into Leagues Cup, only four teams had collected more points over their previous 11 regular-season matches than the Seattle Sounders (23). Those four teams — LAFC (26), Columbus Crew (25) LA Galaxy (24) and Inter Miami (24) — are all Supporters’ Shield contenders.
The Sounders’ Leagues Cup performance was, on the balance, pretty good too. Although it ended with a dispiriting 3-0 loss to LAFC, the Sounders advanced to the quarterfinals and scored the second most goals (10) of any team up to that point in the tournament.
As the Sounders return to league play with a road match against Minnesota United on Saturday, goalkeeper Stefan Frei thinks it’s useful to remind everyone of those positive data points.
“Those are the things we have to focus on,” Frei said following Tuesday’s training session. “We can’t sit here and say it’s a league of parity and then we go on a good run and get results and say ‘Well, those are weak teams.’ We were able to climb out of a hole, go on a run.”
Equally illustrative, Frei said, was how the Sounders responded to a bad loss to Liga MX’s Necaxa with a pair of impressive wins against the Galaxy and Pumas UNAM.
“These are things I’d like to focus on and remind my teammates of,” he said. “We are a good side and we’ve shown it. Just because in one game we can’t, that doesn’t define us. There’s still nine games to go and we’re in a great position in Open Cup. There’s lots of opportunity and there’s positivity needed.”
The deep Leagues Cup run also allowed the Sounders to maintain a normal playing cadence, playing five matches over the course of about three weeks but never having to travel. Minnesota, by contrast, has not played since July 30.
A year ago, the Sounders were in a similar position when they had nearly three weeks off after an early Leagues Cup exit. They lost 2-0 at home to Atlanta United in their first game back.
“They spanked us because we were rusty,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer recalled. “But that’s just a story…”
Pedro de la Vega could start
Pedro de la Vega is being “considered” for a starting spot against Minnesota United, Schmetzer said. The Argentine midfielder last played against Necaxa, but was forced out in the first half after suffering a groin injury. It was not as serious as initially feared, however, and he was back in training within a week. By the time the Sounders leave for Minnesota on Friday, de la Vega will have been training in full for two weeks.
Concussion protocol
Jackson Ragen is in concussion protocol but is expected to be cleared in time to at least travel with the team to Minnesota. Ragen was hit in the back of the head by a Mateusz Bogusz shot in the 86th minute.
