Seattle’s final match of the season was a true microcosm of 2024. Before the season, most MLS writers had the Sounders finishing first in the West, but the team started the season woefully flat. Despite being counted out over and over again, their team depth, league-best defense, resilient spirit and some opportunistic offense combined to help them turn it around. Amazingly, the Sounders again found themselves in a Western Conference Championship match. To get there, Seattle wasn’t great against LAFC but they made the big plays when it counted and moved on. Against the LA Galaxy, the Sounders played well for 85 minutes against a lethal offense, and all it took was one miscue in buildup to turn the tide; LAG countered quickly and ruthlessly. Seattle overcame so much adversity this year, yet lacked that tiny bit of luck in the biggest moment to finish the season on top. The 1-0 loss to LA ended their season, but it showed how close the Seattle Sounders are to being an elite team in a roller coaster of a year.
Key takeaway: The offense was the key missing ingredient this year. Being so close to again hosting MLS Cup, and potentially winning it, is a bitter pill to swallow, but the Sounders showed their strengths and weaknesses and have a clear direction moving forward.
Goalkeeper
Stefan Frei – 6 | Community – 7.3
Frei didn’t have a lot to do against LA, a true testament to the defense in front of him. The Galaxy had assembled a wrecking crew of offensive talent that averaged FIVE goals per game in the playoffs, the first team in MLS to have four guys score 10 goals each. Then they ran into a differently built Seattle team, and for 85 minutes LA was clearly frustrated, finding no luck against a resolute defense. Frei only made a single tough save in the 19th minute from the four he was credited with. This changed in the 85th minute as a lightning-quick counter saw Dejan Joveljic hit a strong shot that Stefan touched but was unable to redirect wide of the goal. He looked to be leaning and reacting slowly, and he’s likely disappointed in himself, however if Seattle’s offense had managed to produce, that one LA goal might not have mattered.
Key takeaway: The magic that Frei had the previous game wasn’t there, and in a match where the margins are so close, he needed to be that good again.
Defense
Nouhou – 7 (MOTM) | Community – 7.6
Nouhou was fantastic against LAG in his return from international duty and illness. Of course he brought a lot of the usual extra-curricular spice that people love or hate, but his defensive work was solid. Against the Galaxy's best attacker, Gabriel Pec, who had three goals and three assists in the previous playoff matches, Nouhou was excellent. Although Pec had more touches than in any of those previous games, he had almost no success against Seattle’s left defense. This had a massive impact on LA, who kept trying to test Nouhou and had nothing to show for it. He had five clearances, two tackles, an interception, and even a key pass wrapped around a tidy 91 percent passing in a total effort down his wing. He made a terrible header to the middle in the 48th minute, and he got a yellow card before providing his usual tiresome histrionics as the pressure of the match boiled up, but none of this should overshadow the absolute clinic he put on down the left side, which included a 62nd minute cross that created one of Seattle’s best offensive chances.
Key takeaway: Nouhou is in his prime and completely dominates his side of the field, as evidenced by this standout performance in shutting down a guy who had 21g/18a this season.
Jackson Ragen – 7 | Community – 7.3
With a defense-first attitude, Ragen again showed why he was a finalist for DPOY, putting in a solid defensive shift with a new partner next to him. Jackson led the team in touches as the Sounders held possession and looked for their breakthrough moments. Ragen was big centrally, holding position and distributing cleanly. He found Obed Vargas early over the middle and slipped Nouhou forward in the 62nd, sandwiching great distribution around crunching defense and continually stepping up and preventing LA from stretching the field. A number of small miscues were covered by teammates until the biggest moment in the match, and in minute 85 Ragen was slow to step to Riqui Puig in the middle. This allowed Joveljic to run in behind and a quality layoff from the LAG #10 meant the Galaxy got their first and only good look at the goal, which they converted. Yes, Ragen was caught in between two minds, but this was just one of a number of errors that, unfortunately for Seattle, all dominoed to a game-losing goal against.
Key takeaway: Ragen is able to play to the strengths of those around him and covers a ton of ground with his passing range and defensive positioning.
Nathan – 6 | Community – 6.8 (off 96’ for Atencio)
Nathan, who had barely played all year due to injury and having the league's best defenders ahead of him on the roster, figured prominently in the playoffs and earned a start against LA. He had another tremendous effort, barely putting a foot wrong the entire match, meshing well between Ragen and Alex Roldan, and looking like he belonged in the back. Nathan had a 20th minute tackle in the box, the kind of play you have to get right and which he executed perfectly. He showed some great recovery ability against the speedy Joseph Paintsil in the 62nd minute and won a freekick header in the 75th. On the goal, however, Nathan was somewhat slow to come across and defend Joveljic, and the LAG striker was able to get a clean shot due to the separation between himself and Nathan’s recovery run.
Key takeaway: Nathan can still play at a high level in MLS, and likely will be starting somewhere.
Alex Roldan – 6 | Community – 5.4 (off 88’ for Chú)
This game will likely stick with Alex for a long time, as it was his poor touch that led directly to the Galaxy goal. Prior to that moment, however, Alex was solid on the outside, combining with Nathan to limit Paintsil down the left, and adding to the possession play that kept Seattle on the front foot for most of the game. Having a player like Roldan able to push centrally to fill the possession spaces when Vargas and PDLV moved forward was essential to the Sounders choking the inside out play that LA wanted to run, and the consistent control that Alex offered was vital to the Seattle game plan. As the pressure increased and both teams started to tighten up late, it was Roldan’s careless first touch that quickly devolved into the Sounders chasing a deficit with only minutes to play. Especially absent from the match was Alex’s impact going forward, and while his role has evolved game by game, this match needed the forward-looking offense he delivered in early games.
Key takeaway: The game result wasn’t all his fault, but sometimes in big games he is linked to big mistakes, and the two-way play we needed didn’t materialize.
Defensive Midfield
Cristian Roldan – 7 | Community – 7.1
Cristian was again tremendous this match, running everywhere and doing everything on both sides of the field. He did it all: two tackles, eight recoveries, 13 passes into the final third, and 86 percent overall passing. This was a balanced effort, as Roldan blanketed Puig for most of the night, blocking multiple shots in the 13th minute and making a fantastic 51st minute recovery run. He looked over the top for Jordan Morris in the 35th, nearly releasing Seattle for a goalscoring attempt. It was another top notch effort centrally, only marred by a number of uncharacteristic central passing turnovers. These came in the 24th and 31st as Cristian failed to connect, instead finding opponents in very dangerous areas. Roldan was a steady presence throughout and continually stopped any counter attack attempts through the middle, often by throwing his body around and pressing LA into turnovers. It was a shame that he was unable to get a nose on the centering pass that ultimately ended Seattle’s season.
Key takeaway: If you doubt that he should be starting in the middle, ask Puig how it was to play against him.
Obed Vargas – 7 | Community – 7.7 (MOTM)
Obed continued to impress against LA. He was one of the best players on the field in the first half, when Seattle both shut down the high-octane offense of the Galaxy and created some of the best chances for themselves. A lot of this was Vargas’ dynamic movement; he seemed to be everywhere early. His 15th minute tackle was strong, but more impressive was how quickly the young Sounder converted it forward into a counter opportunity. His veteran fall in the 40th earned a key free kick. In the 47th he explained his gnat quote, as he pestered LA relentlessly into creating a turnover. His best offensive moment came in the 53rd minute as he earned a shot in the box after some excellent movement. There were still some errors, with a number of turnovers that had the middle sweating, but the defense held strong. Seeing Pec sprint past Vargas to join the game-winning offensive play while Obed jogged was mildly disappointing but understandable after his herculean efforts in the last two matches.
Key takeaway: Obed arrived in the playoffs, showing the kind of confidence and game management that we had only seen glimpses of prior.
Attacking Midfield
Georgi Minoungou – 6 | Community – 6.8
With injuries around him, Georgi was called to start a Western Conference Final and he terrorized the Galaxy in the first ⅔ of the match. In the 3rd minute he ran through multiple defenders, he had a shot in the 7th, and a beautiful setup and long cross in the 27th. Georgi is a menace when faced with a single (or two) defenders. Perhaps his best moment of the evening mimicked his entire season: in the 64th minute he did well to get to the end line, but as is unfortunately common, his cross was too far and missed all teammates. Minoungou tired some and his effectiveness waned as he was moved from side to side, including not being a great option for Alex in the game-defining play. One of the biggest opportunities for growth comes this offseason for Georgi, who showed he can match up offensively with the top teams in the West.
Key takeaway: Georgi is an unpolished gem who continually shows that tantalizing skill set that is there but needs refinement.
Albert Rusnák – 5 | Community – 6.0 (off 69’ for JP)
Rusnák’s match highlighted whatever expectations you had of him. If you expected a game facilitator who was quietly effective, leading the team in shots (three, and all on target) and key passes (two), you were pleased. If you expected him to be ball dominant and open up the opponent, you would have been sorely disappointed. With only 43 touches, Albert was a passive control option in the middle who found his moments to pop up and impact the match, but was relatively absent for long stretches. Perhaps the biggest frustration was Seattle squandering multiple set piece chances, with Albert either going short or failing to beat the first man in defense, eliminating a big weapon for the Sounders. When he found the ball in the box, Rusnák put all his shots on target. You have to wonder if he had hit just one better, might that have been the moment for Seattle? When he subbed out, LA pounced on the possession advantage almost immediately, and momentum swung in their favor. The most underrated aspects of Rusnák’s play are his ability to control tough passes (opening space and giving defenses breathing room) and creative movement. Against LA, Seattle needed more from Albert, and he subbed off (hurt?) with the game still up for grabs.
Key takeaway: Rusnák is the epitome of a force multiplier, and while he doesn’t dominate in an obvious fashion, his absence was immediately felt.
Pedro de la Vega – 6 | Community – 5.8 (off 82’ for Ruidíaz)
Pedro started on the right wing and worked across the entire field, finding spurts of possession and moments to combine across the middle and each wing. His connection with Morris led to a nice through ball in the 15th minute, and Pedro had an excellent cross in the 33rd minute that was part of a positive sequence. Perhaps his best moment came off the dribble, creating in the 53rd minute before laying off to Obed for a chance. The usual complaints about his play were still there, with Pedro struggling at times to connect with teammates, and missing a 12th minute breakout via turnover that killed one of a number of chances that were close to breaking through. In a match that came down to one big mistake, Seattle needed each player to be exerting maximum force on the opponents to create similar errors on the other side, and PDLV didn’t do that enough.
Key takeaway: Seattle’s most expensive player was okay, but they needed much more than that from de la Vega.
Forward
Jordan Morris – 6 | Community – 6.1
With Seattle playing very defensively for much of the match, they had to take advantage of the few moments they could create. A lot of that burden fell to Morris, who was tasked with pressing high and creating what space he could. His opportunities were few and far between, with only 21 total touches. He did have a shot and a key pass and an excellent run and cross combination with Pedro in the first 15 minutes. He nearly got over the top onto a Roldan pass 20 minutes later, but was unable to break through. Seattle had some dangerous set pieces, but unfortunately Jordan was not able to find the ball with any space. Perhaps the biggest complaint about Jordan’s lack of killer instinct was on display in the 56th, as he had a chance to take on the Galaxy and force a mistake and instead turned and held possession. It was great to see him hustling to play defense in the 84th minute, moments before the game flipped.
Key takeaway: Seattle needed Morris magic and it wasn’t there, whether due to fatigue, opportunity, or just playing a quality opponent. Like much of the year, without that magic, Seattle’s offense fell short.
Substitutes
João Paulo – 5 | Community – 6.0 (on 69’ for Rusnák)
Rusnák was ailing, either from injury, fitness, or something else, so he was subbed midway into the second half for veteran JP. João was active with 23 touches, dropping into the middle and taking over set piece deliveries. This nearly resulted in a storybook ending in the 78th minute as he dropped a beautiful free kick into the area, but without the desired end result. His connection with Alex was botched, as a pass went over his head and he was unable to recover in time to prevent the game-winning goal.
Key takeaway: JP showed his value as a pure distributor, but his need to be on the ball and lack of defensive bite contributed to the negative end result.
Raúl Ruidíaz – 5 | Community – 5.0 (on 82’ for PDLV)
Subbing on late as Pedro tired, Raúl went up top and Seattle again changed their tactical setup. This may have contributed to some indecision on the game-defining play, but sometimes bad touches just happen. Raúl did his part, getting five touches but being unable to find any success offensively, linking a few passes but not earning a single shot.
Key takeaway: Raúl’s last match wasn’t great, but he should be remembered for when he was great.
Léo Chú – 4 | Community – 4.6 (on 88’ for A. Roldan)
Léo Chú arrived after the Sounders conceded as part of a last gasp attempt to get attack-minded players on the field. A forgotten piece of the Sounders attack, Léo was ineffective, providing a 91st minute bad pass and having two ineffective touches in short, ineffective minutes.
Key takeaway: Chú was completely absent as the Sounders surged in the second half of the season, and giving him a few late-game minutes seemed almost cruel.
Josh Atencio – 5 | Community – 5.5 (on 95’ for Nathan)
Atencio came on as a concussion substitute and was another tall option for late-game hopeful crosses. He didn't have time to do much, but had three touches in three minutes and completed all his passing attempts.
Key takeaway: Atencio is still young and is a quality midfielder who was ready to step in and play without being intimidated by the game state.
Referee
Drew Fischer – 5 | Community – 6.2
It took 27 minutes for the LA Galaxy to commit a foul. At least that’s what Fischer determined, and by that point, it was obvious how this match was going to go. Whether it was the now familiar “Minoungou/Roldan demolished, play on” that the PRO referees support, or phantom fouls called on Seattle, there was an early discrepancy in whistles and that set the tone for the entire match. The home team was called for a paltry eight fouls all match, and all four yellow cards were handed to Sounders. A majority of the fouls called were correct, but when one team has a clear advantage early, it creates a difficult situation to adjudicate for both teams. Seattle struggles when they don’t understand the refereeing, and this was compounded by the gravity and intensity of the match being played.
Key takeaway: Seattle needed good things to happen in order to win this match, with one of them being the refereeing. Good things didn’t happen.
LA Galaxy MOTM
Puig found it to be tough sledding in this one, but still made the play that changed the game. If watching the match didn’t reveal Puig to be the engine of this team, the stats certainly do: 127 touches (44 more than his nearest teammate), 99 completed passes (27 more than his nearest teammate), and, as we know, the match-winning assist. He had been averaging two goals-plus-assists in his previous playoff matches — credit to Cristian Roldan for cutting that number in half.
Upcoming: I’ll do my usual yearlong recap of each player.
