Sounders' 'Hollow' Victory Leaves Us Feeling Gutted
by Jeremiah Oshan on Nov 3, 2011 10:30 AM PDT
in Sounders: MLS Cup Playoffs
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During Wednesday's post-game press-conference, a reporter asked Seattle Sounders coach Sigi Schmid about the taste that game left in his mouth. While far from dismissive of the question, Schmid corrected the reporter a little.
"I don’t know if it’s in our mouths," he said. "It’s definitely a very empty, hollow feeling in our stomachs at this stage."
I think a lot of us who have followed this team as closely as we have can relate. Sick. Empty. Gutted. No matter what adjective you want use, it all means the same thing. An absolutely glorious season has ended much earlier than most of us had expected and it feels like something is definitely missing.
The mood in the locker room was very much the same. Players were getting dressed with glazed looks in their eyes. I won't say they were emotional as they were all perfectly composed, but guys clearly weren't sure how they should feel.
It's safe to say none of them had probably ever gone through a game with such conflicting emotions. They had turned in an absolutely dominant performance, scored two goals and shut out the opponent. If a couple of breaks had gone their way, the Sounders could have easily scored a few more. But it wasn't enough.
Fredy Montero had two glorious chances in the first half, the kind of goals we've grown accustomed to him scoring. Osvaldo Alonso had a couple good looks as well. Tony Beltran made the kind of save on a Jeff Parke shot that is among the best you'll ever see an outfield player make.
"We pressed and pressed and sometimes you just need that one bounce to go your way," Sounders forward Mike Fucito said. "It's unfortunate, but I thought everyone's effort was spectacular. I thought our quality was very good. That's where you kind of kick yourself because the third goal last game changed things a lot. I'm proud of how we responded. I thought tonight was a great overall effort and something we can build on."
The idea that this was a positive step was a common one among the Sounders. Schmid and others talked about the team finally winning a playoff game, something they failed to do in the previous two years. He noted that last year he said the moment was "too big" for some of his players and that he didn't feel that was the case this year.
"I think we showed our fans our character tonight," he said.
Perhaps no player turned it around more dramatically than Lamar Neagle. Coming off an absolutely disastrous performance in the first leg, the midfielder got called upon much earlier than expected this time. Neagle entered the game in the 14th minute as a substitute for the injured Alvaro Fernandez.
It took him a little while to get into the flow of the game, but once he did, we saw the player that excites us so much. Neagle created several glorious chances, and then finished off a gorgeous feed from Montero that nearly brought CenturyLink Field off its foundation.
"Going to Salt Lake and losing like that it's not something we wanted and planned, so we definitely had something to prove to ourselves," Neagle said. "And for our fans we wanted to show them that we were a different team. I think we did a good job of that."
Alonso, too, was due for a bit of redemption and, a couple missed chances aside, he got it. His penalty was well taken and gave the Sounders life in a game that seemed to be slipping away. He was, once again, tenacious and all over the field. He was the Honey Badger we've grown to love.
Still, there was no hiding the disappointment. Despite their best efforts, the Sounders are going home at the exact same time they did last year and the year before. A season in which they set the MLS record for most all-competition wins in regulation (27), which included some epic come-from-behind performances, a victory in Mexico, another U.S. Open Cup and countless memorable moments is now over. There's so much to feel good about, and in time maybe we will.
Right now, though, we feel empty. There's just no getting around it.
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yeah, whoops
should have double checked that
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Nov 3, 2011 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions
what happens next
who’s staying who’s leaving who’s our goalkeeper what do we need to improve on ? make a blog about this
by alexyepz on Nov 3, 2011 11:13 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
all in good time
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Nov 3, 2011 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
we obviously lose
Keller, one player to Montreal and the possibility of one or more of our bigger players to Europe. One thing is for sure, on Feb. 1, we will have a really good idea of who will be on our 2012 roster.
personally, I would be jumping with joy if
the only players we lose are Keller and one of either Evans/Friberg or Gonzalez/Wahl to Montreal. But if we start losing our Monteros and Alonsos and Flacos to Europe and a Neagle/Fucito to Montreal, I would be emotionally damaged.
But if it comes down to losing one of our 4 wide midfielders, who would you guys most rather lose out of Flaco, Rosales, Zakuani or Neagle? Because the more and more I think about it, the harder it will be to keep these 4 guys happy with playing time. Money wise, we can easily keep them. But I’m sure these guys want to be out there playing. Personally to me, Keeping Zak is a must. And Neagle and his connection with the fans makes him very hard to get rid of. So that would leave Rosales or Flaco. But of course, it’s not up to me.
ideally
Based on what we have right now, anyway:
Zakuani, Rosales, Fernandez, Alonso — that’s a fine, fine midfield. Neagle as first default sub/alternate for 2012.
by joesz on Nov 3, 2011 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
i can agree with this lineup
but we still don’t know if Sigi would be content with having Flaco as our central/attacking midfielder. But i could certainly see this lineup working for us with Neagle as our first option on the wings and with Evans as our first option in the central midfield.
I don't see Montero or Alonso leaving for Europe this winter
Montero has seen little time with the Colombian national team and Alonso (obviously) hasn’t seen national team time in a while. It is my understanding that this is usually required to get an EU work permit, unless you have European relatives. (George John, for instance, could probably get away without it because he has Greek relatives. DeMerit was able to play in England because his grandfather was Danish.) Even Flaco hasn’t gotten a lot of play with Uruguay lately, though he did just get called up. And then there are usually roster restrictions on foreign players (just like we have in MLS.)
Alonso won't be seeing national team duty
I don’t know if they make exceptions in cases of defection, but the FIFA rules are that if you’ve represented a country in an official competition on the senior team, you’re locked in. He’s obviously never getting called up by Cuba ever again, and if there isn’t an exception, he can’t play for anyone else either.
I think the deal with Alonso...
…is that if he wants an EU work permit, he has to “prove” that he is a skilled worker in his profession, to justify why he would be employed over someone from the EU. I think that national team play just tends to be the easiest and/or most common way to show this. If he got some league awards, that might also work to bolster his case, but it seems clear to me that his path to play in Europe could be a difficult one. (Since, as you say, he’s obviously not playing for Cuba again.)
I am far from an expert on this, but I just thought it was worth pointing out that there’s more to the process than being a good enough player to generate interest from a European club.
My experience has been...
…that, if an elite team wants you bad enough, ways will be found to make it happen.
Some countries have very strict requirements, others are more lax.
With that said, his status as a refugee would at least be enough reason for teams to request a hearing given the special circumstance surrounding his lack of recent national team play. So in some ways, it could be quite beneficial.
Still, I don’t worry too much about losing Alonso. As fantastic a player as he is, holding midfielders are really pretty much everywhere. His value to the Sounders is likely far higher than his value to other teams and I think it would take a pretty massive offer for MLS to sell him.
by Aaron Campeau on Nov 3, 2011 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Indeed, requirements vary
This is very true. The UK has some specific rules about national team appearances, but others do not. For example, Neagle played in Finland in 2010. Indeed, there are a lot of non-EU players in many lower European leagues. For example, many Brazilians play in Finland, and obviously a club in Finland does not sign a Brazilian national team player.
Note about Neagle
He was able to play in Finland because he has an EU passport (Ireland).
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Nov 5, 2011 6:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Did not know that, thanks.
Still the point stands. There are scores of non-EU players all over lower leagues of Europe. Many countries have much less strict criteria than the UK. For example, Josh Wicks played in 2011 in the same club where Neagle played in 2010 (IFK Mariehamn), and based on about ten seconds of research he does not have an EU passport (http://www.yanks-abroad.com/get.php?mode=content&id=8015)
He would be in his last year of his contract at Inter
Meaning the Sounders would either have to sign a transfer fee for a January transfer, or hope he doesn’t renew and sign him in August.
I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I would rather sign a younger guy on the rise than Forlan.
There are sooo many young strikers in many countries of Africa, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Brasil and many other countries right now. These guys could easily be bought in for cheaper and with a much cheaper salary. And they would have a hunger that a player in his 30’s like Forlan no longer has. But I’m certainly not going to be disappointed if we do sign Forlan ;)
But take a look at our success with young players vs established European players:
*Fernandez – a young and at the time, fairly undiscovered player – great play with the team.
*Montero – a young and at the time, fairly undiscovered player – great play with the team.
*Hurtado – a young and at the time, fairly undiscovered player – great play with the team.
*Alonso – a young and at the time, fairly undiscovered player – great play with the team.
*Ljungberg – an older and established player from Europe, good play with the team but bad fallout.
*Nkufo – an older and established player from Europe, solid play with team but a bad fallout.
I just feel like these older Euro players tend to be a failure more times than not.
I love Mauro Rosales but..
the 2 problems i see with him are:
for one, he will be 31 years old before the start of next season and he plays a position that requires a player to be very fast. I think giving him a raise is great.. But as soon as his production starts to fall as his age rises, everyone will come on these message boards and complain about a lack of production for an overpaid player. Every older player sees a drastic decline in their numbers as they enter their 30’s. There is no way around it.
and the second problem I see is, Mauro himself stated that he only wants to be in Seattle for another year or 2 before returning to Argentina. Why keep a young talented player like Neagle or Fernandez down on the bench for a player who is only a short term fix. Trust me, I would love for Rosales to retire with the Sounders. But he said himself that he wants to return to his homeland. So for me, the jury is still out on him. To this point, he has probably been one of our best finds. But if he gets a steep raise in pay, and his production falls with his age, i’m pretty sure alot of people will complain and for that reason, it is hard to say weather or not he will continue to be a successful find.
Mauro Rosales's knees
I think Mauro is great when healthy and a great asset for the team…
BUT, it seems that he may have some long term problems staying healthy. The contract in Mexico reportedly fell through because he failed his physical with the team and now he has another injury. Not sure if it’s a pattern or a couple random events, but it is a cause for concern.
I think his knee injuries
resulted from other people bending his knee laterally much further than it should go. I think Knee-Heim the God of Healthy Knees would also have had his knee ligaments strained in those tackles.
Nos Audietis
by sidereal on Nov 3, 2011 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Knee-Heim God of Healthy Knees?
How does one or one’s team get on his good side. Prayer, Sacrifice, beer?
The easiest way
would be to play in a league where they don’t tolerate thugball and have halfway decent officiating, i.e. somewhere other than the MLS
by EAS on Nov 3, 2011 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions
There are dirty teams and dirty players in every league in the world.
Stoke City is currently playing in Europe employing a style that would make Gary Smith vomit.
This idea that things like this are unique to MLS has got to stop.
by Aaron Campeau on Nov 3, 2011 4:45 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed
But my fear is that when you have a joint that has been injured, it tends to be injured more easily in the future unless you can strengthen the muscles around the joint sufficiently to take some of the load off.
Depends on the injury
I don’t know if MCL injuries are like that or not.
Read up on the contract situation a bit
There were also reports (I’m too lazy to dig them up, they were mentioned on this site previously) that the club blundered their way through the deal and tried to get him to sit for 6 months until an international spot opened on their roster, a little note they sprung after terms had been agreed. I’m not sure who to believe, but an item which will fail you in a physical typically isn’t going to go away without surgery.
Nos audietis in somniis
Nos audietis in altum
by Seattle Coug on Nov 3, 2011 4:41 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Completely agreed, except I would be disappointed
Forlan and players like him are over-priced. Bringing him over would be taking money away from getting more players who could help us more. If we have $335,000 of cap space to spend, I’d rather spend it on getting Rosales paid more and on a couple more players of the type you listed than one Forlan type player.
Werd.
First – Just because Rosales is 31 doesn’t mean he’s going to fall apart. Jordan won his last championship at 33. Rosales has been playing soccer for a long time, he came here ‘cause he wanted to be here and he holds nothing back on the field. Had he been available these last two games, I bet we’d be having a different conversation.
Second – We’re going to be competing in a LOT of games next year. There will be playing time for everyone…if they work to get it.
Third – I believe this season to be a success. The Sounders didn’t get to where they wanted to be, but they did some things they’d never done before. There’s nothing but upside coming, I think…
Terrible's what it is.
-Big George
Neagle
Lamar was amazing last night. I wonder if the fact he knew he was starting on Saturday allowed him to get over his head mentally. The fact he was on the bench not ready to play for this game and then thrown in probably made him play more instinctively and less crappy.
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
I thought we had them, but oh well...
I’m proud of the guys last night as they did make it entertaining. They played very well and almost got there. My only lingering concern as I start pondering the ‘12 Sounders is the physical style of play in they MLS and how we handle it. More often than not, it worked against us this year when the ref lets it slide. And the ref did let it slide big time last night. I don’t ever recall seeing back-checks and shoulders like that. I mean really, we lose 2 guys to injury in the first 20 min? I’m starting to think we need a few thugs on the team, maybe a Casey-like forward and a Vinnie Jones centerback to combat this. The MLS ain’t gonna change overnight so we need to adapt.
by Brougham Hooligan on Nov 3, 2011 11:32 AM PDT reply actions
Further to my point...
So sayeth Evan’s ankle http://t.co/DpIEonvm
by Brougham Hooligan on Nov 3, 2011 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
Dude.
Thats freaking gross.
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
Hopefully the Sounders will have some fixture congestion around a RSL game next year
Where Ossie will need a MLS game off anyway. Maybe he can help be a good Will hunter.
(I know, awful pun and headhunting = bad).
Eh Ankle Sprain
Had an ankle that looked just like that on Oct. 13 but then my entire foot swelled after some more time. At this point, swelling has subsided except right above the ankle bone on the front of the foot…I believe from pictures it’s the anterior talo-fibular ligament (goes from the talus to the fibula) (http://www.hughston.com/hha/a.ankle.htm). It doesn’t hurt to put weight on it or anything, just swollen and shouldn’t take to long to heal (also a plus, Evans has much better doctors, so he can treat it much better than I could).
Evans has months before he has to play another match
So there’s nothing to worry about.
May hurt his expansion draft status though
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
With how many injuries he's had lately
I would kinda be surprised if Montreal took him. He only played 22 games this year and 12 the year before.
by Derek R on Nov 3, 2011 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
There has been an injury in almost every playoff game this year
That is just not normal and not true of any other sport I can think of.
Sure there are injuries in those sports
but are there significantly more in the playoffs? I don’t watch American football or NHL admittedly, but I don’t remember that many more injuries than normal in the NBA (or college bball, or baseball or other sports).
Sunsa Bitches
We did well considering that they kicked two of our top starters out of the game in the first twenty minutes. Dirty, dirty RSL. A big man would be nice to stand up to that if the ref isn’t going to.
I feel slightly less hollow inside.
Loved what our team showed and almost climbing that mountain that was set. It was a GREAT game, even if they lost the two game series.
Hopefully they just build from this and use it for next year’s playoffs.
I’m still disappointed we didn’t advance and more disappointed Keller couldn’t lift the MLS cup, but not completely gutted. That’s mostly due to what we brought and showed on the field last night.
by TheDarkPassenger on Nov 3, 2011 11:33 AM PDT reply actions
I was so full of hope that we would get another goal that it carried into my post-game feelings
We played so well and so strong last night but it just wasn’t in the cards. I know how much of a crap shoot the MLS playoffs are and I guess it just wasn’t the time, no matter how much it felt like it would be.
Unofficial Sounder Fan Club President - New Mexico Division
I think we all felt the same way.
Had so much time to get that third goal (and it felt like we were destined to get it), but it just never came.
And btw, I will forever have nightmares about Jeff Parke’s shot being headed off the line.
Man...
“There’s so much to feel good about, and in time maybe we will. Right now, though, we feel empty. There’s just no getting around it.”
Couldn’t have said it better.
I wasn't expecting any goals, so they exceeded my expectations in that regard
Although I didn’t expect them to advance either, so that was as expected. I hated the game, because I knew they weren’t going to score three on RSL.
Maybe this isn't the proper forum, but:
Any word on Fernandez’s status? It’d be a real shame if he’s unable to play in the Uruguay v Chile match.
by ascholl on Nov 3, 2011 12:26 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
not yet, but that is worth checking on
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Nov 3, 2011 12:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Almost worse
To get two than to get nothing. It feels like we got so close but yet just not close enough, bringing our hopes up only to be brought down again.
But upon further reflection, we dominated that game, and showed who we really were. Even if our expectations were crushed at Rio Tinto, then soared again in the last 25ish minutes, then were crushed again, I would rather have these intense feelings of disappointment in “almost getting it” then feeling as if the Sounders are simply not good enough for “the big leagues.”
We proved last night that we ARE good enough, and next year, we’ll be ready. We’re taking it all in 2012!! Go Sounders!
I'll believe when I see it
RSL played exactly the way I expected and the Sounders weren’t able to get the job done. Who knows what our keeper situation will be like next year. I think we’ll probably make the playoffs, but I don’t know about advancing.
Playoffs
If the playoff structure is still a joke next year then almost everything can go wrong and Seattle will be in playoffs again. Look at the records of some of these playoff teams, gross. The Crew made it in with a negative GD…
by Shane Waletzko on Nov 3, 2011 12:54 PM PDT up reply actions
The playoff structure is great.
For a 32-team league.
I met a possum.
by s0merand0mdude on Nov 3, 2011 12:57 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
It's probably sacrilige to say but...
… on the whole I found this year’s losses to be more enjoyable than many of the wins in previous seasons. I knew a win wasn’t likely last night but I also knew the team would make a good go of it, and they did. It had gotten to the point last year where if we went down a goal in the first half you figured it was probably over. Now even with a 3-goal deficit there’s hope. We were unfortunate not to get the third (then fourth) but I thoroughly enjoyed watching us get close. I’m gutted. I’m tired. However, I’m neither angry nor unhappy. Great season. I look forward to March.
This is kind of a strange feeling for me right now
I’m not gutted. I’m not depressed. Believe me, I was on Saturday, but right now I’m just kind of ambivalent. I’m disappointed that I’m not going to be watching any more Sounders games until March, but that’s about it.
It’s important to remember in the sporting world that at some point you will experience disappointment. Even if you completely dominate and win several championships, every year you don’t will be a disappointment. We didn’t win the MLS Cup this year, but even if we did, we might not have defended it next year, and we would all be disappointed and frustrated and angry then. But that’s what makes the victory that much sweeter.
When you play an easy video game, it can make you complacent. Beating it at the end doesn’t really feel like a victory, because the victory was never in doubt. It’s the chance of failure, nay, the likelihood of failure that makes the victory exciting. So think of this disappointment as a building block to excitement. Maybe not next year, maybe not in thirty years, but at some point we will win. Imagine the ecstasy BoSox fans felt when they finally won a World Series. If it wasn’t for the consistent disappointment before that, the victory would not have been so sweet for them. Stay faithful to the team, and in time, the rewards will come.
It’s been a great first year for me on this blog, and I’m looking forward to the offseason coverage. Thanks for the memories, all of you.
I met a possum.
Um...
It’s important to remember in the sporting world that at some point you will experience disappointment.
Somehow I doubt that Seattle fans need reminding that a team can disappoint you. As a point of reference I will cite:
Every friggin’ pro team in this city for the last 30 years.
by central_scrutinizer on Nov 3, 2011 7:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Storm
USL Sounders, A League Sounders
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
OK sorry
Every friggin top division mens pro team in this city for the last 30 years.
The fact that you have to cite a women’s basketball title as the pinnacle of sporting greatness in this city furthers my point that we don’t need to be reminded of the possibility of disappointment in sports fandom.
A friend of mine from Chicago mentioned to me recently that he has seen trophies for all five major sports (Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Fire, and White Sox) brought home to Chicago. He will never know our pain.
by central_scrutinizer on Nov 3, 2011 9:17 PM PDT up reply actions
I worked the Storm games for 3 awful seasons
so it meant something to me when they won. And I’ll always remember the League/Cup titles of 2007 Sounders
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
The 2007 Sounders is my favorite local sports memory
Winning the league and the cup made it feel like a completely legitimate victory. Brazil winning the World Cup in 1994 and 2002 are still the best sports moments ever, but it’s hard to beat that.
The pinnacle of sporting greatness in this city was the 2001 Mariners.
And the 2005 Seahawks.
And the Sonics in several seasons.
I met a possum.
by s0merand0mdude on Nov 3, 2011 10:37 PM PDT up reply actions
NOT almost worst
“Almost worse to get two than to get nothing…” Gotta disagree.
I wanted a competitive game that showed our hustle and heart. I wanted the first goal, so we could go nuts and hoped for the 2nd so we could go ape$%#@. Last night had all that and more. Lots of coulda wouldas. The worst moment for me was Neagle’s blast to the upper corner that Rimando snagged. We’ve seen it before and we could see it coming from the other end…! The best moment- singing Kasey Keller the whole time he was being interviewed until he walked thru the tunnel for the last time.
I feel great
We took RSL behind the woodshed last night. They looked even worse than we looked on Saturday. At least we had a few late chances around the box this weekend. They had that one Espindola run and otherwise absolutely nothing. The fact that we didn’t get a third in is just soccer. We can score a goal in 10 seconds if bounces go right and if they don’t we won’t.
Best of the three very good Sounders season, and next season has a chance to be even better with Zakuani and Rosales running opposite wings.
Imagine being a Revs or a Quakes fan. We got it good.
Nos Audietis
by sidereal on Nov 3, 2011 1:09 PM PDT reply actions 5 recs
I think RSL is completely okay with that
This game wasn’t about scoring for them. That would just be a bonus. It was all about keeping the score below three, which they did.
Agreed.
3 years, 3 trophies, 3 playoff appearences. Champions League knock-out birth.
Consider what the team did this year with all the injuries, Kufo bailing right before first kick,and the insane amount of matches and travel. FOUR, trips to central america alone for gawd sakes!
The team came up one goal short of moving on in a stupid playoff system that almost punishes the best teams in the regular season.
I think next season might just be magical.
by DaveValleDrinkNight on Nov 3, 2011 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions
We also did it while missing our 4 best midfielders
For effectively the entire match, and with a less-than-healthy Freddy Montero. Pretty much the worst possible situation 20 minutes into the match and with a 3-goal hole to climb out of, and we took them to the brink of the unthinkable… plenty to be proud of
by EAS on Nov 3, 2011 3:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I consider him more of a defensive player, honestly
I met a possum.
by s0merand0mdude on Nov 3, 2011 10:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I couldn't sleep last night
Just kept replaying the ‘what-if’s in my head. Great performance, and I was so hopeful by the last 15 or so mins of the game that the letdown was just that much bigger when we didn’t make it.
Keller
can Keller be our goalkeeper coach ?
by alexyepz on Nov 3, 2011 1:29 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
I really hope
that SSFC find a meaningful role for Keller that keeps him a Sounder for life.Maybe something in the front office next year so he can enjoy a year without travel. Then whichever direction his talents and interests best suit him – coaching, management, marketing, commentary, ownership. I think he has a lot to offer beyond great goalkeeping and I hope the Sounders find a way to maximize Kasey Keller.
I loved the effort last night and got to bring my mom to her first Sounders game but
I can’t help wishing they would have shown that grit and determination in the first leg. Great season that ended two games too soon.
Thanks to Dave, Jeremiah, Dizzo, sidereal, malcontent jake and all the great fans that make this the best Sounder’s site on the interwebs.
2 subs in the first 20 minutes
I never saw anything similar, and it seems to me that was the most decisive factor last night. After scoring two and having still plenty of time to score the third one, there was not enough energy for the final surge, which would change if we had opportunity to bring the first sub in 60" or so. I think Sounders did tremendous job last night with everything, and maybe with the couple of lucky bounces or non-injuries, the things would be different.
You could definitly see the Sounders players start to tire after the 75th minute or so.
Its hard to play balls to wall like they did for an enitire match.
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
Exacerbated by Kreis' very astute move
to pull Saborio and put in another holding mid right around that time.
Nos audietis in somniis
Nos audietis in altum
I don't get people in Seattle sometimes.
I wore my scarf in to work again today, and had FIVE people on the bus in this morning, then a similar number on my way home, ask why I was wearing it after they lost last night. When I told them I support the team no matter what, I only got quizzical looks and even several people asking me why.
I love this city to death, but I just don’t get it’s people sometimes.
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by c_dowley on Nov 3, 2011 6:55 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
ah man, that's disappointing
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Nov 3, 2011 7:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah
Fair weather fans are everywhere. Pretty lame.
Sounders Fanatic | Engineer/Editor Nos Audietis Podcast | Follow me on Twitter
Looking forward to the next 50 years.
I’m not all that into baseball. Scratch that. I’m not interested in it in the least. However, during this past World Series, while those incredible last few innings of Game 6 were unfolding, a buddy of mine started talking about his grandma back in Texas – a lifelong Rangers fan, cheering on her team in the World Series, hoping for a first ever championship after 5 DECADES of faithful adoration and support. As he spoke of this passionate old Rangers octogenarian, I could not help but become more than a little bit giddy imagining the decades of enjoyment to come as a "Till I Die" supporter of our beloved club. Oh, to be a Sounder indeed!
I’m really proud of our club this season. Of course it would have been ridiculously special to win the MLS Cup on top of everything else, but it really has been a wonderful season in so very many respects. I won’t rehash all the glorious and exceptional moments, achievements, and overcomings at the moment, since so many of you have already done so in such eloquent fashion. I just wanted to say, I don’t regret for one moment standing in the freezing rain for 90 minutes last night, cheering on our boys in green. Quite simply, it was an honor.
And I can’t wait to do it again and again… for the next 50 years and beyond!!!
Offense Sells Seats (or Wins Games), Defense Wins Championships
The Seattle Sounder’s offense being the number one offense in the league at 56 GF, even without Zakuani and White, and a number of games without Rosales, tell an incredible story about the talent and coaching job done this season.
The Sounders’ defense was fourth in the league, with 37 GA, only bettered by LA, RSL and Philadelphia.
T’s been a memorable, record breaking season, and I damn proud to be a Sounders fanatic. I’m proud to bring my family to each game, and love being able to watch games and talk about strategies, tactics, player trivia and appreciate what we’re building here in Seattle.
I understand there’s a lot of disappointment for those of you who expected to win it all this year, and our chances to change the result of the game were plentiful in this game, as they were in SLC. We started the game with a determination to play quick efficient defense and score at least 3 goals. It shows in every statistic, and ultimately, it proves how much this young team has grown in a few years. The accumulation of experience, taste of post season victory, and watching who responds well to pressure tells that this team is maturing collectively and individually.
In the First Leg game at RSL, we had a very apparent lack of leadership on the field, in places where Rosales normally sets the tone with his tenacity on offense and Alonso on defense. Coulda, shoulda woulda… yes, if we woulda had any of our missing injured players available for that first game, the outcome would have been drastically different.
As I started to watch replays of the Second Leg game on ESPN 3, I am reminded of how young our collective team is, and I’m impressed at how Montero is developing into the player we were hoping at the beginning of the season. He brings that leadership that Rosales brought into this game and he never gives up. Alonso and Friberg also put their own stamp on the game. Neagle, Fernandez, Alonso and Friberg are all part of the nucleus of this young team and they have many, many years left for the Seattle Sounders, as a matter of fact, I don’t see them leaving of their own volition anytime soon.
I also get the feeling that my off season acquisitions for this team would definitely be focused on a quality GK and a big, fast defender would enable the team to change any formation from a 3-4-3 to a 4-3-3, as a fast, ball controlling team with the skill to open up the field with success against any team or the ability to clog the midfield with talented players that can play a one touch game against the best teams. Without doubt, the FO has put together a talented team that is among the league’s elite teams, and is one of the younger teams in the league…
Soccer is simple, but it is difficult to play simple.
kinda off topic but any idea on the status on fernandez's injury?
he was supposed to play for uruguay next weekend and i was wondering if he still would be able too.
we've asked, but there's no word yet
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Nov 4, 2011 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions
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