Sounders in need of "reinforcements," Sounders coach finally admits

At the beginning of the season, the Seattle Sounders coaching staff and front office reiterated their belief that they were content with the team they had, at least until the summer transfer window. As the first window of the season drew to a close, general manager Garth Lagerwey and head coach Sigi Schmid had changed their tune to slightly more urgent, but calculated regarding transfers in the summer. The Sounders hit the midpoint of the season in dead last in the Western Conference after Saturday’s loss to the Galaxy, and Sigi Schmid has admitted that his team are almost desperate for reinforcements.

The loss to the Galaxy was a stark reminder of Seattle’s biggest weakness—putting the ball in the back of the net. The Sounders had a staggering 22 total shots against LA, putting just 5 of them on target and none of them in the net. Schmid praised most of what his team did in that match: "Did we fight? Check that box. Did we work hard? Check that box. Did we play some good soccer? Check that box. Did we create chances? Check that box. Did we score? No." It doesn’t take much to realize that the Sounders need to improve in front of goal, but prior to this match, Schmid has mostly stuck to the mantra that the Sounders just need "more practice in front of goal" in regards to his team’s finishing woes.

But after the ridiculously poor finishing on display against the Galaxy, Schmid admitted that more training isn't all his team needs. "Maybe a little more quality at the final third of the field can help us. Reinforcements at that regard can certainly help us."

There has also been plenty of talk about the Sounders’ locker room and whether or not the team was playing together and giving 100%. But Schmid totally brushes off the notion, saying that "if the team wasn’t together, they wouldn’t have fought like that and battled like that." He said he sees a willingness to band together and fight for each other from his players, and that he doesn’t question their attitudes at all.

Heading into the team’s quick turnaround to play FC Dallas at CenturyLink Field on Wednesday, Schmid said he hopes to end the "frustrating" situations his team has faced in 2016 so far. Situations like the seemingly lopsided number of penalty kicks given to Seattle’s opponents, and how "you come out against the Red Bulls and you totally dominate in the first 20 minutes, but you come away with nothing."

Schmid hopes that the loss to the Galaxy was just a bump in the road, and that his team can bounce back into the confidence that they carried after their dramatic draw at Toronto and win over West Ham United. "We have to build upon those feelings and that confidence," he said. "It is frustrating, but if we were playing horrible soccer, it would be more frustrating."