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The Seattle Sounders playoff scenario is rather simple -- beat FC Dallas and Brian Schmetzer’s team qualifies for the MLS Cup Playoffs. That would be nine straight years when the Seattle Sounders made the playoffs and Brian Schmetzer’s 11th straight season doing so. In fact, Schmetz has only missed the playoffs once while coaching the Sounders, all the way back in 2006. He started in 2002. That’s a rather long stretch of success picking up three regular season titles, three post season titles and four Open Cups to go along with making the playoffs fourteen, soon to be fifteen times.
538 says there is a 55% chance of Seattle winning. What happens if they draw, as they have 11 times this season?
It’s simple, if either San Jose Earthquakes or Real Salt Lake don’t win today Seattle is in. RSL plays at Colorado Rapids. San Jose is at the Vancouver Whitecaps. With both games being on the road there is a pretty good chance that the Sounders could back in this way.
If Seattle loses, which they’ve only done once at home this season, they would need both the Earthquakes and Fake Royalty to not win. This is a home game. There should be no backing into the playoffs. Seattle are the favorites, even with recent form and Dallas stumbling. The Sounders are missing Alonso, Evans and Morris. But this is the year when losing Osvaldo Alonso is not a big deal. They’ve gone without Brad Evans for most of the season. Losing Jordan Morris does remove a style of play from the Seattle attack, but a rested and healthy Clint Dempsey could make up for that lack of the youngster.
You shall not be silent. You shall not be calm. You shall not be passive. You are Sounders.
Our voice is a declarative statement to the opponent, a soft comfort to our allies and family. We are the Seattle Sounders — all of us in Rave Green, Capitol Blue, Cascade Shale, Heritage White, a rainbow of support. Our colors are both bright and dark, like our skies and seas.
We are the mountains, the valleys, the pines, the leviathan.
We are the Sound of Soccer.
Dallas can only qualify for the playoffs this week if they win and both RSL and San Jose lose. Poor Dallas.