Let’s go streaking

No, the Seattle Sounders have not shot up the standings. The hole they dug for themselves will take a few more games to show up in the standings. Seattle is six points back from 9th in the West (Vancouver) and two points back from 18th in the Shield (Orlando). Their position at 538 and Sagarin did improve during the streak, but real standings matter more than theory.

The streak, even this short, is still impressive. This can be true, even if every team but Minnesota, San Jose and Toronto have unbeaten streaks of four or more matches. This doesn’t mean that the Sounders can afford to stop their streak. Again, they need this streak, and probably several more or one very long one. Jeremiah laid that out.

• Teams with longer active unbeaten matches than Seattle’s 4: Portland Timbers are at 13 unbeaten. LA Galaxy is at 6 unbeaten.
• Teams that earned more than 8 points in last four played: Galaxy with 10, Minnesota United with 9, New York City FC with 9, New York Red Bulls with 9.
• Teams that gave up less than two goals in their last four (Sounders only gave up 2 in that stretch): None.
  Aside, the offense is up to mediocre from awful, but there’s reason to hope that’s still on the upswing.
• Teams with more points from July 4 to present (Sounders have 8): Minnesota United with 12 in five played, Galaxy with 10, NYCFC with 9.
• Teams that gave up fewer than two goals from July 4 to present: NYCFC with 0, Houston Dynamo with 1.
• Sounders are one of eight teams with a +3 goal differential from July 4 to present.

The current run is impressive. Right now, the Sounders are one of the best teams in the league. They just need to do it again, and again, and again...