More than one way to peel an orange
From 2008 to the present two MLS sides have four MLS Cup Finals appearances and another has five. Within this era of large crowds, the growth of the DP rule, and things like Allocation Money and U22s, these three most successful clubs over the full-season existence of the Seattle Sounders (MLS team founded in mid-07) show that building success isn't confined to a singular system.
That best side isn't a surprise – the LA Galaxy. They get there by spending big money on big players, overpowering everyone. When they have a strong GM this lasts for years.
Seattle is on that list, all of the big Cup success coming in the Brian Schmetzer era with a roster built on the backend by locals and the top end being high-quality players from fringe communities.
The third team on the list is the Columbus Crew, another original MLS team. Their identity is the Reboot. Their finals appearances never had a repeat coach. Their styling has flailed between American-borne national teamers, to locals, to big spending. Crew also changed ownerships in that stretch, including one that seemed completely unconcerned with the local community – they still had a great team. Columbus being reboot heavy shouldn't be a surprise. They spiral down fast.
But like a drinking song from the 1990s, they get back up.
In the current era the Crew look like a team that will stay up as long as they hold onto their coach. Wilfried Nancy puts together wondrous expositions of skill and talent, with a whiteboard philosophy that is as consistent as it is successful. Nancy is less concerned with the talent he has than that talent's ability to execute his vision – a vision that keeps Crew punching well above their tiny market.
This season they do have weaknesses, but those weaknesses are not because of the transfers of attacking talent. Losing Cucho Hernández, Christian Ramirez, Marino Hinestroza, and Aidan Morris over the last season+ should have taken apart their attack. But it's been fine. Crew have the third highest non-pen xG in the league and the fifth highest xG per shot. The attacking quality shouldn't be doubted, even if their raw numbers aren't strong.
It's the defense where they falter in 2025.
Crew have the 12th best xG against and the absolute worst xG per shot against.
Why are they struggling and how can Seattle take advantage of that?
- Very weak at aerial duels
Stares in Cristian, Jackson, Jordan – look for action on attacking set pieces to be closer to fruitful than typical.
- Stopping opponents from creating chances
One of Seattle's strengths is creating chances from individual skill (yes, I know you don't believe it, but compared to the league this is a strength of Seattle).
- Defending counter attacks
Again staring in a healthier Jordan, but also in Kalani and Paulie with a side order of when the underperforming wings play at their best.
- Defending through ball attacks
Stares in Albert, Pedro, Ryan, Jesús, Cristian and Obed. 2025 Sounders are set up as a team that is supposed to be quite good at throughballs. They attempt them frequently, off by just a foot or so often. But that's against most MLS teams, which by definition either average or good at defending those balls. Columbus is bad at what Seattle wants to do.
Sunday's match, finally getting an even balance between home-away, is between two of the heavyweights in MLS history. It is also a matchup between the Sounders' best styles of attack and the opponent's weaknesses.
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Catching up on Sounder at Heart
Here's what you missed on the site this week.
Sounders
Next match: Sunday, July 6 vs. Columbus Crew | 2 pm PT | MLS Season Pass
Good transit news: There is limited Sounder train service. Bad transit news: It's because the Mariners play at 1:10 pm.
- Under The Lights: Sounders match up with one of MLS's best
- Snyder Brunell will sign first-team contract with Sounders
- João Paulo suffers potential season-ending injury
- Key takeaways from 2025 Sounders Alliance Annual Business Meeting
- Sounders games will re-air on Fox13+
- Leaked Sounders’ third kit pays homage to the past
- Mailbag: What are the Sounders doing with all their money?
- Sounders make transfer offer on Dutch youth international
- Bargains on a Budget: Who can the Sounders target for their open U22 slots?
- Possible Sounders targets for summer signing
- How the Sounders pulled apart Austin’s press
- Realio’s Ratings: Fueled up and ready to roll
- Lobbing Scorchers Kickoff: Sounders start stretch run in style
- Lobbing Scorchers: The Seattle Sounders Played Better Than Inter Miami?!
This newsletter was made possible through the support of Full Pull Wines, a boutique wines reseller that has been sponsoring us since 2011.
Reign
Next match: Sunday, July 20 vs. Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 pm PT | International Friendly
Defiance
Next match: Thursday, July 17 vs. Real Monarchs | 7 pm PT | MLSNextPro and YouTube
Looking back at the news
Everything else you need to know
- 'Most bizarre thing in the world' - Oral history of 2020 MLS is Back Bubble: Stifling heat, pandemic protocols and unbreakable bonds that defined a surreal soccer saga (Goal) It's easy to forget just how weird 2020 was for sports, but it's not easy to forget that Columbus beat Seattle in MLS Cup 😦
- Where MLS truly stands after its Club World Cup awakening (New York Times) Even in the losses, the respect for MLS went up. But there are still massive steps to take in order to be a top 10 league.
- MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Toronto's Insigne exit, top five stay strong & more (Backheeled, an SaH partner) Sounders are at 5th. This is a great reminder that the national perception of Seattle is stronger than the perception locally.
- Does U.S. weather have FIFA concerned about 2026 World Cup? Here’s what we know (For the Win) tl;dr - yes. And they should be concerned, not as concerned as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but more concerned than other modern World Cups.
- Ex-Husky coach, defender share insights on college soccer path (KING 5) Reign GM Lesle Gallimore talks about college's influence on the pro game.
- NWSL Announces 2026 Schedule Footprint (NWSL) The Men's World Cup will limit late spring and summer play, but not eliminate it.
- Wales’s Jess Fishlock: ‘We’ve broken through several ceilings – now we have to burst a big one’ (The Guardian) Our Tiny Dragon may be in the Group of Death, but these dragons have life.
- Euro 2025: Wales' greatest female footballer Jess Fishlock achieves career dream (BBC)
- The Radar - Women's Euro 2025: The Athletic picks 25 players to watch (New York Times)
- Are the New York Cosmos back? (Hudson River Blue) Yes, but not really. They will be a pro team again, for the first time in several years. But they'll play in New Jersey.
- Joyful Parisians take a historic plunge into the Seine after 100 years (NBC News) When an Olympics or World Cup come to town it absolutely must result in situations like this, where the local community sees lasting improvements.
Not soccer: Add the bright lights and big booms of fireworks to D&D – the Sparkler Background