One of the glorious things about the Seattle Sounders in 2025 is that we've watched great soccer at Lumen Field. The team is thriving in the friendly confines, putting up a grand record (2nd in the West, 2nd best offense at home in the league, Leagues Cup, Club World Cup). They're downright thrilling with the breeze off of Puget Sound in the air.
But they're 13th by PPM in the Shield race and only 4th in the West standings.
On the road they have more in common with Toronto, Colorado and Salt Lake than they do Vancouver, San Diego and LAFC.
That's bad.
It's particularly bad when the playoff path is nearly certain to include four or five road games including MLS Cup.
Austin isn't a particularly good MLS side. But they are a playoff team. Seattle needs, in their final two road matches (@Austin, @NYCFC to end the season) to show that they can win against quality teams away from Lumen Field.
The team has three road points from playoff sides in 2025. All are draws. Each draw is against one of the four teams below them in the playoff standings (Austin is the remaining team below them in the West).
Any hope of a playoff run for a team hovering in the 4-5-6 space rests on road wins.
It's time to bring high life soccer on the road, before it's too late.
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Catching up on Sounder at Heart
Here's what you missed on the site this week.
Sounders
Next match: Sunday, Sept. 21 at Austin FC | 4:00 pm PT | MLS Season Pass / Apple TV+
Seattle clinches a playoff spot with a win or a draw and help from other teams.
- Opposition scouting report: Austin FC
- Jetlagged and jilted: Sounders drop Leagues Cup final rematch
- Realio’s Ratings: Agonizing
- MLS teams charting own path to defensive excellence
- Reed Baker-Whiting re-signs with Sounders
- Two Sounders versus the World Cup
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: Saturday, Sept. 20 vs. KC Current | 4:30 pm PT | iON
- Match Preview: Kansas City Current vs Seattle Reign
- Reign vs Louisville Recap: Seattle wins second half and three points
Defiance
Next match: Sunday, Sept. 21 vs. Colorado Rapids 2 | 7:00 pm PT | MLSNextPro.com / YouTube
Defiance are eliminated if they lose or have a shootout loss. There are also scenarios in which they are eliminated with a win.
Wade Webber will take over as coach for the remaining matches. Interim head coach Michael Morris is with the US U20s.
Looking back at the news
Everything else you need to know
- NWSL Opens Applications for Players’ Restitution Fund (NWSL)
- Seattle Sounders star Pedro de la Vega: “They called me Puskás!" (MLS)
- MLS strikes South Korea broadcast deals after LAFC's Son Heung-min signing (Reuters)
- Sources: Messi, Miami near multiyear extension (ESPN)
- The MLS teams charting their own path to defensive excellence (Backheeled, a Sounder at Heart partner)
- Brad Sims: 'Everyday, it's good news' (Hudson River Blue) Including why NYCFC is among the teams pushing for the Euro calendar in MLS
- Episode 134: Interview with Seattle Reign and USWNT U-23 Defender Emily Mason (The Women's Soccer Podcast)
- The Coast Salish designers behind this year’s Sounders community kit (Cascade PBS)
- NWSL commish on new contract: 'Intend' to stay (ESPN)
- Berman: NWSL learned from King mistake in DeMelo incident (Pro Soccer Wire)
- What if our 'best athletes' never choose soccer? How NIL money could shape the USMNT's future (Yahoo Sports)
- RSL's apology betrays the community that built the club (Wasatch Soccer)
- FTC sues Live Nation and Ticketmaster alleging illegal resale tactics (FTC)
