Worry about next year later

Rosterbation can be fun. Figuring who to let go, who to sign. It’s one of the joys of following a sports team. The MLS PA released the list of Free Agents (and possible free agents with pending options) this week.

It’s like a shopping list of players who can help a team get better.

The temptation is to turn your eyes to next year. The Seattle Sounders already have their trophy in 2025. The prospects for another feel slim.

Do not let next year get in the way of this year’s joy.

This Sounders team is capable of going on a winning streak. They’ve won three in a row twice already this season, and against much better teams than Portland, Salt Lake and New York (their next three opponents).

Seattle isn’t the only playoff side using the run-in to slam the brakes on a once hopeful season. Former East powerhouses Nashville and Columbus have six and five points respectfully, matching up quite well with the Sounders’ five points (2nd to last in the West).

Form running in to the playoff doesn’t necessarily matter, at least not as much as we tend to imagine. Red Bulls in 2024 won all of four points in their final six matches. As the East’s No. 7 seed, they made MLS Cup.

As the 7 seed in 2021 RSL made the Western Conference Final. The Timbers, tonight’s opponent to burn, made the 2018 Cup as the 5th seed. As the 5th seed in 2017 the Crew made the Eastern Conference Final. Montreal was a 5th seed in the East Final in 2016. The Impact only won 7 points in their run-in.

There’s reason to hope as a lower seed, particularly a lower seed with a coach that is the league’s best in knockout tournaments.

Hang onto that hope.

For Seattle, the six-match run-in during that stretch of five years making four MLS Cups was

2020 - 9 points
2019 - 10 points
2018 - 15 points (no Cup appearance)
2017 - 10 points
2016 - 13 points

There's little reason to think that form means trophies. There’s plenty of reason to think that form means fun. A 10 or 8 point run-in would help fans feel hope.

It has to start with a bonfire Saturday night.

Also, I still like dreaming of the free agents – the former Sounders (Lowe, Steres) who could return and the potential to bring a local home (Dotson) to finally play for the club he looked up on his rise to the League.