SEATTLE – Just when it seems the Seattle Sounders have hit rock bottom, they find a new way to go even lower.
Their 2–0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday was certainly not the worst they’ve looked during what is now a stretch of nine losses in 10 games across all competitions. Unlike many of those losses, the Sounders were legitimately in this game at least until Rayan Elloumi’s goal in the 77th minute. Up to that point, you might even have been able to argue the Sounders had the better overall looks.
What made this loss feel so much worse is how little hope the Sounders seemed to have after that goal. When head coach Brian Schmetzer looked down his bench to see what he could do to change the circumstances, he saw a goalkeeper, two centerbacks and two players who were on short-term loans from the Tacoma Defiance. Understandably, he didn’t make a move at that point.
That he ultimately gave in when he put in Charlie Gaffney – one of those Defiance players – shortly after the Whitecaps scored their second goal was just another sad commentary on the current state of the roster. Earlier in the match, Jesús Ferreira went down with a hamstring injury – yes, another player might be out with a muscle injury – and Schmetzer’s best option was to bring in Sebastian Gomez, an MLS rookie who started the year designated as an “off-roster” player. His only other offensive sub was Osaze De Rosario, a striker with just two goals so far this year.
I’m not saying any of these are bad players and it’s entirely possible they could all turn into very good players, but it speaks to how thin the roster has been stretched.
Perhaps predictably, the Sounders managed just one relatively harmless shot after the Whitecaps took their lead and only had four shots all game, tied for the fewest they’ve ever had at Lumen Field. The Whitecaps finished the game with 57% of possession and 85% of the field tilt.
Well before the final whistle, fans were already heading for the exits. It’s the second straight time that’s happened in a game against their biggest rivals, but this one somehow felt more pointed as the Sounders were at least plausibly still within range of a miracle comeback. Few at Lumen Field really believed a miracle was even worth hoping for.
When asked what he thought of fans leaving early, Sounders midfielder Albert Rusnák said “I don’t blame them.”
The losing postgame locker room is always pretty dour, but this time it was particularly quiet. Rusnák talked about not pointing fingers and just trying to stay together, but like everyone he seems to be searching for answers that are hard to ascertain.
This is basically unprecedented territory for virtually all of these players.
Historically, the Sounders have gone through struggles, but really nothing quite like this. Their longest losing streak during a decade under Schmetzer before this was just three games, and the only other time they lost as many as five straight was 2015. They are now one of just 13 teams in MLS history to have endured a losing streak of at least seven games, and until recently seemed to be among the least likely teams to enter this sort of pantheon. Just once in their MLS history have they missed the playoffs or won fewer games than they’ve lost, a threshold they’ve now dipped below this year.
“We know that this club has high expectations, the city, the fans have high expectations, and we’re not meeting them right now,” Sounders defender Alex Roldan said. “The fans in the city don’t deserve this. We need to look at ourselves and do a better job, certainly on the field, and look back at the film and fix the areas that we’re really lacking in, try to turn this thing around. The only way we can is to dig ourselves out of this hole and stay together.”
While ending the losing streak is the most immediate goal, there are much bigger issues facing the Sounders that aren’t as easily addressed. Beating Austin FC on Wednesday, for instance, isn’t going to fix the Sounders injury crisis that is being made worse by the slow-moving nature of the front office’s transfer strategy.
For perhaps the first time, Schmetzer’s frustration began to show. He may have been willing to go along in previous summers when GM Craig Waibel made the signings of players like Georgi Minoungou or De Rosario his signature moves. That won’t cut it this time.
When asked if Mark Bronnik’s red-hot run with the Defiance in which he’s now scored nine goals in eight games might earn him a spot in the No. 9 rotation, Schmetzer practically scoffed.
“If Craig brought Mark Bronnik up from Defiance, I think that wouldn’t be a smart move,” he said. “We need a little bit more than that. Bronnik is a nice kid. I know who he is; he’s got some good starting points, good young talent. But that’s a bit much of a jump, in my opinion.”
The time for bandages is passed. If season is to be salvaged, bolder action is clearly required.
