Eight. In case anyone in the front office has stopped counting their money and started noticing soccer, that is now eight consecutive MLS losses. Eight straight league fixtures where the Seattle Sounders have found inventive, agonizing, and structurally predictable ways to walk away with zero points. Against 14th-place Austin FC at Lumen Field on Wednesday night, we were treated to the latest chapter of this slow-motion car crash: a 2-1 defeat in a match where Seattle actually looked much better than in recent games for stretches, peppered Austin’s debutant keeper with 19 shots, and still couldn’t come through when the moments demanded execution and precision.
For the first 45 minutes, it was a sleepy, disjointed slog, with Austin holding 64 percent of the ball while Seattle struggled to find any vertical rhythm. Then Brian Schmetzer rolled out a halftime triple-tweak: bringing on Snyder Brunell in central midfield, sliding Peter Kingston out to right back, and pushing Kalani Kossa-Rienzi up to the wing. Suddenly, the Sounders were buzzing — pressing high, driving forward with swagger, and popping off four great chances between the 46th and 61st minutes. But moral victories don’t count in the standings, and you won’t be surprised none of those chances ended in the back of the net.
As soon as the initial surge ran out of gas, the defensive cracks split wide open. The right side defense was awful for most of the night, Jackson Ragen went down with a knee hyper-extension and was forced to soldier through obvious pain before finally being pulled in what felt like a borderline medical gamble, and Alex Roldan simply lacked the bite required to anchor the spine as a 6. Stuart Hawkins stepped off the bench to score his first career MLS goal in the 90th minute, but that was all this anemic team managed as they limped to the locker room, defeated again.
Eight is not great: Seattle showed genuine fight and attacking structure coming out of the half, and overall generated 19 shots and seven on target while testing Damian Las in his MLS debut. This included a willingness to adjust structure and move some tactical parts around in search of a spark.
Eight is not fine: The minute the frontline missed their chances, the defensive tracking evaporated, leaving Facundo Torres completely unmarked to open the scoring while defenders watched from five yards back. Reliance on an Alex Roldan lone-pivot left the team without any defensive spine once fatigue set in.
Eight is enough: Losing eight straight MLS matches is no longer a dip in form; it is a historic structural collapse that demands real, immediate organizational answers. Instead of meeting this head on, we have crickets from the FO.
Goalkeeper
Andrew Thomas — 5 | Community — 4.8
Thomas was not the main culprit in this defeat, but he didn’t provide the game-saving heroics needed from a starting keeper on a reeling squad. He finished with six saves, including a massive stoppage-time denial on Brandon Vázquez to prevent a third Austin goal, yet his command of the penalty area and hesitation on crosses left the backline in constant panic. He was fine, but his outing was peppered with steady reflex shot-stopping undermined by nervous distribution.
Eight is not great: Stood tall in the first half to parry away long-distance efforts and made a fantastic 95th minute breakaway save on Vázquez to keep the scoreline at 2-1.
Eight is not fine: Hesitated coming off his line on Zan Kolmanič’s low cross for the opener, and was left stranded at his back post as Guilherme Biro flew in for the volley on the second. His distribution is an adventure.
Eight is enough: When your makeshift back four is scrambling for air, your goalkeeper must command the box and bail you out. Right now, Thomas is just surviving.
Defense
Nouhou — 5 | Community — 5.0 (off 88’ for Jauregui)
Nouhou put in a typical shift of isolated 1-v-1 dominance on the left, mostly locking down his flank and preventing Austin from overloading the wide channel. He completed 88 percent of his passes and won the majority of his ground duels. However, he offered almost zero attacking overlap to support Paul Rothrock, and as the game stretched late, he was caught upfield as Austin countered through the vacant channels before subbing off in the 88th minute.
Eight is not great: Handled his direct 1-v-1 defensive assignments with typical physical authority, preventing Austin from creating anything dangerous down his sideline. Nearly everything successful came from the opposite side of the field.
Eight is not fine: Hit two aimless crosses into the stands and abandoned his defensive zone late as Austin found acres of space in transition.
Eight is enough: Nouhou continues to look like a guy playing his own separate game while the other three spots on the back four dissolve into chaos.
Jackson Ragen — 4 | Community — 5.2 (off 69’ for Hawkins)
Ragen didn’t start hurt, but when he went down midway through the match clutching his knee, having him try to play through obvious pain felt a bit too on the nose for this team’s current desperation. He was visibly compromised for a 15-minute stretch, struggling to sprint or pivot, and having him out there limping before finally coming off in the 69th minute crossed over into borderline negligence. He completed 91 percent of his passes while stationary, but his lack of mobility left the central channel wide open on Austin’s opener.
Eight is not great: Distributed cleanly out of the back during the first half when Austin sat off and allowed him time to pick passes.
Eight is not fine: Suffered a knee hyper-extension midway through the match and struggled through obvious pain, unable to close down space or track runners as Austin carved open the central corridor for the 66th minute opener. Unsurprisingly subbed off after this.
Eight is enough: Risking your best center back when he cannot run or change direction is a dangerous gamble that nearly resulted in a catastrophic injury. I am not sure how that sort of risk can be explained to players.
Kim Kee-hee — 5 | Community — 4.8
Kim battled hard in the air and tried to step into the physical void as Ragen slowed down, but his lack of recovery pace was laid bare whenever Austin bypassed the initial press. He racked up five clearances and three interceptions, but as the right side collapsed beside him, his positioning grew increasingly frantic and disorganized.
Eight is not great: Stepped up nicely in the first half to cut off two dangerous through-balls and won four aerial duels against Vázquez.
Eight is not fine: Dragged completely out of position on Facundo Torres’ strike, leaving a massive central vacuum behind him.
Eight is enough: Father Time remains undefeated, and asking Kim to cover for an entire leaky right flank on short rest is a recipe for heartbreak. Having him play when there is some depth at center back is perplexing.
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi — 5 | Community — 4.9
The right side defense was awful pretty much most of the match, and Kalani bore the brunt of it. Starting at right back, he was repeatedly beaten inside and caught out of position during Austin’s first-half possession dominance, picking up a silly yellow card in the 48th minute. When Schmetzer pushed him up to right wing at the break, he looked far more dangerous going forward — nearly scoring in the 76th minute with a quick turn-and-shoot — but his defensive lapses in the first half set a terrible tone.
Eight is not great: Pushed high to the wing in the second half, creating two good scoring looks and setting up Albert Rusnák for an 85th minute chance, there was a lot of good happening in this stretch.
Eight is not fine: Torched repeatedly on the right side in the first 45 minutes; picked up a cheap caution and was caught ball-watching on Austin’s overlaps.
Eight is enough: KKR brings electric attacking tools, but his defensive positioning as a fullback remains an open invitation for opposing wingers.
Defensive Midfield
Alex Roldan — 5 | Community — 5.4
Deployed centrally as a makeshift 6, Alex was tidy enough on the ball (89 percent passing), but he doesn’t have the coverage, lateral range, or positional ability to be a pure 6. That vital defensive bite was completely missing in the middle of the pitch. Without a destroyer to break up play at the top of the box, Austin consistently found acres of space to turn, look up, and pick passes.
Eight is not great: Circulated possession calmly from deep and hit a couple of pinpoint diagonal switches to relieve wide pressure.
Eight is not fine: Failed to step up and close down the shooting lane on Austin’s breakthrough, demonstrating the exact positional lag you expect from a converted fullback.
Eight is enough: Alex tries hard and is a versatile tool, but playing him as a lone defensive anchor removes defensive teeth from a midfield that desperately needs them.
Peter Kingston — 5 | Community — 4.5 (off 76’ for De Rosario)
Kingston started in the double pivot next to Alex Roldan and struggled to impose himself as Austin controlled 64 percent of first-half possession. At halftime, he was shifted back to right back to accommodate Snyder Brunell. While he brought an honest work rate and hustle, he looked like a converted winger playing out of position, repeatedly losing his mark on Austin’s overlapping runs.
Eight is not great: Brought boundless energy to both the midfield and right-back positions, completing 18 of 21 passes.
Eight is not fine: Got caught isolated and beaten in behind on multiple occasions on the wing as Austin targeted his lack of fullback experience.
Eight is enough: Kingston gives you maximum effort, but shuffling young players between central midfield and fullback mid-game is a symptom of a broken roster.
Attacking Midfield
Paul Rothrock — 5 | Community — 5.2
Paulie Primetime brought his standard industrial-grade hustle, running himself into the ground and pressing Austin’s backline into multiple turnovers. He had a solid look in the 55th minute from 20 yards out that Las saved, and had a dangerous 78th minute shot blocked for a corner. His relentless activity was again on display, but when the moments arrived to deliver a killer cross or clean finish, the final touch was missing.
Eight is not great: Ran himself into the turf, forcing two high-turnover sequences that generated Seattle’s best transition looks.
Eight is not fine: Over-hit an early crossing opportunity in the first half and couldn’t beat Las on his second-half drives. Reduced to crossing to his vacant position on multiple second half occassions.
Eight is enough: You cannot fault the work rate, but hustle alone cannot drag an offense out of a historic scoring slump.
Albert Rusnák — 5 | Community — 4.4
Albert wore the captain’s armband and spent most of the match floating passively between the lines before finally waking up late. He had a 57th minute shot blocked, forced Las into a sharp save in the 85th minute, and delivered a pinpoint 90th minute free kick to assist Hawkins for his 150th career MLS regular-season goal contribution. Outside of those dead-ball and late moments, however, he failed to grab the game by the throat when Seattle had Austin pinned back early in the second half.
Eight is not great: Delivered a perfect 90th minute free kick to assist Hawkins and created three chances on the night.
Eight is not fine: Disappeared for large chunks of play while Austin dictated tempo in the opening 45 minutes.
Eight is enough: A late set-piece assist on a consolation goal does not erase 80 minutes of passive midfield play from your primary Designated Player.
Sebastian Gomez — 4 | Community — 4.0 (off 46’ for Brunell)
A completely anonymous first-half start for the young midfielder on the right side of the attacking band. Gomez managed just 16 touches in 45 minutes, completed only nine passes, and offered zero defensive cover for Kalani on a besieged right flank. His halftime substitution was entirely justified.
Eight is not great: Completed standard short passes to recycle possession during low-intensity phases.
Eight is not fine: Lost three of four duels and failed to record a single shot, key pass, or cross before being hooked at the break.
Eight is enough: The jump to starting MLS minutes is steep, and Gomez looked completely overwhelmed by the speed and physical demands of the match.
Striker
Danny Musovski — 4 | Community — 3.1
Another deeply frustrating outing from Moose. He had an 18th-minute header sail over the bar and forced Las into a brilliant diving save in the 61st minute, but outside of that single shot on frame, he was mostly a spectator. He logged only 18 touches in 90 minutes, won two of eight duels, and offered virtually no hold-up relief against Brendan Hines-Ike and Jon Bell.
Eight is not great: Rose well in the 18th minute and forced Las into an acrobatic diving save on a sharp 61st-minute strike.
Eight is not fine: Lost six of eight duels, offered zero physical hold-up presence, and had a late 94th minute chance blocked wide.
Eight is enough: If your starting striker isn’t holding the ball up or pressing effectively, he has to score. When the goals dry up, his presence on the pitch becomes a net negative. It’s a mystery why he keeps getting consecutive starts.
Substitutes
Snyder Brunell — 6 | Community — 5.3 (on 46’ for Gomez)
Brunell made a massive difference the moment he stepped on the pitch to start the second half. He brought direct energy, fearless vertical drive, and a willingness to push forward with the ball, setting up himself and others. He forced a fantastic save from Las in the 58th minute with a rocket from inside the box and gave Seattle’s midfield its only spell of swagger. But when he tired late, the entire team structure failed around him, and on Austin’s 66th-minute opener, he was caught watching from five yards back as his man, Facundo Torres, stepped into the box completely unmarked to score.
Eight is not great: Completely transformed Seattle’s attack for 20 minutes with sharp vertical dribbling and a stinging shot that forced Las into a diving stop.
Eight is not fine: Ran out of steam around the 65th minute and completely abandoned his tracking duties, spectating while his mark buried the game-changer. There has to be better balance in his game.
Eight is enough: Snyder is a breath of fresh air and clearly belongs on the field, but asking a teenager to carry the entire team’s vertical energy without defensive cover is a recipe for late-game heartbreak.
Stuart Hawkins — 6 (MOTM) | Community — 5.9 (MOTM) (on 69’ for Ragen)
Hawkins looked remarkably sharp from the second he replaced a hobbled Ragen, making it baffling that he didn’t start the match. The teenager brought immediate athletic composure to the backline, won his aerial battles, and scored his first career MLS goal in the 90th minute with a brave, rising header off Rusnák’s free kick. He was the best Sounder on the pitch over the final half hour.
Eight is not great: Stepped in with total authority, cleaned up several dangerous transition moments, and powered home a brilliant header for Seattle’s lone goal.
Eight is not fine: Got caught in two minds on Austin’s late second goal as the entire midfield structure collapsed in front of him.
Eight is enough: Hawkins proved he was fully ready to play; watching him perform this well makes the decision to delay his entry look even worse. He is one of the young players who looks to need time now to develop.
Osaze De Rosario — 5 | Community — 4.0 (on 76’ for Kingston)
Brought on to add a second striker as Seattle chased the match. ODR threw his body around and competed in the air, but he recorded just five touches and was unable to generate a single shot on target as Austin packed the box.
Eight is not great: Provided fresh physical energy and pressed Austin’s backline out of their low block.
Eight is not fine: Couldn’t find any service and never managed to turn or test the keeper in the final 15 minutes.
Eight is enough: Throwing extra forwards onto the pitch doesn’t generate goals when the delivery from wide areas is nonexistent.
Rafael Jauregui — 5 | Community — 4.0 (on 88’ for Nouhou)
Entered in the 88th minute to make his MLS debut on a short-term agreement as Seattle threw numbers forward in desperation. He completed a couple of passes during stoppage-time pressure, but had little time to make a defining impact.
Eight is not great: Made his MLS debut, stayed wide, and recycled possession calmly during late pressure.
Eight is not fine: Had too few touches to alter the trajectory of a match that was already slipping away.
Eight is enough: A nice personal milestone for the youngster, but a grim commentary on the club’s current depth chart.
Referee
Allen Chapman — 4 | Community — 4.9
Chapman called a standard, predictable MLS match. He mostly stayed out of the way during a sleepy first half (only handing out a justified caution to Kossa-Rienzi in the 48th), and he let physical play go in the second half. Both Austin goals were quickly confirmed by VAR and maybe shouldn’t have been. Chapman didn’t cost Seattle this match, they did that entirely on their own, but there were enough confusing calls (or lack of calls) to make this a rough match.
Eight is not great: Kept the game moving with minimal unnecessary stoppages and stayed out of the way of natural flow.
Eight is not fine: Let several cynical Austin counter-pressing fouls go uncarded during Seattle’s second-half momentum push. Not even a hesitation on a borderline offside on the second Austin goal? Really? Multiple Sounders were spared from clear yellow cards in this match, such as Rusnák hugging a dude.
Eight is enough: An erratic whistle in a match where Seattle had only themselves to blame feels more one sided than it was.
Austin FC MOTM
Facundo Torres put down some teach tape on off-ball movement. For the opener, Austin’s number 11 was involved in buildup, then continued to drift with the play as the ball was swung out to the left wing. As Seattle’s back line retreated, Torres held his space (which was acres) and calmly slotted home when the low cross found him.
Going forward
Immediate trip to Ohio. Maybe they will forget to bring a backup keeper, and get a red card. This could get ugly.
