RENTON – During the depths of their eight-game losing streak, the Seattle Sounders just needed to find a way to get a result. When that streak was immediately followed by five straight draws, the Sounders started to wonder what it would take to finally get a win.
Now that the Sounders have won two straight and climbed back into a playoff spot for the first time in more than a month, they can afford to be a bit more self-critical.
Yes, the Sounders beat Minnesota United 3–1 on Saturday. It was the third straight game in which they’d scored multiple goals and the fourth time in five games they had allowed one or fewer. But there were also stretches of the match that didn’t go quite how Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer wanted.
“I think the second half is where we went wrong a little bit,” Schmetzer said. “Our structure where we have a little bit of rotation between positions is okay. But the player who rotates into a different position has to understand the rules and responsibilities of where he’s playing.
“There was too much ‘spaghetti’ in the second half. We need to clean that up.”
After storming out to a 2–0 lead and narrowly missing a couple chances to make it 3–0, the Sounders allowed Minnesota to close the gap to 2–1 in the 57th minute and then spent the next 10 minutes or so holding on. The game was ultimately put to bed when Albert Rusnák set up Paul Arriola for a goal in the 83rd minute, but not before some psychological marks were left.
“You need to still be exciting, entertain the fans, do all that sort of stuff," Schmetzer said. "I’m not trying to stifle any sort of creative moments. But we have to win games and make sure that we make a 2–0 lead, a 3–0 lead and then we can kind of spitball and do what they want and have a little more joy."
What happened on the goal?
Minnesota's goal came on a volley by Anthony Markanich. It was a wonderful strike off a floated pass from Bongokuhle Hlongwane on the right wing. But what made it possible was Markanich running in unmarked from midfield, ghosting through Jordan Morris’ blind spot. That play started farther up the field when Nouhou's pass along the left sideline was intercepted.
"We kept stuffing the ball on the left hand side instead of bringing it out to the opposite side of the field," Schmetzer explained. "You could say that transition moment started when decisions were made to play back into where the ball already came from."
A must-win and then some big tests
While the Sounders have maneuvered themselves back into a playoff spot, the work of moving up the table has just begun. Sitting in ninth, they are just one point out of seventh with a game in hand and two points behind No. 6 LAFC with two games in hand. Thursday's game against Sporting KC is a virtual must-win if the Sounders hope to maintain their climb.
"Guys are feeling confident, guys are feeling good and it’s the right time of year to start building that momentum," Morris said.
