RENTON — Having now climbed from 14th to seventh in the Western Conference and riding a three-game winning streak, the Seattle Sounders’ contender status will now be put the test.
While all three of their recent wins came against teams who were struggling, their next two and six of their final eight games of the season will be against teams currently ahead of them in the standings.
They are well aware that their margins for error were wasted long ago.
“There’s no time left in the year to rest on our laurels,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said following Tuesday’s training session. “We’ve had to claw our way out of an eight-game losing streak. That is recent enough history that everybody remembers. They understand the predicament we’re in … There’s not going to be any complacency.”
It’s a good thing, then, that they should have a relatively stocked roster as they prepare to face the New England Revolution.
Centerback Yeimar Gomez Andrade made his first appearance in almost eight months on Saturday, while Schmetzer confirmed Jesús Ferreira would be ready for selection this week. They’ll be joined by Dejan Joveljić and Snyder Brunell, who both returned from international duty, and Hassani Dotson, now back from his one-game suspension.
For the first time in months, Schmetzer will have some tough choices to make for not only the starting lineup but even for his gameday roster.
“It’s both better and worse for me,” Schmetzer said. “I have to have more conversations explaining why my decisions are what they are — to veteran players, to young players — to give them an idea of what they need to improve.
“But it makes the team better. The level of training is a little higher and the level of performance is going to be higher.”
One player who could get caught in that shuffle is Caden Clark. The midfielder has now played in four straight games – including one start – but understands nothing is guaranteed going forward.
“This is what you want in the club,” Clark said. “If you go on a 10-game drought of not playing well and you’re still starting, that’s a problem. I think this keeps you on your toes and brings more out of you.”
Rather than being resentful of players he’s competing with, Clark says he tries to learn from them.
“Everyone’s on their own journey,” he said. “Your time is going to come. You just have to be happy for the guy in front of you or behind you when they get their chance. It’s a very positive atmosphere.”
