RENTON – Coming off one of their worst-ever losses and heading into what is essentially a must-win regular-season finale, the Seattle Sounders coaches opted for a different approach.
Usually, the first day back at training following a match starts with a group video session where coaches highlight teachable moments. The 5–1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps included plenty of those – as well as some positives – but the coaches felt their time was better spent focusing on the team’s psychology, which Brian Schmetzer said had taken a bit of a hit.
“We didn’t show any of the tape,” Schmetzer explained. “We’re not trying to be Pollyannic. But we just wanted to remind the players and ask the players what they feel is important; because, really, if you look at it, it’s their team.”
At the behest of Steven Lenhart – an advisor who has the unofficial title of “mentality coach” – the players were asked to list two or three things they felt would help the Sounders win on Saturday. Schmetzer said the coaches will take those suggestions, merge them with the existing game plan and then come up with a program that will touch all aspects of training from team drills to individual drills to film work.
“At least cover all the bases and say, ‘Look, we worked on all of these aspects of what it’s going to take to win the game, and then see if we can accomplish that.’”
The differing approach illustrates an understanding that whatever the Sounders have been doing over the last couple of weeks hasn’t quite worked. What started as a stretch of games against beatable opponents has instead turned into a tailspin that could ultimately keep the Sounders out of the playoffs.
While there are still a bunch of results that could see them qualify with as little as a point, the Sounders are treating this match against LAFC as a must-win. If they can pull that off, they only need one of the three teams immediately ahead of them in the standings to drop points. There’s even a semi-plausible scenario in which they could jump all the way to seventh if all three of those teams fail to win their season finales.
Notably, there’s also a chance the Sounders win and still fail to qualify if all three of the LA Galaxy, Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers also win their games. It’s just the second time in the entire 18-year MLS history of the Sounders in which they head into the final game of the season without control of their playoff destiny.
“I don’t like it,” Schmetzer said. “We shot ourselves in the foot in multiple games.
“I don’t like the position we’re in. But that’s the reality, and we’re facing reality and trying to make sure we do everything we can to get a result on Saturday.”
One thing potentially working in the Sounders’ favor is that for all their own recent struggles, LAFC hasn’t exactly been sprinting to the finish line either. After their 3–1 loss at home to Minnesota United on Sunday, they are 1–3–4 in their last eight and just 2–5–7 since the end of Leagues Cup. They are also stuck in the No. 6 spot with no chance to move up or down in the table.
That doesn't change the Sounders’ mindset.
"We were talking about it amongst ourselves earlier," Sounders midfielder Paul Arriola said. "LAFC is not in great form, and you look at their team and you know people are probably looking at us, thinking the same thing."
