Sounders Drop Points at Home, Again…

There’s not much you can complain about on a beautiful sunny day in the Pacific Northwest. The sun was shining over the Puget Sound, people were enjoying their coffees outside, and the sounds of the Seattle Dog guy rang through Occidental Drive. There really is nothing like it.

However, despite the fantastic weather on Saturday, the Sounders did their best to ruin it. Seattle played to a 1-1 draw against the Colorado Rapids thanks to a late equalizer from LA Galaxy reject Kevin Cabral.

Here are my thoughts on the match

Match Recap

The Sounders came out ready to play in the first and looked like the Sounders of old despite playing with a negative formation (the dreaded 4-4-2). The play out the back was not up to par, but everything else in between was great to watch. The highlight of the first half came from Raul Ruidiaz. After attempting a cross from the left, the ball hit Andreas Maxso’s hand in the box, giving the Sounders a penalty. Of course, Raul, being Raul, hit the Panenka right down the middle to make it 1-0 in the 11th minute, giving the Sounders some hope. With that goal from the penalty spot, Raul tied Fredy Montero’s all-time goal-scoring record for the Sounders. From there, Raul was COOKING and was desperate for a second goal to go to the top of the list.

The second half was much less exciting, but Raul, Leo Chu, Xavi, and Nouhou were feeling it and were easily the best players on the pitch. Not much happened in the second half until the 57th minute, when Josh Atencio got himself sent off after two stupid tackles, which shifted the momentum of the entire game. The moment of the game came in the 68th minute after Andrew Thomas came up with a massive save against Djordje Mihailovic to keep the Sounders in the game. If he keeps this up, I can see him dethroning Frei as the starter… However, the momentum shifted away from the Sounders as Colorado went all out on the attack after the Sounders made poor substitutions. In the 86th minute, Danny Leyva, who made his 2024 season debut, fouled a player right outside the box. The resulting freekick turned into a goal curtesy of Colorado substitute Kevin Cabral scoring off the uncontested rebound to make it 1-1.

Because of the substitutions Schmetz made in the second half, the attack was dead, and the Sounders could not capitalize in the nine minutes of extra time. The Sounders ended the match at second to bottom in the Western Conference with two points, making people wonder when it will actually get better.

The Offense is Sad to Watch

Despite Raul giving everyone hope and getting the fans pumped up, the offense looked worse than a USL side. There was zero cohesion and no tactical prowess from the managers. Since I live in Portland, I’m not able to go to training here in Seattle, but from what I see in the matches that matter, it makes me wonder what the hell they are doing throughout the week.

The thing that really gets me is Jordan Morris’ movement. He just doesn’t move. Schmetz said in the post-match presser that Jordan is the number one starter because of his performances last season (how? lol). He also left Jordan in for so long cause he can get in behind and Raul can’t… RAUL CAN’T?! Jordan has yet to make a meaningful run behind this season.

The wing play has been atrocious. Leo Chu was our best creative outlet last season but he hasn’t been given the freedom to do what he did last year. He is still the most dangerous player on the wings, but the coach's tactics and instructions are hindering the young Brazilian. Cristian has been POOR since the start of the season. He’s consistently been our most influential player over the years but has looked like a shadow of himself so far. 

I loved him as a player for the Sounders and Whitecaps, but Andy Rose is not fit to lead the offense, which has been evident in the last two years. At the end of the day, the tactics are absolutely killing this team and it will only get worse as the season goes on.

Zero Composure

Josh Atencio’s two yellow cards for unnecessary fouls are the clearest example, but hardly the only evidence of struggles with composure and decision-making for the Sounders on Saturday and to be frank, since the start of the season. Atencio’s decisions leave the team even more short-handed when they take to the pitch next week. However, it wasn’t the main reason the Sounders could only get one point from this mediocre Rapids side.

Sloppy passes from players like Atencio, Jackson Ragen, and Alex Roldan put the defense under unnecessary pressure. To add to that, needless touches and passes in the final third from every attacking player turned what could have, dangerous attacks into absolute duds.

It’s not the only problem facing the Sounders three games in, but the lack of composure is just another thing to add to the list.

Throw the 4-4-2 in the Bin

Yes, the Sounders have only been running the 4-4-2 for three games and we have a whole season ahead of us. But I just want to know why Brian thought it would be a great idea to toss in a formation the players aren’t used to playing. On top of that, he doesn’t have the right personnel to successfully run a 4-4-2.

For the last few years, the Sounders have lined up in a very well-balanced 4-2-3-1 shape with the midfield five doing a great job at covering one another if someone makes a run or moves out of position. The 4-4-2, especially with the Sounders team, leaves too much space in the midfield causing more pressure on the defense and center mids thus, causing more giveaways and errant passes. With the strike pairing, you also have to have two strikers who complement each other. Raul and Jordan have zero chemistry on the pitch. They are two completely different players, and one isn’t even a true #9.

Schmetz has been known as one of the best managers in MLS who puts the players in the best positions to succeed. This season he’s done the complete opposite just so he can get his golden boys on the pitch. Even if it’s detrimental to the team shape. I just hope he opens his eyes and realizes this shit isn’t working.

Coffee and Football

This is a new section I will add to every article, where I go to different coffee shops before each match and give a little review! I know it’s not Sounders-related, but I love football and coffee, so I might as well combine the two!

Before heading to the press box at Lumen, I went to Umbria Coffee Roasters in Pioneer Square, which is super close to the stadium. I’ve been coming to Seattle for years, and for whatever reason, I’ve never sat in the cafe and actually had a coffee. If you’re unfamiliar with Umbria Coffee, they have been around for 30 years and are native to Seattle. They have expanded to Chicago, Miami, and Portland but mainly reside in Seattle.

Right off the bat, it gives that classic coffee shop vibe and seems much more inviting than a Starbucks. One of the coolest things they had was an old-school coffee bean roaster.

I got a latte with caramel and almond milk and was impressed by the espresso quality and the foam layer on top. It was not overly sweet, and the espresso really shone through.

I get that Umbria can be classified as a chain, but it did not taste like your standard coffee chain latte. Overall, I would give it a 7/10, and I would definitely come back for a cup before a Sounders match.