Seattle Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer has had to push a lot to the side for the hyped “Summer of Soccer, that has included the Club World Cup, Leagues Cup, and CONCACAF Gold Cup matches mixed in to their typical MLS slate.
The pay disparity for an approximate $10 million windfall for participating in the FIFA men’s Club World Cup; the scheduling decisions that stuffed 14 matches in 11 weeks across three different time zones; the unpredictable lineups due to player unavailability because of mounting injuries or mandated suspensions for red cards and yellow card accumulation.
Schmetzer has had to compartmentalize all of it, because if his team wasn’t in the position it is now, there likely would be calls for him to be fired before his 63rd birthday next week.
Dramatic? Schmetzer has faced scrutiny since the Sounders didn’t advance to the postseason for the first time in the club’s history in 2022. That was after a club-defining CONCACAF Champions Cup win.
For many, matches the past two seasons were single goal bores and signings were milquetoast. And if it continued on the global stage this summer, Schmetzer, who signed a contract extension last fall, would’ve been in the hot seat.
But Schmetzer’s team is as cool as Seattle’s weather has been the past few days.
The preseason work assistants Preki, Freddy Juarez and Andy Rose did under Schmetzer’s guidance to devise ways to get the talent they have in position to score and Tommy Dutra’s development, the goalkeepers clicked after the Club World Cup in June. The players had an opportunity to feel what it’s like to compete against the best in the world and have applied it to their regional matches.
Amid the “Summer of Soccer,” the Sounders are on a nine-game unbeaten streak (6-0-3), through all competitions. They’ve scored 25 goals during the stretch with 11 different players contributing. And they’re the only participant to win their three Phase One matches in the Leagues Cup’s 36-team field.
Seattle returns to MLS play Sunday against the L.A. Galaxy, currently fourth in the Western Conference standings. The California side won the league title last year – beating the Sounders in the conference final – but are currently last in MLS’s 30-team table.
The challenge for the Sounders is to become what the Club World Cup teams are – consistent. That word, which legendary coach Bruce Arena told Schmetzer long ago, is key to being a top-tier club.
All the Sounders (10-6-8) have done to date is win some matches in thrilling fashion. Pedro de la Vega’s goal off a supreme assist from Alex Roldan in second-half stoppage time against Cruz Azul will be talked about forever. Scratch that. The entire match, a 7-0 win with all the goals scored in the second half, will be in the conversation until time stops.
Yet, the beauty of Paris Saint-Germain is that the wins were capped by trophies. The young French side won the prestigious UEFA Champions League, their domestic league and the French Cup titles this year. PSG, which defeated the Sounders 2-0 in the CWC group stage at Lumen Field, advanced to the global tournament’s final and lost to English side Chelsea.
The Sounders have a chance to win two trophies. They have 10 league matches remaining to secure MLS postseason seeding. Four are this month where the team also needs to win three Leagues Cup matches to lift that trophy, which would be a first for Seattle.
So far, the task will again be without the help of a headlining summer signing. Craig Waibel, the Sounders general manager, and majority owner Adrian Hanauer are in agreement that they’d like to spend strategically for the long term and aren’t linked to any big deals.
Instead, Los Angeles FC grabbed the spotlight by signing South Korean striker Son Heung-min from English Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur. Miami kicked off the transfer window by inking a deal with former Atlético Madrid star Rodrigo De Paul and Vancouver snagged midfielder Thomas Müller, who’s won 17 major trophies for Bundesliga’s Bayern Munich and the German national team.
The secondary transfer window closes August 21, and Waibel has one signing – promising midfielder Snyder Brunell.
It still seems the Sounders need depth up top to make it through the remainder of the schedule and actually win the MLS Cup and Leagues Cup. But it’s a hard argument when the Sounders are getting a bounty of goals from journeymen, rookies and defenders to counter all-time leading scorer Jordan Morris being out until fall with a shoulder injury.
The success curves back to Schmetzer and his staff. There’s rightful criticism regarding the heavy use of midfielders Cristian Roldan, Obed Vargas and Albert Rusnák. It was surprising the latter remained in the starting lineup against Tijuana because he hasn’t missed a start since May.
Rusnák subbed off in the 64th minute of the comeback win due to a hamstring injury. He’s out “indefinitely” along with winger Ryan Kent, who suffered a severe hamstring injury during the match but won’t need surgery, according to Schmetzer.
Despite clinging to the proven playmakers, Schmetzer has given chances and rewarded rising talent to manage the schedule congestion. Sounders forward Osaze De Rosario is the latest to emerge ready to handle the pressure. He’s bagged three goals in his past four matches.
The lineup changes have even withstood the Sounders defense faltering unlike past seasons. The Sounders conceded 12 goals during their run. Backup keeper Andrew Thomas has been in goal the past seven matches due to Stefan Frei being under concussion protocol.
More is needed from the entire roster because what the Sounders have produced is only part of what their base has been thirsting for. Their club has shown they can score enough to get in position to win a title, now they need to do it.