Can the Sounders make a push for the playoffs?

After Saturday’s shutout with a patchwork defense, things seem to be moving in the right direction. The addition of Dejan Joveljić to the line-up and the return of all-time leading scorer Jordan Morris, changes their threat level in front of the goal. It will be up to players like Albert Rusnák and Christian Roldan who is working his way back to match fitness to get the ball to the attacking end.

The defense still needs time to heal, with both Jackson Ragen and Yéimar trying to rehab their way back to the pitch. Other elements have been working well.

Kim Kee-Hee has done well stepping in for the other injured backs, and Alex Roldan, while undersized, has performed well in the center of the defense. Nouhou continues to lock down his side of the field and gives the team a bump in excitement when he makes a run.

Andrew Thomas has made some great saves over the last two games and claims that he has been working on his ball distribution during training. An often overlooked part of being a goalie is the need to understand the tempo of the game and when to get rid of the ball quickly and when to step on it and give the team a moment to catch their breath. That is developed over time, and in his first year as the starting keeper, his distribution is progressing.

The injury bug did bite again as Kalani Kossa-Rienzi sprained his ankle, and it is unclear how serious it is or how long he will be out. On the flip side of that, Christian Roldan, Hassani Dotson, Paul Arriola, and Jordan Morris have all returned to the lineup and are trying to return to match fit for 90 minutes. Another roster change is the departure of Osaze De Rosario, who has been loaned out to a team in Denmark.

Taking that roster spot is their other new signee, is 23 year old Caden Clark. Clark has had limited playing time with other clubs, and he may be able to provide another spark to the offense that will jump-start more goals being scored.

The Sounders are currently in 13th place in the Western Conference out of 15 teams. With that said, they are only 9 points away from being in 6th place and need to move ahead 4 spots to be in the playoffs again this season.

They are only 3 points behind San Diego, who is currently sitting in the last playoff spot. The Sounders and Brian Schmetzer seem to believe that they will be successful in that push up in the standings. While the Sounders have made great end-of-season runs in the past, they haven’t had to deal with this long of a winless streak. If they can start building some confidence on the attacking end, and take advantage of their opportunities, it is reasonable that they can not only make the playoffs but jump a couple more spots so they can play a team a bit lower in the standings for their playoff run.

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