The countdown continues as the Sounders Settle for 1 point

The expectation going into the game was that the Sounders, thanks to their run of form as of late, would get 3 points from this game that would solidify their spot on the table.

After a lackluster performance in the first half, the Sounders fans booed the players and coaches as they left the pitch. They expected more. Andrew Thomas claimed that he had “never been more frustrated walking off the field. Christian Roldan added that “If we come out flat like that in the playoffs, we will be out of the playoffs. Brian Schmetzer said after the match that the crowd reaction was justified and that the first half performance “Wasn’t even close to good enough.” It was the first in memory when subs were put in out of desperation.

While they struggled in the first half, they dominated play in the second half. It seemed like the ball was kept out of the net by bad luck for most of the half. Perhaps it evens out a bit when a Montréal defender attempted to clear the ball but it went right to Sebastian Gomez hooked the ball around the keeper and into the side netting. There was a questionable no-call just before time expired when Christian Roldan claimed he was kicked in the head while in the box, but replay angles were limited and there was no clear view of the incident.

Both Sounder's all-time leading scorer Jordan Morris and new acquisition Dejan Joveljić, missed scoring opportunities. Morris had one shot hit the post and had a shot blocked by an unaware defender while the keeper was out of position. I know it happens all the time, but these were painful moments in the game that almost paralleled the disappointing first half when it looked like the Sounders were playing in slow motion.

Nouhou returned to play wearing a cast protecting a broken finger suffered in the last game that will require surgery this week. All of the players will give Brian Schmetzer a challenge he hasn’t had this season. There will be competition for playing time and spots now that a full team is available. Seven of the eleven starters have missed time this year due to injury. With that said, Stuart Hawkins was not available with hamstring issues and Jackson Ragen was out with the flu.

Seattle’s next game is against San Diego is the only game left against a team ranked lower on the table than the Sounders. They are currently five points out of a wild card spot, so they need all the points they can muster.

The Sounders are currently in seventh place which is just above the line for the wildcard. They have a two point lead on the Galaxy and a three point lead over the Rapids. They are four points behind LAFC who occupy the sixth slot. The Sounders would prefer to avoid the wildcard playoff game, but three of their last four games are against teams ranked higher than them on the table.

Albert Rusnák has been the main constant this season. He has accumulated thirteen assists while the players tied for the league lead have just one more than him. Unlike previous years, the Sounders have been scoring less, so they don’t have a player contending for the golden boot, which looks like Messi could claim for the second year in a row..

If the Sounders beat San Diego, they will still most likely need to get a positive result from two of the other remaining games to avoid the wildcard. They may need to win out if they want to move up in the table. That is why only getting a draw against Montréal really hurts.

The second half of the season has been streaky for the Rave Green. They lost a franchise record eight games in a row. Then tied 5 in a row, followed by winning 4 games in a row. They then lost and tied. It remains to be seen if the momentum that they had built up over their unbeaten streak will propel them into a deep playoff run, or the dreaded wildcard game that sends the loser home.

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