How seriously should the Sounders take the 2016 US Open Cup?
Jun 30, 2016, 10:17 AM | Updated: 10:19 am
In the midst of the most calamitous MLS season in their history, the Sounders are set to progress to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup after beating Real Salt Lake on penalty kicks. The home side was by far the most dangerous on a dusty Tuesday evening in Utah, but a combination of luck and the heroics of a young goalkeeper helped the Sounders finish on top.
Seattle is no stranger to USOC honors, having won the trophy four times since joining MLS in 2009. Now that the MLS Cup playoffs look to be just outside of the Sounders’ reach, should they focus on winning a trophy they already have? Or should they continue to press on for the one that’s always eluded them?
The lineup that coach Sigi Schmid sent out Tuesday probably didn’t strike fear into the hearts of RSL, which rested many of its starters last weekend in order to play a full-strength side (bar the goalkeeper) against Seattle. The Sounders’ midfield consisted of forgotten offseason signing Nathan Sturgis, rookie draftee Zach Mathers (on loan from S2) and rotation starter Cristian Roldan. At forward there was Herculez Gomez, Nelson Valdez and Oalex Anderson. After a solid showing in Seattle’s USOC win over Kitsap, Tyler Miller started between the posts. This was almost an entirely second-string Sounders XI.
But despite their perceived level of quality, the team that Seattle took to Salt Lake showed serious composure and absorbed the home side’s onslaught. After RSL scored the opener with a penalty kick, Valdez showed that he does still know how to score. He barreled through the RSL defense, latched onto a long ball that the defenders didn’t deal with, got back up after being fouled from behind, and knocked the ball into an empty net. I don’t think this will be the start of some Valdez scoring streak, but it’s nice to see he’s still got it in him.
The match held at 1-1 for for the rest of the second half and through two periods of extra time. Miller made some tremendous saves throughout, and was by far the best player on the pitch. A 2015 draftee by the Sounders, Miller had only made two appearances this season prior to Tuesday’s match. Despite his inexperience, Miller played extremely well throughout the match, but he really shined when it went to penalty kicks after staying at 1-1 after 120 minutes. Even though Miller dove the wrong way for the first RSL penalty, he saved the next two – from Joao Plata and Kyle Beckerman, no less. Since Gomez, Jordan Morris, Zach Scott and Erik Friberg all made their respective kicks, the Sounders were through.
One of the questions to be asked after such a stellar match is whether this form will carry into the league and be a turning point for the Sounders’ 2016 season. It’s hard to say, especially because this wasn’t the Sounders’ best XI and the match was still decided by penalty kicks, which doesn’t happen in regular league matches. But on the optimistic side, the Sounders’ backups took RSL’s starters all the way through 120 minutes and seemed to have the psychological edge in penalty kicks. RSL even needed a penalty to make it 1-1, so the Sounders actually scored the match’s only goal from open play.
Whether or not the form and attitude carries over into league play, another question looms: Should the Sounders change the way they approach the next stage of the competition? Even though they’ll have to face Portland or Los Angeles away in the next round of the USOC, I think the Sounders should put out a similar lineup to what we saw against RSL. The side that played on Tuesday showed that it had the grit and determination to put one of the best teams in the league on the ropes when it matters. Letting many of those players start the rest of the tournament allows the Sounders to continue to push for the MLS Cup playoffs – no matter how difficult the task may be – and gives them a chance to win a trophy while allowing fringe players to show their worth.
It’s not some revolutionary idea to continue to play a lesser squad in a competition perceived as less than important, but if Schmid was thinking about putting all of his eggs into the USOC basket in order to push for a trophy in 2016, maybe he should think twice. I don’t think fans will be particularly upset if the Sounders crash out of the Cup, especially if it looks like they’re really taking the league and playoffs seriously. But if the benchwarmers make a deep USOC run, fans will be delighted and won’t have much to complain about if the best XI is still appearing in every league match. And if another penalty shootout is in the cards for the Sounders in this competition, I’d say Tyler Miller is up for the challenge.
Spenser Davis also covers the Sounders for Sounder at Heart.