Complete team performance pushed Sounders to playoffs-clinching win

Ever since the Sounders knew that they would be without Clint Dempsey to close out the season, they’ve been searching for a way to replace one of the greatest American soccer players in history. And despite two tough losses on the road, the team did find ways to win in a number of difficult situations. Interim head coach Brian Schmetzer helped the team find its identity, and with it, a path to the playoffs.

But a whole new journey starts on Thursday, as the Sounders host Sporting KC in the knockout round of the MLS Cup playoffs. They’ll need to bring the same complete team performance they had in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake if they hope to advance to the next round.

For much of the season, I’ve talked about how the Sounders’ successes and failures revolved around whether or not they found ways to win. When the Sounders narrowly lost 1-0 at home to Colorado, Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni praised his team’s ability to “find a way to win.” This was what separated Colorado and Seattle early in the season, a time when the Rapids were able to earn points despite being seemingly outplayed for 90 minutes while the Sounders discovered new and spectacular ways to lose, even in matches they dominated.

But the Sounders turned that around under Schmetzer, something I’ve noted a number of times in this space. Aside from the dominant wins over Portland, Los Angeles, and Orlando, Schmetzer’s Sounders managed to find results in their wins against Vancouver and Real Salt Lake (in August), and their draws against Houston, LA, and San Jose. The Sounders of the first half of the season turned the close wins into draws, and the close draws into losses.

So if the first step in Schmetzer’s turnaround of the team was to turn it into a squad that creates game-winning goals out of thin air, the next is to make it a complete team. I think we’ve seen some rumblings of that in the past few weeks, even despite the progress-halting performance in Dallas. Against RSL, we got a peek at the Sounders’ final form.

Not including Dempsey, the Sounders had their two best attackers on the pitch against RSL on Sunday, but Jordan Morris and Nicolas Lodeiro didn’t score either of Seattle’s two goals. Sure, they were involved in both to varying degrees, and the Sounders needed Morris and Lodeiro to squeak out goals early in Schmetzer’s tenure to grind out positive results. But the quality of the entire team has finally risen to a similar level. Flaco Fernandez, who hasn’t had the greatest of performances on his return to Seattle, illustrated that with an early goal on Sunday.

The team was totally in sync on the attack for that first goal, illustrating a completeness on that side of the pitch that the Sounders had shown glimpses of all season. Unfortunately, RSL’s quickfire goal afterwards underlined the need for the defense to be on the same page as the midfield and offense. It shored things up after that early goal, though, and looked very solid for the rest of the 90 minutes.

The Sounders haven’t yet become a complete team, but they’re getting there. They still won’t have Clint Dempsey for the playoffs, but if they can play regularly like they did in the buildup to their first goal against RSL, they might just be OK without him. Add to that a strong defense that has improved immensely over the last couple months, and this team could continue on its miraculous run.

Spenser Davis also covers the Sounders for Sounder at Heart.