By any reasonable standard, the Seattle Sounders have had an incredible run since joining MLS back in 2009. Early versions of the team, led by Fredy Montero up front and Kasey Keller in goal consistently made the playoffs from their first year as an expansion team, and won a staggering three straight US Open Cups. More success came as the team brought in Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, won another Open Cup and won the Supporters Shield, given to the MLS team that had the best regular season (which in any other soccer league is just the champion… but I digress).
Every year the Sounders have existed they’ve been good. And also every year they’ve existed they’ve failed to do enough in the playoffs to make the MLS Cup.
But this year? This year the Sounders were bad. Dempsey missed a ton of time to injury and national team commitments. Martins forced his way out before the year even started. Homegrown star Jordan Morris initially struggled to live up to his hype. Sigi Schmid, the team’s manager since they entered MLS was unceremoniously let go. And the Sounders spent parts of July in last place in the conference. It was, without a doubt, the worst season the team had ever had.
Yet? Here we are! With the Sounders compiling a 3-1 aggregate win in the Western Conference Finals over Colorado Rapids, they are now in the MLS Cup for the first time. Holy crap! The team is sparked by a resurgent Morris and newcomer Nicolas Lodeiro. Lodeiro, a Uruguayan national team member and chum of renowned striker/cannibal Luis Suarez, has been as awesome as his international record suggested he could. Lodeiro is quick on the ball, and makes incredible decisions with the ball at his feet. He also has a sick left foot that allows him to score and create from set pieces.
While Morris and Lodeiro represent why the team’s offense has clicked into place, the Sounders mettle is a testament both to the always-been-there trio of Brad Evans, Ozzie Alonso and Zach Scott. That Evans and Alonso are contributing isn’t surprising, they are international caliber players who fit this team perfectly. Evans is a Swiss Army knife, capable of providing above average play at multiple spots on the pitch, while Alonso has been MLS’ best defensive midfielder since he entered the league.
Scott’s continued contribution, however, is astonishing. Scott has been a Sounder since 2004, when they were in the USL. He’s 36, which is ancient in soccer years, and while he is not the team’s best defender, he has been a reliable fill-in in an injury plagued season. He’ll be retiring at the end of this season, with only an MLS Cup missing from his resume with the team. That he might get one in this of all seasons? Absurd. And awesome.
The final will be played on December 10th, either at home in Seattle if Montreal finishes off the Eastern Conference final (they currently lead 3-2), or in Toronto if the non-French speaking Canadians can mount a comeback.
This post has been updated.