The Seattle Sounders have been in a weird spot all year in the regular season as they have not been considered a top contender in the regular season.
They have competed in other competitions and even won the Leagues Cup against Inter Miami in what was considered a classic matchup. Seattle has the talent to compete with anyone, especially in the West.
So far, that fact hasn’t been the reality for Seattle as they are fifth on the Western Conference table and the last team to clinch a playoff spot so far. The West has three teams that fans believe can contend for the title. The question is, could Seattle join them in this category of real contenders?
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Surprise Contender in the West
How can they compete
The West is top-heavy this season, unlike the Eastern Conference, which appears to be nine teams deep. Seattle hasn’t been considered one of the top teams this year in the West due to the conference having a drop-off in quality after Minnesota and LAFC in the third and fourth seeds.
Seattle represented the MLS in the Club World Cup and won the Leagues Cup this season as they increased their impressive trophy count in the league’s young history.
Seattle has quality players and big-time moments from those plays in other competitions. They haven’t been able to play consistently enough week in week out to climb the rankings and become a true contender.
They have moments and streaks like most teams will have throughout the season. With playing an increased number of games with players taking off for international duty, it has made the regular season hard to manage compared to seasons of the past.
As they try to get back to form after falling to win in their last few games, they did manage to clinch a playoff spot, which was important to secure it sooner rather than later.
Why They Will Be Competitive
Seattle has a rich history in this league that no other club can even compare to. The LA Galaxy have been successful since the league was formed back in 1996. They have been just a few steps behind the Seattle Sounders and their impressive form.
Teams with a history of winning tend to find a way to win even when the team doesn’t look as impressive as in years past. This Seattle team isn’t the same one that won the MLS back in 2019 or even the prime Clint Dempsey years that made Seattle must-watch TV.
This team does have talent, especially in the midfield, where we have seen them take over games they should have lost.
The biggest factor against them is that all the games they have played throughout the year could have tired out the squad, causing fatigue to set in.
We have even seen big clubs in Europe fall to fatigue after years of playing long into the season, thanks to matches in other competitions that not every team qualifies for. As some teams only focus on the MLS Cup, the focus of Seattle has been on multiple trophies.
With trophies won and competitions over, the Sounders can now focus on the big prize, the MLS Cup.
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CreditIMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
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