Sounders, looking to keep momentum going, critical of MLS playoff format
RENTON, Wash. – A rested and lively Sounders squad returned to training Wednesday. The team is on a six-game unbeaten streak, including winning three matches within the span of a week.
Sounders keeper Stefan Frei wants to keep the rhythm and doesn’t feel the MLS playoff format helps. The current FIFA men’s international break pushed the league’s regular-season finale to Oct. 19.
MLS moved to a best-of-three opening round last year. Those matches will conclude by Nov. 10 and the conference semifinals will be approximately two weeks later because of another FIFA international break.
Last season, the Sounders won their opening-round series against FC Dallas in three games and had a 16-day gap before hosting Los Angeles FC in the Western Conference semifinals. LAFC won 1-0 at Lumen Field.
“The format right now is terrible because it kills your momentum,” Frei said. “It used to be that you want to get hot, and you take that across. Now you have that big break after the first round, which is going to happen again. If that does occur, we need to draw from what happened last year.”
Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said the team will play a closed-door scrimmage this week to stay sharp. The club secured a top-four slot, which guarantees home-field advantage in the first round.
Seattle (16-9-8) closes the regular season against Portland (12-11-10) at Lumen on Oct. 19.
In addition to deciding the Cascadia Cup trophy, a win would qualify the Sounders to the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup (formerly Champions League) based on total points. Playoff seeding will also be cemented.
Seattle would host sixth-seeded Colorado if the postseason started today. But the Sounders could have better odds as a No. 4 seed. That would delay a possible matchup against LAFC until the conference finals.
The Black & Gold have won all four matches against the Sounders this season across all competitions, outscoring their conference rival 9-1.
“It would be nice if we could replicate what happened in the previous years of the playoffs, like 2019,” Frei said of the team making a late-season run and defeating LAFC on the road in the conference finals en route to winning the MLS Cup.
“You don’t want to look too far ahead,” Frei continued. “One game at a time.”
Full strength
Sounders forward Raúl Ruidíaz (toe, knee) and midfielders Léo Chú (knee) and João Paulo (calf) were full participants in training Wednesday. The latter was able to play eight minutes during Seattle’s 1-0 win against Colorado last week.
Although Ruidíaz (June) and Chú (July) haven’t started a league match in months, Schmetzer insists he doesn’t have a set starting lineup headed into the playoffs.
Sounders winger Paul Rothrock has started the past eight league matches – bagging three goals and one assist. But young designated player Pedro de la Vega is building game fitness and is a contender on either wing along with new signee Georgi Minoungou, who has a goal and assist in his seven MLS matches.
Cristian Roldan was moved from the right wing to the midfield due to João Paulo’s injury. But Roldan has played well alongside Obed Vargas and could remain.
“We’ve still got little pockets of competition,” Schmetzer said.
Better than that
MLS naming its top 22 players under the age of 22 doesn’t carry any weight or have monetary value, but Schmetzer was still irritated to see Vargas ranked No. 7.
“Only seventh? Come on, come on,” Schmetzer said. League coaches, general managers, sporting directors, broadcast talent, and select media are the voting panel.
The list was released Wednesday. Inter Miami CF midfielder Diego Gómez, 21, topped the list. Miami is unbeaten when the Paraguayan international starts. Gómez has three goals and seven assists overall this season.
Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna, 21, and Philadelphia Union midfielder Jack McGlynn, 21, rounded out the top three vote-getters.
“Obed’s trajectory is pretty good,” Schmetzer said of the 19-year-old who received his first call-up for the Mexican national team this month. “Does he score a lot of goals, does he get a lot of assists, does he impact games in real visible ways? Maybe not. When you look at Obed and how he plays, what impact he has during the flow of different games, he’s been tremendous.”