10/02/2022

Sporting Kansas City 1, Seattle Sounders 0

(Kansas City, MO) 2022 has been a strange and bitter sweet year for the Seattle Sounders, who became the first MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions League in May, followed by a dismal summer in MLS play.  The Sounders needed a win on Sunday to keep any hopes MLS playoff hopes alive, instead they fell to Sporting Kansas City 1-0 at Childrens Mercy Park, ensuring the Sounders would miss the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Sounders veteran goalkeeper Stefan Frei did everything he could to keep Seattle in the match, as he made save after save for Seattle. The problem was the Sounders never had a persistent attack early and SKC broke through with a late first half goal by Willy Agada, and that was all the home team needed.

The Sounders have one last game on the season, a game at Lumen Field on Sunday against San Jose where Seattle will at least try to end the season on a high note despite the disappointment of missing the playoffs. There will be a lot of questions in the offseason about the direction of the Sounders moving forward and what future moves the team will make. I do not think Brian Schmetzer is on the hot seat yet, he has won 2 MLS championships in Seattle and a CCL title, but it is clear some changes are necessary. The fact is, this team underperformed in MLS play considering how many big names this team has, especially offensively like Raul Ruidiaz, Jordan Morris, Nico Lodeiro, etc. In some MLS cities missing the playoffs is acceptable, Seattle is not one of them.  Injuries did plague this team throughout the season with losses to Joao Paulo, Christian Roldan, Raul Ruidiaz for a time and Obed Vargas, and some unlucky calls that went against them throughout MLS play hurt as well.

However, the Sounders are not a team that will make excuses and feel sorry for themselves, and they will hope to get a win on Sunday against a San Jose Earthquakes team at the bottom of the table to end the season on a positive note.