After a winning dry spell that spanned the length of the summer, the Seattle Sounders exploded for a six-point week last week, a much-needed pair of results that has set the tone for the homestretch of the MLS regular season.
After dismantling Real Salt Lake 2-0 on Wednesday, the Sounders capitalized on that momentum and downed Minnesota United 3-1 to catapult themselves back into the Western Conference playoff picture.
“Based on my experience, teams kind of go in waves,” said Sounders center back Jackson Ragen. “We had a really good start to the season and then a bad spell that lasted way too long for this club. Now, we’re getting back into form. We just need to continue. We’re playing well as a team, we’re scoring goals, working hard on defense and need to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Converting in the final third has been a major catalyst for Seattle, which is now unbeaten in its last seven contests (2-0-5). The Sounders have tallied eight goals in the last three games after scoring just 25 total in the season’s first 23 matches.
Even with new Designated Player Dejan Joveljić away with the Serbian national team, the Sounders are getting production from everyone in attack. Seattle’s five goals this past week came from five different goal scorers including winger Paul Arriola, who after a year-and-a-half of injuries to begin his Sounders tenure now has two goals in his last 143 minutes.
“The guys played really well and we were able to finish our chances, and my goal at the end gives us a little cushion,” said Arriola, whose late counterattack goal closed out Saturday’s match. “Over the past few games [before last week], we really haven’t been able to get to that point. To get to that point during the last two games and going up two goals was really key for us.”
Also key has been the return of mainstays in the Starting XI. Ragen, Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris are all back and healthy, and the Sounders even got an emotional lift from the return of Ragen’s center back running mate Yeimar, who came on as a late substitute on Saturday for his first appearance since March.
“It’s tough to win games when you have too many people injured,” said Ragen. “When everyone’s healthy, we have a really good roster, so just getting everyone back has been super important.”
The Sounders will now look to make it nine points from nine on this crucial three-match homestand when they host Western Conference basement-dwellers Sporting Kansas City on Thursday (6:30 p.m. PT; Apple TV | TICKETS). The Sounders could jump as high as seventh in the West with a win, and they have at least a game in hand on every team around them in the standings.
When asked if he thought his team was finally gaining some momentum as the calendar turns to October, Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer summed it up simply.
“The guys are all in a good mood,” he said. “We are in a good way. That is a happy, confident and talented locker room.”
