They might have left it late, but the Seattle Sounders are heading back to the MLS Cup Playoffs for an incredible 17th time in 18 years since entering MLS in 2009 after defeating LAFC 2-1 at Lumen Field on Saturday on Decision Day.
Needing a positive result and help around the league, the Sounders came out flying, using a high press to take the lead inside the opening minute and setting the tone early.
“Throughout the week we were talking about togetherness and bringing an intensity into this game,” said Sounders midfielder Sebastian Gomez, who scored the ultimate match-winner midway through the first half. “Our training sessions were all really good. We all had belief.”
Saturday’s win snapped a five-match winless run for the Sounders, who were desperate for a win to staunch the bleeding and lock up a postseason berth. Seattle got just what it needed and just when it needed it the most, especially following a 5-1 defeat at Cascadia rivals the Vancouver Whitecaps last weekend.
“We should have clinched a while ago, but…there’s a belief that we’re a better team than some of the results we’ve shown,” said Sounders goalkeeper Andrew Thomas, who had a terrific night in goal, recording seven huge saves.
Thomas called the season “a tale of rhythm and momentum,” which sums up a year in which the Sounders had two separate nine-match unbeaten streaks, a club-record eight-match losing streak and a separate five-match winless run.
“Now that we’ve had this invigorating result, it’s going to be fuel for the fire for the next couple weeks,” said Thomas. “Once you’re in the playoffs, you’ve got to beat everyone anyway. It doesn’t matter if you’re in first or eighth.
“This is a team that has a lot of experience in playoff soccer, and we’re pretty confident that whoever we line up against is not going to be thrilled about having to play us,” Thomas continued. “Eyes are on the first one, and then we’ll go from there.”
The eighth-seeded Sounders will host ninth-seeded Real Salt Lake in a winner-take-all Wild Card contest at Lumen Field on Thursday, Nov. 19 (7:00 p.m. PT; Watch on Apple TV), with a Best-of-3 series against the Whitecaps awaiting the winner. Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer praised his team, crediting their work throughout the week to prepare for Saturday and beyond.
“If they commit to themselves like they did for this game, it’s a good enough team to make a deep run in the playoffs,” said Schmetzer. “I absolutely believe that we can make some noise.”
