Opposition Report: Seattle Sounders
The Chicago Fire are gearing up for a crucial cross-conference matchup with the Seattle Sounders as they look to regain momentum entering the summer, and while this is not the best Sounders team of recent times, the Fire will still have to be wary. Seattle is coming off of the back of a thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 win against FC Dallas last week and should be riding high from the emotions of Jordan Morris' 88th-minute equalizer and 94th-minute winner.
We spoke with Dave Clark of Sounder at Heart to get to know tonight's Western Conference foe.
It's been two years since Chicago and Seattle have met in MLS, so it may be the first time in a while many Fire fans will see the Sounders. The team was then just coming off of the CCL triumph; how have things changed in that time?
Two years ago, when these two teams met, the Seattle Sounders had just entered what turned out to be a two-year slide. After winning the CCL Seattle burst back into the league, then they suffered a couple more injuries. At the time, the aging roster couldn't make up for the stack of absences. The Sounders missed the playoffs. Though they returned with a 2nd place finish in the 2023 West, there were signs that they'd never really recovered. The attack, despite being stacked with stars that took the club to four MLS Cups in five years with two wins and that CCL title were well below average, let alone their own standard.
Some of that has continued into 2024. Former star Nico Lodiero is gone. Raúl Ruidíaz is a DP super sub. Albert Rusnák is a DP set-piece specialist. Jordan Morris hitting below average. Cristian Roldan, who was once a decent attacker, is being shuffled around again. Big signing Pedro de la Vega is hurt. Léo Chú is either injured or partnered with a left back who can't find him. Danny Musovski, supposedly the best internal-to-MLS free agent forward, is looking like a good USL talent.
The early season was rough. There are signs of hope, as Jordan is currently on fire, and the youth are providing a lot of energy. But this isn't the Sounders dynasty of 2016-May '22.
Seattle sit in 10th in the West right now, despite, like the Fire, making at least one eye-catching move in the offseason in Pedro de la Vega. What's specifically gone wrong for Brian Schmetzer's team so far?
It started with injuries (Rusnák, João Paulo, de la Vega) and underperformance. It's MLS, so any team is going to struggle with losing two DPs and a high TAM player. Plus, every team does go through a down stretch.
They've struggled to climb out from that because of an inconsistent attack that has a lack of commitment to play in the style where they succeed. When running downhill they're good. But too frequently, they've settled into a possession arc we often refer to as the horseshoe of death, where the ball cycles in an arc about 25-30 yards from the opposing goal. Without the players capable of threading a pass through congestion or using a dribble to beat a man Seattle cannot play as a deep possession team. And yet, you'll see that at times. even now that more players are healthy and performing well.
Seattle will be without a few key players this weekend in Raúl Ruidíaz and Nouhou. How will the team adjust without essential players, and which players should we keep an eye on who could step up?
Raúl transitioned to being a sub recently, which isn't a surprise. His first 2024 goal from within the penalty area (that wasn't a penalty) came in the last match. He's fading, but useful. That's a rough spot for a DP to be. This means that Jordan Morris (six goals in his last seven matches) will be the center forward. On the left you'll see a combo of Chú and Pedro on the left. Chú is an all speed winger who when on can beat anyone in the league. PdlV may be what peak-Nico was, if his 100 healthy minutes are a good trend. The biggest question is on the right wing, where Cristian used to start, but has moved away from recently to DM and even right back. If he's not in the attack look for all-energy Paul Rothrock or super-talent Obed Vargas, who at 18 is in his fourth season against professionals. Obed has solid vision, a good passing tree and plays like a younger Cristian Roldan.
Nouhou will be replaced by Reed Baker-Whiting, a product from the Sounders Academy (Obed, Paul, Jordan, Josh Atencio, and Jackson Ragen are other products who will nearly certainly see the pitch), is a lanky keen dribbler who gets started slow but when moving has a great runners gait. He's a much better crosser than Nouhou as well. When RBW is on the field there's a sense that the left side can produce goals. It also means that both sides of the attack can get forward at the same time thanks to his recovery speed. Reed is 19 and in his 5th pro season.
These two suspensions make Seattle a more dynamic attacking side while not really hurting the defense.
