The Seattle Sounders haven’t won a game since May 13. Let that sink in for a second. We’re talking 12 league matches without a W, a streak so long it’s almost impossible to wrap your head around. Their latest, a 1-1 road draw with the LA Galaxy on Saturday, was their fourth straight draw, just twisting the knife a little deeper into this incomprehensible run.
What Even IS a Win Anymore?!
Look, if you squint hard enough, there are a few glimmers of light. For the second time in four games, our boys managed to scrape out a result after giving up the first goal. And aside from one penalty, the defense held strong. Offensively, Jordan Morris built off his previous performance, notching an assist and coming agonizingly close to scoring himself, only to be denied by a tight offside call. But let’s be real, none of that actually counts for much right now. The grim reality is the Sounders are now just one of two teams who haven’t won a single match since the World Cup break, Real Salt Lake being the other sorry squad. We’re creeping precariously close to contending for the Wooden Spoon, and Coach Brian Schmetzer isn’t sugarcoating it. “It’s challenging,” Schmetzer said when asked about the team’s mindset. “I’m pretty pragmatic. We didn’t shy away and pull punches. We need to be better in these areas but they showed a lot of determination to get a point. But we have to start collecting wins. The runway is getting shorter all the time.”
Seriously, The West is Wild
Now here’s the wild part, the one silver lining keeping us from completely losing our minds: the bottom of the Western Conference playoff race is still wide open. Even after going winless for more than four months, the Sounders unbelievably still control their own playoff destiny. I know, right? Despite slipping all the way to 14th place in the Western Conference, our Sounders are only two points behind ninth-place San Diego FC. And get this: they’re only seven points behind the Colorado Rapids for seventh place. The real kicker? The Sounders have two games in hand on both those teams. What’s even better? They play the Rapids next week! It’s insane that we’re still in this, but it’s true. It means our fate is in our own cleats, not someone else’s.
But for any of that to matter, the Sounders HAVE to actually start winning games. This season, for all intents and purposes, will effectively be decided over the course of the next four matches. That’s when they’ll make up those crucial games in hand. After the Colorado Rapids showdown, they’ll face three games against three of the West’s worst teams. We’re talking about Real Salt Lake, who’ve claimed fewer points (just 3) since the World Cup break than our Sounders, and Minnesota United, who only have one win. The runway Schmetzer mentioned is getting shorter by the minute. It’s crunch time, Emerald City, and it’s time to start racking up those Ws. This is it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Sounder at Heart.
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