Two key Sounders, Sebastian Gomez and Snyder Brunell, are staying right here in the Emerald City, skipping out on a U23 United States national team call-up to prep for the Western Conference Wild Card game. This isn’t just about missing a friendly in Spain, folks. This is a strategic move, made by “people levels higher” than Head Coach Brian Schmetzer, as he put it, but one he fully backs. “It’s a good decision because it allows them to train with us, we’re going to need them,” Schmetzer said, and you know he’s right. The USA U23 squad was set to play Scotland on November 15 and then a closed-door match against Ukraine on November 17. Our boys are prioritizing the Rave Green, and that speaks volumes about what’s at stake.
Travel Nightmares and Suspension Headaches
While Gomez and Brunell are locked in for the Wild Card fight, the Sounders aren’t completely out of the international woods. Albert Rusnák is off with Slovakia, playing Faroe Islands on Friday and Kazakhstan on November 16 in UEFA Nations League play. Schmetzer’s confident Rusnák will be back in time, but starting him is a whole different question. We’re talking about an 18 to 26-hour travel marathon from Kazakhstan back to Seattle, which means he’ll likely get only one limited training day before we face Real Salt Lake. That’s brutal, no two ways about it. “We’ve got a deep squad,” Schmetzer acknowledged, “Let’s just see how it pans out.” He’s got to be hoping for some quick recovery.
Then there’s the Jackson Ragen situation. Our centerback is looking at a likely suspension for the Wild Card game, and frankly, it’s not surprising given what went down. His 76th-minute tackle in the season finale wasn’t just a yellow card. It sent Jacob Shaffelburg to the hospital with multiple cracked ribs and a collapsed lung. That’s a serious injury, and everyone’s expecting a more severe punishment to come down. “We’re sitting on pins and needles,” Schmetzer admitted, and so are we, wondering who steps up if Ragen is out.
Awards Snubs and a Standout Star
The end-of-season awards announcements weren’t exactly a party for the Sounders. Paul Arriola did snag a finalist nod for MLS Humanitarian of the Year, which is awesome, but aside from that, it was crickets. It’s not a shocker, to be honest, not with the team finishing 16th in the Supporters’ Shield standings. But if there’s one player who absolutely deserved more love, it’s first-year starter Andrew Thomas. This kid has been a rockstar. He’s among the league leaders in goals prevented with 12.8, boasts a 72.9 save percentage, notched 8 shutouts, and holds a 1.4 goals against average. Schmetzer summed it up perfectly, saying Thomas “had to overcome a lot of ups and downs. That’s a very specialized position. For him to perform like he did that last game and keep us in the game for a lot of long parts of the second half, that’s growth to me.” Growth we desperately needed, and growth we’ll lean on.
So, when the Sounders face Real Salt Lake in the Wild Card game, we know exactly who’s staying home and who’s got a mountain to climb to be ready. We’ve got strategic decisions, travel woes, potential suspensions, and a few unsung heroes. Schmetzer’s got a deep squad, and we’re gonna need every single one of them. Let’s get 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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