The MLS restart is just a couple of matchdays old, but talk about some rough news for the Emerald City faithful. Our rivals, the Portland Timbers, are looking like they’re on a serious ascent right now, and they’re poised to potentially lay a near-fatal blow to the Seattle Sounders’ season this weekend. This is not the start we wanted for the stretch run.
What Happened To That San Jose ‘Wagon’?
As if our Sounders aren’t dealing with enough, there are other Western Conference teams facing issues. Remember how San Jose was a legitimate trophy contender in the first half of the season? Bruce Arena’s side was an absolute wagon, with a dangerous attack and confidence that made them feel unbeatable. Timo Werner looked electric when healthy, Niko Tsakiris emerged as a bright young attacking midfielder before injury, and Preston Judd morphed into Chris Wondolowski reincarnate. But then the restart happened. The Quakes were shockingly outclassed in a 4-0 home defeat to Orlando City. Then they settled for a 1-1 draw in the Cali Clasico against the LA Galaxy, with Werner missing a golden opportunity to rescue all three points from the penalty spot, only to see it saved by JT Marcinkowski. Two matches don’t erase four months of work, and San Jose has banked some benefit of the doubt, but you gotta ask: can they even get back to that trophy contender level?
Don’t Look Now, But New England Is Cooking
Meanwhile, out East, the New England Revolution are quietly making moves. Nobody talks about them much, but they’re sitting third in the East, averaging 1.81 points per game after absolutely thrashing Atlanta United 4-1 in their return to play. Now, beating Atlanta United isn’t exactly a massive feat these days, but the way New England handled business was impressive even against a reeling opponent. Carles Gil did his thing, breaking the game open with a force-of-will goal. What really stood out was how they kept their foot on the gas, carving Atlanta apart with flowing team play and big contributions from a young, deep supporting cast. First-year head coach Marko Mitrović is seriously making a dark-horse case for MLS Coach of the Year. Honestly, if I had to pick a team that could be a legitimate factor in Leagues Cup and the playoffs, it just might be this New England squad.
Back here in Seattle, the focus is squarely on the Timbers. We all saw the 5,1 demolition that happened right here in Seattle before the break, and now they’re coming for us again. Our Sounders desperately need to find a way to stop this “ascent” and turn their own season around this weekend. What are we gonna do, Seattle?
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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