Dejan Joveljić is heading to Serbia for international duty, and our Sounders are gonna feel it hard, losing him for three absolutely massive home games. These aren’t just any matches, folks. They’re pivotal for our postseason chances, and with the Western Conference race heating up, this timing couldn’t be tougher.
Our Attack Takes A Hit: The Stakes Are Sky-High
Losing Joveljić right now is a blow, no doubt about it. The guy’s been on fire, tied for third on the team with three goals in just four matches played. That’s efficiency! Our coach, Brian Schmetzer, even said after Saturday’s 3-3 draw that “Dejan expressed his, again, desire to stay with his teammates.” You gotta love a player who wants to battle for the Rave Green, even when his country calls.
But the international break waits for no one, and these three home games are staring us down. Right now, we’re chasing the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference, sitting three points behind those *Timbers*. Yeah, those guys. We do have a silver lining with at least two fewer games played than every team currently in a playoff spot. That’s a huge advantage, but it’s evaporating fast. By the end of this international break, we’ll have played as many games as virtually every other team. That means we have to make these matches count, even without a key piece of our attack.
Joveljić’s Parting ThunderBastard Against The Rapids
Before he jetted off, Joveljić gave us a sweet parting gift, and man, was it needed. Against the Rapids last Saturday, we were down 3-1 in the 79th minute. Things looked grim. Then Sebastian Gomez came through with a timely tackle, stopping their counter and pushing the ball to Joveljić. What happened next? Pure magic! Dejan took a couple of touches, absolutely ripped a shot from about 22 yards out, and beat Rapids goalkeeper Nico Hansen to the far post. BOOM! Goal. That made it 3-2 and pulled us back into the fight. Gomez, rocking the No. 90, picked up his second career MLS assist on that beauty. It was total redemption for Joveljić, too, because just minutes earlier, he thought he’d scored, only for it to be ruled offside. That kind of fight is exactly what we’ll be missing.
What’s Next For Dejan And Our Boys In Green?
While Joveljić is with Serbia, he’ll be part of a rotation as one of five forwards on the squad. They’ve got a packed schedule: Greece on September 24, Netherlands on September 27, Germany on October 1, and Netherlands again on October 4. Tough slate! Back here in the Emerald City, our Sounders need to dig deep. These next three home games are the foundation for our postseason push. It’s on Cristian Roldan, Jordan Morris, and the rest of the squad to step up and make sure we’re in prime position when Joveljić returns. Let’s show the league what the Sounders can do, even when tested.
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.
Leave a Reply