Winless, and goalless, in their first three games of the 2018 season, are Seattle Sounders FC’s backs already against the wall when they head to Children’s Mercy Park Sunday (4 pm ET | ESPN) to take on surging Sporting Kansas City?
An 0-4 start isn’t just a bad look, it’s also a serious detriment to the Rave Green’s hopes of making the MLS Cup playoffs.
Just two teams in league history have ever reached the postseason after losses in their first four games — D.C. United did it in 1996, going on to win the first-ever MLS Cup title, despite three regulation losses and one in the shootout. Three years later Tampa Bay Mutiny, who also had three losses in regulation and a shootout defeat, also clinched a playoff berth.
Opening the season with three losses is less perilous, with seven teams still reaching the MLS Cup playoffs. In fact, the last to begin 0-3 to make the MLS Cup playoffs was Seattle in 2016 and they went on to win their first MLS Cup title that December, beating Toronto FC on penalty kicks.
