Slow starters? Not the 2019 Seattle Sounders.
In Week 3 the Rave Green tied the mark for the best start in the club's MLS history by winning their third straight to start the season. Their 3W-0L-0D record to begin 2019 matches their opening record from the 2009 inaugural campaign.
And in Week 3 in Chicago they did it with two goals in the opening 15 minutes. Although the Fire came on strong in the final half hour, the visiting Sounders held on for the 4-2 road win.
"That's the new calling card for the Seattle Sounders. We're going to come out and try to impose our will on teams early," Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said after the match.
The opening goals came from wingers Victor Rodriguez and Jordan Morris, a trend that Schmetzer expects to continue.
"We've talked ad nauseum about having our wingers be goal dangerous," Schmetzer said. "Jordan himself has said he wants to continue to be goal dangerous playing out on the wing. He's showing that he is goal-dangerous from that position and Victor's quality everybody can see it."
After wins against FC Cincinnati, the Colorado Rapids and Chicago, the Sounders will look to set a new club record with a fourth win to start the season when they travel to face the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, March 30 (10 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in USA; TSN in Canada).
The club lost its fourth match of the 2009 season, dropping a 1-0 result at home to Sporting Kansas City after notching wins against the NY Red Bulls (3-0), Real Salt Lake (2-0) and Toronto FC (2-0).
The Sounders will hope to be singing Jingle Bells in the locker once again in Vancouver, a tradition they have for road victories. They belted out their first Jingle Bells rendition of 2019 at SeatGeek Stadium:
