TUKWILA, Wash. – When you consider that they’ve only been in Major League Soccer for seven seasons, the Seattle Sounders have accumulated a collection of trophies, accolades and accomplishments that most teams would take in a heartbeat.
Seattle have four Lamar Hunt US Open Cup titles, have made the postseason every year of their existence and bagged a Supporters’ Shield during a 2014 season that saw them notch a blistering 20-10-4 record. They have the free-spending owners, big-money, big-name stars and the notoriously raucous supporters that set attendance records year after year.
But as the Sounders head to Frisco, Texas with a 2-1 aggregate lead to take on FC Dallas in Leg 2 of their Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semifinal matchup on Sunday (7:30 pm ET; FS1, FOX Deportes in the US; TSN1 in Canada), the buzz in the Emerald City is centered squarely on the one trophy they haven’t won: The ever-elusive MLS Cup.
Veteran defender Zach Scott has been there for all of it, having played for the Sounders since 2002 dating back to their days as a USL franchise. Ask Scott or any of his Seattle teammates exactly what an MLS Cup victory would mean and you’re likely to get a similar sentiment.
“That’s the ultimate goal every year, is an MLS Cup,” Scott said following Seattle’s practice on Friday at Starfire Soccer Complex. “All the other trophies are fantastic, and obviously a Supporters’ Shield means a lot because it’s the culmination of an entire regular season. But I think the ultimate prize, the thing that sticks in everyone’s mind, is MLS Cups won. And that’s something we haven’t done yet.”
The Sounders know as well as anyone how cruel a beast the playoffs can be.
Seattle were on the doorstep of advancing to their first MLS Cup last year after winning the Supporters’ Shield and Open Cup, only to have their dream season come to an end in crushing fashion after eventual-champion LA Galaxy eliminated them on the away-goal tiebreaker in the Western Conference Championship.
But head coach Sigi Schmid – a two-time MLS Cup-winner from previous stints coaching the Galaxy and Columbus Crew SC – says his team is acutely aware of the other side of that coin and the degree to which a championship will ultimately define the historical narrative.
“You look back on [Real Salt Lake] in 2009, they were a team that had a losing record in the regular season, and they ended up being MLS Cup champions,” Schmid said on Friday. “All that people talk about now is that, ‘Hey, they were the top team in the league that year.’”
To hear midfielder Andy Rose tell it, Seattle’s chase for this year’s Cup has an unmistakable tinge of desperation to it – a sense of urgency that may be even more abundant than previous years and has rubbed off on both players and fans.
“I think you can see the motivation in the group, the way we’ve been fighting for each other,” Rose said. “I’ve obviously been here a few years now, but I haven’t heard [CenturyLink Field] quite as loud as it was [in Seattle’s Knockout Round game] against the Galaxy last week. That was absolutely unbelievable.”
To make their MLS Cup aspirations a reality, Schmid’s squad would need to overcome arguably their most challenging season yet, something that may contribute to the added intensity that Rose noted.
Seattle’s regular season was filled with an array of setbacks that threatened their postseason chances altogether, ranging from a rash of ill-timed injuries, international call-ups and suspensions that kept key contributors out of action for lengthy stretches. The Sounders didn’t end up clinching a postseason spot until the final game of the season, a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Oct. 25.
“It’s different when a group has to face adversity like we have this season,” Rose said. “It kind of brings you together a bit more. The press, whatever, outside sources are saying things about you as a group, and it gets you going a bit more.”
The Sounders also must contend with the looming reality that the window for their current core to chase championships won’t stay open forever.
The average age of Seattle’s starters in the first leg against Dallas was close to 30. Every opportunity to add to their trophy case has become increasingly precious.
But for the Sounders, the time for pondering all of that can wait. For now, Seattle’s focus rests on trying to get by FC Dallas on Sunday and keeping those hopes for a historic playoff run alive for at least one more series.
“We’re not looking right now in terms of evaluating, ‘How long can this core stay together?’” Schmid said. “We’re together right now. The moment is right now. We need to take advantage of this moment.”
