There are a few teams that the staff here thinks are as good (if not better) than the Sounders in 2016. Both Cascadia sides and the hotshots out of Dallas are on that list.
In 2016 most pundits think the West is stacked. That isn't a surprise. Portland Timbers FC won the title, while FC Dallas and Vancouver Whitecaps both showed that youth can be fun. The talent on the LA Galaxy and our own Seattle Sounders cannot be denied either, though both teams have question marks.
When the Sounder at Heart staff predictions took place, Oba was already gone, but the team had not lost its opener to Sporting KC.