Welcome to 2022! Seattle started off their MLS season with a rain-soaked slog of a match against a new Western Conference foe in Nashville SC, who played a strong, first-choice lineup. The Sounders shuffled multiple players from the CCL match three days before and showed some fatigue and unfamiliarity with new parts. Like other matches a Nashville/Gary Smith team has played, the away team defended in waves and relied on quick counters or set pieces for offense. They executed this plan extremely well, playing a narrow diamond and packing in rows of disciplined defense that resisted Seattle’s equally narrow play and failure to move the ball quickly enough to penalize the tactics.
A soggy start to the season for Cristian and Co.
