It wasn’t so long ago that the Seattle Sounders were known for their finishing kick. During Brian Schmetzer’s first five seasons, the Sounders went a combined 17-7-6 during their last six matches of the regular season and made four trips to the MLS Cup final.
That form has been noticeably absent in the last two seasons, as the Sounders have gone 2-5-5 down the stretch and failed to win a playoff game. It’s not that Schmetzer’s teams suddenly got bad. Those finishes stood in stark contrast to achievements earlier in both seasons. In 2021, the Sounders opened with a league-record 13-game unbeaten streak and were averaging better than 2.