Brian Schmetzer’s lineup hit with the concussive force of a neutron bomb. Everyone knew the Seattle Sounders’ interim coach faced changes, but like this? No one quite saw this many of them coming.
The Sounders had just two full days of rest between their Knockout Round victory over Sporting Kansas City and their first Western Conference Semifinal leg against FC Dallas. This fact guided Schmetzer’s thinking, meaning a small shuffle was likely to preserve legs and give fresher ones the opportunity. But the lack of fully healthy Roman Torres and Andreas Ivanschitz made life difficult.