4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2?
How about 5-3-2?
It was the third option that was surprisingly selected by Head Coach Brian Schmetzer for the final half hour in Seattle’s 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Sunday evening.
The massive result extended the club's record seven-match winning streak, leapfrogged Seattle to fifth in the Western Conference standings, put the Sounders in pole position for the 2018 Cascadia Cup and prevented Portland from sweeping the season series.
“[We were] trying to get the best out of this group, each game is a little different,” Schmetzer told media regarding the tactical shift.