TUKWILA, Wash. — For a few scant hours Aug. 18, the Seattle Sounders were above the red line for the first time in the 2018 season. A 5-0 demolition of the LA Galaxy was enough to see Seattle jump into sixth place in the Western Conference standings, only to be bumped down to seventh hours later by a game-winning penalty for Real Salt Lake’s Albert Rusnak in the 10th minute of stoppage time against Houston.
Now, Seattle is back on the outside looking in, but it’s a situation that feels much more temporary on the back of a six-match winning streak.