In Seattle’s season-opening match on Saturday, the Sounders picked up right where they left off in the 2018 regular season, demolishing FC Cincinnati 4-1 in front of a boisterous crowd at CenturyLink Field.
While the result was reminiscent of the second half of last season, the manner in which they shipped four goals past their opponent differed slightly. Last season, the Sounders utilized a double-pivot in midfield, enabling the team to unbalance opponents with metronomic possession, building down the flanks before switching the point of attack.
The Sounders still managed to set the tempo through sustained possession with a single pivot, but they introduced a new wrinkle into the attacking scheme: lethal counterattacking.