Under just about any circumstance, an MLS team finishing its first eight games with five wins and three draws would be a reason to puff out their chest. But when two of those three draws happen at home to close out the first quarter of the season, it can be a cause for some reflection, if not concern.
So as the Sounders finish up their three-week international break from MLS play, head coach Brian Schmetzer has had a lot to think about as he hopes to tweak a few things that led to what was by all accounts two disappointing results.