It was always going to be a struggle. With four matches in two weeks (including three in seven days), and coming off of the club’s shortest offseason ever, the challenges were obvious. Could Seattle Sounders President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey sign enough reinforcements in the offseason to support necessary heavy squad rotation? Could those signings gain fitness and acclimate to the team in time to contribute? Could bench players step up and give meaningful minutes during crunch time of knockout matches?
Perhaps fittingly for a stretch defined by the always-unpredictable CONCACAF Champions League, the answers may be no clearer now than they were in January.