MLS is back in action after a three month hiatus, due in no small part to a certain virus that needs no introduction. The league got underway once again on July 8th, with a tournament behind closed doors at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. 24 of the 26 MLS teams are participating, with FC Dallas and Nashville SC withdrawing at the last minute due to several of their players testing positive for COVID-19.
The Sounders resumed their season against the San Jose Earthquakes last Friday, and played their second game of the tournament against the Chicago Fire on Tuesday. In both games, the defending MLS Cup champions put in a lackluster shift against two arguably weaker teams. They could only manage a 0-0 draw against San Jose, and slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Chicago, leaving their hopes of advancing to the round of 16 in serious jeopardy. This was not what Sounders fans were expecting when the season restarted.
So what’s going on with the boys in famous green? And will they be able to right the ship before it’s too late?
If they want to avoid an early exit from the tournament, they’ll have to address the elephant in the room, which is once again their defense. The Sounders have yet to find a reliable replacement for their longtime defensive stalwart Chad Marshall, who retired in 2019 after five seasons with the club.
Xavier Arreaga was tapped to be Marshall’s replacement when he was signed in May of 2019, but has struggled with consistency since his arrival. The Ecuadorian was brilliant against LAFC in the Western Conference Final last year, but has failed to live up to expectations so far this season. The 25-year-old looked shaky against the Earthquakes, and made a catastrophic defensive error against the Fire, when he misjudged a long ball near the halfway line, leading to Chicago’s first goal. Yeimar Gómez Andrade was signed this season to help shore up the defense, but has failed to establish himself as a serious contender to fill Marshall’s shoes. If the Sounders want to defend their title, they’ll have to get better defensively.
The offense is having issues as well. The Sounders only scored four goals before the COVID pandemic shut down MLS, and they’ve only produced one goal in the tournament so far. The normally dominant attacking trio of Jordan Morris, Nico Lodeiro, and Raul Ruidiaz have been out of sync, and lacking potency.
Morris has shown flashes of his skill, assisting Handwalla Bwana for the Sounder’s only goal against Chicago. However, all three players have looked like ghosts out on the pitch, failing to impose their presence on the game. The Sounders could only muster one shot on goal against Chicago, and it seems like it will take some time for them to shake off the rust.
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Ruidiaz has to find the quality and killer instinct he showed last season, especially during the LAFC match, when he sparked the comeback that ultimately led to the Sounders reaching the MLS Cup final. The Peruvian playmaker had a good chance to give the Sounders three points versus San Jose, but tried to take a touch instead of shooting, and was quickly dispossessed by the keeper. To me, that’s a sign of a striker lacking confidence, and he must regain that confidence if the Sounders hope to have a chance.
The one bright spot for the Sounders in the tournament so far has been goalkeeper Stefan Frei. The 34-year-old continues to prove why he’s one of the best keepers in MLS, making some key saves against San Jose to keep the game at nil nil, and salvage a point. Unfortunately, he had no chance to stop Chicago’s two goals, leaving the Sounders in a big hole to climb out of.
Will the Sounders be able to find their mojo from last season? Or will they continue to fade in the tournament and the Western Conference? Only time will tell. Tune in Sunday when the Sounders take on Cascadia rivals Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a must-win game on FS1.
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