The Seattle Sounders defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 on Tuesday to clinch their 12th consecutive MLS Cup Playoffs berth, extending their own league record.
Since entering Major League Soccer in 2009, Seattle has qualified for every single postseason, winning two MLS Cups and three Western Conference Championships. The Sounders are the current MLS Cup holders after beating Toronto FC 3-1 at CenturyLink Field last year.
The Sounders have the second-longest active playoff streak of any major sports league in the United States (including Canadian teams) behind only the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins. Here are the leaders in each league:
14 – Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
12 – Seattle Sounders (MLS)
11 – New England Patriots (NFL)
10 – Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)
8 – Houston Rockets (NBA)
8 – Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)
5 – Chicago Red Stars (NWSL)
While the definition of “expansion team” is somewhat murky across the history of different leagues, the Sounders’ success since joining MLS in 2009 is near unprecedented. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Seattle’s postseason streak is the second-longest all time by an expansion team to start a franchise in the five major U.S. leagues (including teams that joined via merger), behind only the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, who made the Stanley Cup Playoffs 13 consecutive seasons from 1979-1991 after joining via merger from the WHL.
With three matches remaining in the regular season, the Sounders will look to improve their playoff seeding when the visit the Colorado Rapids on Sunday, Nov. 1 (6 p.m. PT; JOEtv, Prime Video, 1090 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).
