Whether or not Tuesday’s game is the biggest in Sounders history, it certainly has that feeling.
The Sounders have indeed been to this stage before, at the penultimate step before reaching MLS Cup. Twice, in fact, in 2012 and as recently as 2014. In both occasions, the Sounders lost their first Western Conference Final meeting, both in shutouts and both against the LA Galaxy. There was a chance the Sounders would again have to go through LA again to get to the finale, but for the first time they’ll have a new trajectory.
Colorado. And it’s here.
The Sounders have never hosted the first leg of one of these Western Conference Finals, a fact that could assuage Sounders fans when they look back at how the last round went this postseason. The Sounders smashed FC Dallas 3-0 in the first leg at home - exactly what the Galaxy did to Seattle in 2012 - and then held on in a 2-1 defeat in Frisco to advance on aggregate.
So in the sense that Tuesday’s battle at CenturyLink Field represents a clean slate and a fresh opportunity to smash into the club’s coveted first MLS Cup match? Well, you can be excused for noticing the rampant excitement bathing the city of Seattle this week.
The difference between 2012, 2014 and this season is perhaps in the Sounders’ form versus the opponent. The Galaxy were in ripping form down the stretch in 2012 and especially in 2014 despite the fact that Seattle finished above them in the table both years. Regardless of what happened in May or August, Bruce Arena’s best teams always flipped the switch once the weather chilled.
The Sounders struggled historically in that venue. Until the last two years, that is.
Since last season, the Sounders are a staggering 12-3-6 after the start of September. That form helped Seattle overturn a dire summer in 2015 and come within a penalty shootout of besting FC Dallas in the Western Conference Semifinals that year.
This year, it helped the Sounders get past that same FC Dallas side and find themselves here, within two matches of playing for the league’s most prestigious trophy.
This year’s turnaround of course can’t be overstated. Streaking from ninth to fourth in the Western Conference to make the playoffs, and then bumping off a Sporting Kansas City team that had beaten you twice followed by a two-legged win over No. 1 seeded Supporters' Shield winner FC Dallas is already a postseason run for the ages. But there’s one more hurdle that needs jumping before the Sounders can stare down whatever the East has to offer.
The Rapids clearly made it this far on the back of their defense. Without a single big international name in their outfield back six, Colorado’s unquestionably stout team ethic put them this close to capturing their second MLS Cup a year after finishing last in the West. But there’s some turbulence roiling under the surface as they prep to face a red-hot Sounders team bringing a healthy and in-form Nicolas Lodeiro.
For one, the Rapids lost MLS Goalkeeper of the Year nominee Tim Howard to an injury with the national team last week. He won’t be back until 2017, meaning they’ll yet again call on young Zac MacMath for the first time in nearly four months. MacMath had no trouble anchoring this quality back line earlier in the year, but will a shift on the eve of such a big road game trip them up?
The potential loss of Shkelzen Gashi, though, is far more damaging. Gashi is a practical golazo machine, and he ties together the Rapids’ already pared-back attack. Gashi hit the massive goal in the second leg against the Galaxy that got them to penalty shootout that ultimately got them here. If Gashi can’t go - he was listed as doubtful and finished the Galaxy match leaning on crutches - the Rapids’ attack will be even more pulled back than it was.
Furthermore, Colorado midfielder Jermaine Jones just went 161 minutes for the U.S. Men’s National Team in two draining World Cup qualifiers just bouncing off an injury. Needless to say, Colorado coach Pablo Mastroeni might not be too happy with the events of the recent international break.
The Sounders, too, are dealing with a few injuries at this stage of the year. Recently-minted MLS Rookie of the Year Jordan Morris tweaked his hamstring in the second leg against FCD, and while he returned the practice last week it was only a half-measure. Morris’s status for Tuesday, along with the still recovering Alvaro Fernandez, seems to be as up in the air as ever. Good thing for Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer that striker Nelson Valdez hit his form this postseason.
There is good news afoot on the injury front, however. Roman Torres went a full 90 minutes last week for Panama in a World Cup qualifier, signifying he’s almost certainly ready to charge back into the starting XI next to Chad Marshall at the back. Likewise, Andreas Ivanschitz’s full return to training last week was a good sign he too could be ready to make his return to the XI.
The Sounders desperately need Ivanschitz’s role to return, especially if he isn’t a full 100 percent. Schmetzer used Morris in that left midfield role in the interim, but Ivanschitz is a much more natural creative force on that side. He may not have Morris’s speed, but when paired with Lodeiro he’s a devastating creative force able to drop in balls over the top while Lodeiro feathers them in along the ground.
Above anything else, the Sounders simply need enough balance to see of a Rapids team that’s sure to retreat into its shell to protect an edge it hopes to keep going back to the altitude of Commerce City on Nov. 27. The Sounders almost assuredly need to win by a multiple goal margin - ideally also keeping the Rapids from nipping an away goal - to go into that road environment with a positive feeling.
The Rapids are still undefeated at home this season. Which means on Tuesday, the Sounders will be doing everything in their power to make this occasion an unforgettable one.
