The way the Seattle Sounders were able to overcome their worst start in club history and eventually advance all the way to the Western Conference Final was a clear reflection of the unity formed between the players over the course of the 2024 season.
It was the veteran players in particular, that led the way to a brighter path ahead.
“It's just coming from leadership,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer in a Nov. 19 interview. “We've got an experienced group.”
Whether it be leading by example or providing guidance and encouragement to the younger players, the wisdom provided by Yeimar, Stefan Frei, Albert Rusnák, Jordan Morris, Alex and Cristian Roldan, Nouhou, Raúl Ruidíaz and João Paulo was vital in moments of adversity.
Morris and Rusnák, specifically, had “career years,” according to Schmetzer, ultimately pushing the team to an electric second half of the season on their journey toward the Western Conference Final.
Rusnák finished the year with 11 goals and a single season club record of 19 assists while Morris tallied 18 goals and six assists across all-competitions.
As the roster for 2025 takes shape, it will be critical for the vets to maintain this sort of prowess on the pitch while cultivating a strong leadership presence.
This is especially true with the compact schedule of over 40 matches and opportunities to compete on the North American and global stage of Concacaf Champions League and the Club World Cup.
“It's highly congested, and so you need to build a roster that the coaches are comfortable with, putting guys on the field, different formations, different opportunities, different tactics,” said Waibel.
Potential additions to the roster will also benefit the team with the loaded year ahead.
“We're going to be pursuing multiple trophies, multiple platforms at the most elite levels in our region and now world so we do need to add some proven talent,” said Waibel. “We need to add guys that come in with experience in high pressure situations, that are ready for the challenge, to meet the challenge and also compliment our locker room.”
Still, it will be up to the returning players to build off the 2024 season and help pave the way to new heights for the organization.
“We had a really, really tight group this year. I think there's a lot of different ways to build teams. I think this team also helped build itself,” said Waibel. “We put them in a room and basically said, we're going to solve the tactics, the coaches are going to solve the soccer. You guys go solve the continuity. And they did it.”
