Two road matches in four days is a challenging feat for any team, but the Seattle Sounders made it look easy.
After shutting out the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 on Wednesday night, the Sounders continued their strong run of form into Saturday, defeating the Colorado Rapids 1-0.
“I'm proud of the guys for the effort,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer.
Heading into the two road tests, the team recognized the importance picking up results against fellow Western Conference contenders and how it would affect their placement in the playoffs.
“We put our heads down and we worked hard, and we tried to do things the right way, be professional, and now I think we are reaping the rewards of that,” said goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
Their goal in these last couple road matches was simple: to get six points across the board.
They did exactly that and then some, finishing their remaining away matches with two more shutouts to add to their already remarkable resume this season. The Sounders now carry a league-leading 13 clean sheets in MLS so far, and boast the best defensive record with just 34 goals conceded.
“I think we've been frustrated in terms of giving up late goals, but even with that frustration, Andrew [Thomas] has two shout outs, I have 11, which is great,” said Frei. “It's a testament to how the squad takes pride in that, and it's going to help us push on.”
The victory at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park also cemented home-field advantage in Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The team currently sits alone in third place in the Western Conference with 56 points, and could climb as high as the No. 2 seed.
“That's exactly one of the points I said in my pregame talk, it was one of the points that we told them last night at dinner, and the guys actually executed,” said Schmetzer.
Tonight’s emphatic road win over the Rapids concludes the team’s seven day stretch of three matches, which includes their 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo at home on Sept. 28. This is the first time since 2021 the Sounders have been able to collect nine points in a week.
“We battled, we fought hard, and I think we deserve the results,” said Frei.
The Rave Green will look to carry on this momentum and finish the regular season strong in the team’s Decision Day rivalry match against the Portland Timbers on Oct. 19 (6:00 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360AM | TICKETS).
“It's Portland…It's going to be a big game,” said Schmetzer. “We want to win.”
