Just six weeks ago, the Sounders were at the top of the table and everything looked good. Boy have the times changed since June 16, 2015.
That is a date that will live in infamy for many Seattle Sounders fans. It is the date the Sounders season started going sideways. Not right away, but slowly and surely since that dreadful night at Starfire that Sounders have been nothing more than a dumpster fire.
For those of you out there that have been living under a rock or just don’t care about the Sounders, June 16th is the date which the Sounders lost Obafemi Martins to an adductor injury and Clint Dempsey to a three game ban for his childish act against a referee.
For years, many have applauded the Sounders with their perceived depth they had on their team. There were some years you wondered why a certain player would come to Seattle just to sit on the bench when he was good enough to start somewhere else. With two of the best strikers in MLS on the bench for the last six weeks, the Sounders have seen their spot at the top of the Western Conference and Supporters Shield slip away. If they had so much "depth" they would have secured more than three of a possibly 21 points in the last six weeks or so. They have players on the team that can score; just sadly none of them have scored in the last month and a half.
Since June 16th, the Sounders have won once in their last seven league matches. That was a 1-0 win at home against D.C. United on July 3rd with the game-winner coming from Tyrone Mears in the 88th minute. It was also the game that they lost starting goalkeeper Stefan Frei due to a shoulder injury. The Sounders were also up a man for over 60 minutes of the match. Four of those matches they have lost 1-0. Their last three matches have seen them give up the game-winning goal in the 84th minute or later.
In their 1-0 loss to Chicago, they gave the goal up in stoppage time. Against Colorado at home, they allowed Kevin Doyle to score the game-winning goal in the 84th minute to steal a victory. Last week against Montreal, it was the 88th minute when Laurent Cimanscored for the Impact. To top all of that off, the Sounders have scored only two times in their last seven matches. TWO TIMES!
Head Coach Sigi Schmid probably can’t wait to get Dempsey back. The USMNT are coming off a fourth place finish in the Gold Cup and the Sounders desperately need him back, but wait just one moment. The Sounders won’t get him back until this coming Friday, July 31st because of the MLS All-Star game that takes place this Wednesday in Colorado. Will Clint be able to play this coming Saturday against the Vancouver Whitecaps? One would assume so, but it is never safe to assume anything. There is also no real indication on the status of Martins as they more than likely don’t want to rush him back before it is too soon.
There is still roughly two and a half months left in the season and we have all seen how quickly things change in MLS. At this rate, it is safe to say that the Sounders have sunk faster than the Titanic and have done a horrible job at plugging the holes. All the Sounders need to do is make the playoffs and anything can happen, but it is not looking pretty at the moment for the Rave Green.
It is now time for the real Seattle Sounders to stand up.
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