Sounders’ lack of just about everything makes quick work of Leagues Cup opportunity.
If you blinked, you might have missed the Seattle Sounders ingloriously bombing out of the Leagues Cup. While other MLS teams have looked strong navigating this tournament, Seattle started off with a whimper and ran out the door with a whisper. Throughout two matches the Sounders conceded seven and scored two, with both of their goals coming in a six minute burst of competency. For long stretches of both games Seattle looked terrible, lacking a clear plan and getting bossed decisively off the pitch. Whether it is a lack of talent, lack of execution, lack of design, lack of direction, lack of effort, or lack of caring is unknown, but ultimately this team is one thing: Lacking.
[Ed. Note: While each player was rated on each performance, we’re providing an average rating here. Because if there’s one thing these Leagues Cup performances warrant, it’s brevity.]
Frei was okay in his one appearance, but he gave up three against a team Seattle had shut out twice this year. There is clearly something broken in the defense, a group which had led the league at one point in the year and looked excellent. Suddenly, the defense is terrible and reminiscent of last year’s swoon.
One thing I liked: In the 4th minute of the first game of the tournament, Frei had a huge save. At that brief moment in time we still believed in hope and future success, so this felt big.
One thing I didn’t like: He hurt his finger, tried to fix it, and then missed the second game. Sounders 2023 in a nutshell.
Cleveland started and looked lost, running around like a rookie trying to be overly aggressive. He both ran off his line and got caught out, and stood nailed to his line and allowed goals.
One thing I liked: A few acrobatic saves reminded us of the potential he has (had?).
One thing I didn’t like: Zero composure in the back makes me wonder what his future is.
Keepers going forward: Frei has struggled lately; he’s shipping goals behind a porous defense and not making saves that even earlier in this season he would make. Cleveland reminds us that there are other keepers in the pipeline. There is no good answer here.
Nouhou played below average in both matches, on par with the rest of the defense who couldn’t figure anything out.
One thing I liked: His defense 1-v-1 late in the RSL match kept a shorthanded team from scoring a second. What a sentence.
One thing I didn’t like: Nouhou is getting beaten in 1-v-1 situations, and his defense needs to offset his offensive deficits for him to work.
Ragen was terrible against RSL and slightly less awful against Monterrey. Suddenly he’s immobile, caught out of position, making poor decisions and taking poor angles; he looks worse than last year.
One thing I liked: A few big tackles showed toughness in the back and were essential defensive stops to prevent even more lopsided scores.
One thing I didn’t like: Especially against RSL, Ragen was beaten over and over, and when isolated 1-v-1 he’s currently a mismatch for anyone centrally with speed, directly resulting in goals against.
Yeimar was all over the place in this tournament, not on the same page as the rest of his team.
One thing I liked: His speed matched up well with Monterrey, preventing more goals, and his instincts to cover the box centrally cleared multiple chances.
One thing I didn’t like: A yellow and a red were both deserved. Yeimar not only played badly, he lost composure in both matches to the point of deliberately striking another player.
Alex was both the least culpable for some of the goals against and perhaps the most culpable for the lack of offensive success. Much of what Seattle does depends on Roldan, who was clearly tired and very slow in both matches.
One thing I liked: Roldan’s service from the right is critical, both to create balance and because he makes good choices.
One thing I didn’t like: Alex was dreadful defensively in both matches, often putting undue stress on Yeimar as he was out of position and missed tackles, looking exhausted.
Baker was fine.
One thing I liked: It’s hard to remember anything Baker did, unlike the massive mistakes his teammates made.
One thing I didn’t like: He is still very raw on the offensive side and doesn’t give anything going forward, which good teams are exploiting.
Reed came in and showed aggression against a strong Mexican team.
One thing I liked: RBW had some nice runs forward, trying to create space and willing to cross with either foot.
One thing I didn’t like: Nothing he did beat his opponents, and he was slow tracking back on defense on multiple occasions.
Cissoko got a run out for a frustrated Yeimar against RSL and didn’t help staunch the bleeding.
One thing I liked: A nice defensive moment on a counter briefly kept Seattle from embarrassingly conceding a goal while up a man.
One thing I didn’t like: That good defense was fleeting, as Seattle did ingloriously get scored on while having extra players on the field as the entire team capitulated shamefully.
Defenders going forward: This is an abject mess in the back. Similarly to last year, Seattle is completely porous through the midfield and cannot defend counter attacks or direct play whatsoever. Without offensive control of the game (which fades each match) this defense is just bad. They are clearly frustrated and lashing out after losing composure — not a good look. There seem to be no answers and no cohesion.
João was asked to do everything in the middle and couldn’t. Not for lack of trying, but in running around trying to fix issues, he is playing whack-a-mole and creating non-predictable gaps behind him that the defenders can’t handle.
One thing I liked: When given time, he finds the right pass, including under-utilized over-the-top and diagonal direct balls that Seattle severely lacks.
One thing I didn’t like: The cohesion between him and Obed is non-existent. Trying to do too much is making JP less effective no matter who he’s next to.
Obed started against RSL, and was again not good. He may be a great prospect but is really struggling right now.
One thing I liked: He was subbed at half against RSL but the score was still 0-0 at that point.
One thing I didn’t like: Watching the “Obed Vargas Chasing Simulator” through the middle is excruciating, and he was overmatched against both teams.
Albert started in the defensive midfield against Monterrey and for a brief moment his ability to push high and be an extra attacking force worked, overloading the middle. He played as attacking midfielder against RSL without much luck.
One thing I liked: His cohesion with JP was good for most of a half.
One thing I didn’t like: Completely unnecessary PK concession right at halftime took whatever wind was left in Seattle’s sails and extinguished it in the home match. Not enough big chances created when starting further forward.
Atencio got into both matches in a slight show of support. In both games he immediately looked like a central upgrade.
One thing I liked: Against RSL, nearly every good event had a touch from Atencio, and his direct runs and ability to push the ball forward was a pleasant change.
One thing I didn’t like: No idea why he isn’t getting more time.
Defensive midfielders going forward: JP is doing everything he can, but he’s being asked to do more than is reasonable. It is essential for Seattle to find the right combination centrally, so why not try different players, a new formation, or basically anything else?
Léo Chú was stifled for the most part in both of these matches, failing to find the space he needed or provide anything outside of that.
One thing I liked: For a brief moment Seattle looked spectacular, and it was once again through a wonderful Chú-to-Morris combination to score the Sounders’ second goal in the first six minutes against Monterrey.
One thing I didn’t like: You can’t be both a defensive liability and an offensive non-factor.
Lodeiro started the Monterrey match in the center and immediately facilitated aggressive pressing that created chances.
One thing I liked: As he hit that free kick you were transported back in time to 2016. Sigh.
One thing I didn’t like: Nico clearly wants to play centrally and play full matches, but as was abundantly clear against Monterrey, he’s only as good as his engine, which is prone to sputtering.
Cristian played half of one game, and then his absence reminded everyone why he is so essential to this team’s success.
One thing I liked: Seattle played even when Cristian was on the field for 45 minutes. They shipped seven goals when he was not.
One thing I didn’t like: Another concussion is frightening. He didn’t look right much of this match and the unfortunate explanation is potentially career-threatening.
Morris got the start at home and immediately made his presence felt.
One thing I liked: Backside header finish from a Chú cross is a throwback to better times earlier this year.
One thing I didn’t like: Other than the goal, did Morris even play? Seattle had no way to involve him and he was completely ineffective.
As Seattle threw things against the wall in Utah, one item was Teves, who got a half to get some exercise.
One thing I liked: A diagonal dive through the box reminds us that there are dynamic runs available and completely underutilized by others not named Cristian or Dylan.
One thing I didn’t like: Teves had at least one good chance to cross and make a difference and the ball went into the stands. That’s the thing, too many players are doing 80 or 90 percent of the right play. Sigh.
Attacking midfielders going forward: This group has a big Nico Lodeiro problem. Namely, when he is rested and active he’s amazing, shows up exactly in the places we need him to be, is goal-dangerous and puts others into smart spots. This seems to coincide with the only time the team looks dangerous or creates opportunity. Otherwise, he is a drag on the team and looks like a shell of himself, creating defensive gaps and stunting the success of the team. No one across this group looked up to play against either team outside of that 10 minute spurt when they were energetic and creative. Without Cristian’s balance, it’s a bunch of mismatched parts.
Raúl started in both matches and again was very active, had some good chances, yet failed to pierce the force field blocking the opponent’s goal.
One thing I liked: A near-goal against RSL could have changed everything; he is getting great chances.
One thing I didn’t like: Those big chances aren’t going in. Missing crucial opportunities against both teams (including a 1-v-1 versus each keeper) is indicative of a failure to execute.
Seattle brought Héber in late in both matches and asked him to play more creator than finisher, which is probably fine since he hasn’t finished anything in months.
One thing I liked: A great header forced a big save and Seattle finally had a target for all those crosses, which was a nice addition.
One thing I didn’t like: As usual outside of a few matches, he seemed impotent for much of his time on the field.
Forwards going forward: Ruidíaz’s play needs a long, hard look. Is he missing shots because of luck or has he lost a step? With Seattle so awful offensively, forwards fumbling big chances is devastating. Héber is similarly getting into good positions but not finishing, and the team desperately has to find someone who can put the round thing behind the opposing goalie.
This was fittingly tough to write as it’s been tough to watch this team for quite some time. There is underlying talent but it’s clear this team can no longer just “out skill” even the worst teams in the league. They either need to bring in more talent or find a system that utilizes their pieces in a way that allows the whole to be greater than the individual parts. The system and personnel must be changed.
