Know Thy Enemy: Revolution at Sounders Former Glory Edition

This is not the dominant Sounders of seemingly forever nor is it the vintage Shield Revs of 2021 or SuperLiga 2008.

There was a time when mentioning either of these teams missing the playoffs was blasphemous. Okay, that time for the New England Revolution might have been before Seattle will alleged they invented making the playoffs right around 2009. After all the Sounders worst domestic season ever in 2022 came with a CCL win so who am I to judge.

But if you look at the current standings, and in the Revs case sort by PPG, you’ll find both of these teams in 9th place, the road team in the play in game. Certainly not where Sounders fans ever expect to be and, well after their start certainly not where Revs fans ever thought we could get to this year.

It’s been a long time since these two teams played - wild 3-3 draw in 2019 that featured an Edgar Castillo assist and a Michael F Mancienne goal. The usual suspects for Seattle are on that scoresheet too - Lodiero, Morris, Roldan - but suffice to say this is not the Sounders team that we’re used to seeing at the top of the West.

New England has a significant injury list right now and just played midweek, so there might be some rotation on the backline but this is a going to be a cross-country flight of survival. Losing to a West Coast team on the road in early July as part of a double game week is not the end of the world for the Revs who I’m sure would much rather have the win over Atlanta a few days ago.

Now this Seattle team has still been playing a lot better than New England for most of the year despite everyone’s early struggles. The Sounders started the year with just six points from their first nine while the Revs own horror start saw them with just seven points in their first thirteen games. Everyone is a reclamation project but the Revs kind of knew that going in, and I’m fairly sure this is not what Sounders fans had in mind.

For more insight on that, we turn to one of the legends of Sounder at Heart in Dave Clark who I did not regale with tales of my DnD campaign as a slightly overweight raccoon named Ronnie who lives in a dilapidated/abandoned stadium ground and just happens to moonlight as a Twilight Cleric. For putting sports in your tabletop games and other DnD things, you can visit Dave’s Full Moon Storytelling site. Make sure to check out SaH for all their Sounders-Revs coverage including my answers to Dave’s questions and Sam Minton on the Nos Audietis podcast with Jeremiah Oshan, the other SaH legend.

1) Seattle started the year with one win in their first nine to now having three wins (and 10 points total) in their last four, sort of like New England - what wasn't working early on and what is working now?

Early in the season there was no offense. The rare goals came from wonderstrikes and penalties. Players weren't moving for each other. The static offense struggled to convert rare opportunities because they were shots at shallow angles or just another cross into traffic. Now, with a few lineup changes the demeanor is of a team that wants to capture available space and get into goalscoring positions. No longer are they hopeful that a 35 yard shot will catch a keeper unaware. Instead they're scoring goals using throughballs, rapid interchanges and quick dribbles. There's life to the ball on the field which has meant there is life in the stands and standings.

2) We know the scoring prowess of Morris and Ruidiaz as well as Rusnak's playmaking abilities, but is there an unsung hero for Seattle so far this year or a young player to keep an eye on?

Much of that life and energy has come as Seattle started to play Paul Rothrock. The former Academy/Defiance talent was drafted by Toronto where he played on TFC2. As there wasn't a path to the first team there he returned home, put up good numbers with Defiance and became a cult leader through well-timed goals with a broad smile. Rothrock has two elite skills. He's great at seeing open spaces and getting there uncovered. Without speed he is still able to sneak by a defense because of how he understands the game. Paulie also will give 100% of everything, every day. Coaches love his effort in practice, the film room and now on the field. 

His ability to pester the opposition earned him two MLS goals, a foul that led to a free kick goal and a penalty that was converted. He's also been kicked in the face, thrown to the turf. Opposing defenders may not respect his game, but they do hate the way he plays.

3) 7W-7L-7D is probably not the balance Seattle is looking for nor barely being above the playoff line. Best case scenario can the Sounders make a run up the Western standings to say the #4 seed and host a playoff series?

Without a major faltering of the LAs or Salt Lake, that four seed is where Seattle tops out. Once upon a time, that four seed and a run in secondary competition was the minimum standard. Thanks to the early failures this year that minimum is the best case. Even if they hit that standard there will be a reckoning, as the contracts are structured for a purge in the offseason. Ending the era that won a CCL, won two MLS Cups, lost two more MLS Cups, lost a Leagues Cup with barely good enough. That's a massive falloff and significant change from Seattle's heyday, even if this year does end with barely good enough.

Lineup/Injuries/Predictions/Etc.

The injury situation is finally good -- only Braudilio Rodrigues is out.

Expect something like;

Frei; Reed Baker-Whiting, Ragen, Yeimar, C.Roldan; João Paulo, Vargas; Léo Chú, Rusnák, Rothrock; Morris

Pedro de la Vega will play 30 minutes or so.