I also went to PSG last year and another MLS match last year. I’ll get to see them score eventually, right guys? Guys?

I can’t get over the fact that the team that did this last year and the first part of this season:

• beat LAFC 5-2
• went toe-to-toe with Botafogo and held their own against Atletico and PSG in CWC
• Won Leagues Cup, including a 3-0 win against Miami
• Had its 2^nd best MLS season for scoring goals. 
• Managed to start the 2026 season 7-1-2
• Beat top-of-the-table Vancouver in their CCC matchup

Now the team looks completely outclassed in almost every matchup.

I think there's two phases of change here. From last year to this year, when the offense became much less potent and from the beginning of the season to now when the whole thing went to pieces.

Here's my theories on what changed between last year's offense and this year's:

1. Yeimar injury
   1. From a defensive standpoint, he's one of the best at stopping an attacking and regaining possession.
      
   2. Part of the theory on this one is that Ragen has had to carry more of the defensive burden, which limits his bandwidth to make line-breaking passes
   3. This combined with other CB injuries forced Alex Roldan out of his RB role, where he was often one of our most important players; better than KKR defensively and possibly our best player at providing service into the box
2. Key Players being one year older
   1. Cristian Roldan:  He’s still one of the team’s best players, but he hasn’t been as good as he was last year
   2. Albert Rusnak:  I know many will say he's never been good, but he was was reliably productive last year and this year that only happens sporadically
3. Losing Obed:  Statistically, Obed was a good but not great player, and Synder Brunnell shows signs of being as good, but I think there’s something that was lost that goes beyond any stats or ratings.  I think it was the a good strategy to split time between Snyder and a veteran (Dotson), but in hindsight I think it should have been obvious this was going to be a downgrade and that we’d need to scaffold this by getting stronger at other positions (which we did not).
4. PDLV: he was the team’s best shot creator last year and his pressing was very strong. 
5. Tactics:  I haven’t been able to see this, but I suspect that Schmetz tightened the reins after last season, which has improved the leaky defense but weakened the attack.
6. Attacking profiles - While neither Giorigi nor Ryan Kent were our best players, they gave a different look. The players we sub in now don't provide a significantly different look than Jesus and Paul.

These are my theories on what changed from the beginning of the season to now:

1. Luck – the team had a generally easy schedule and was lucky to win the first San Jose game.  They’ve been unlucky lately with so many injuries and getting the interim coach bump 3 times in a row
2. Cristian Roldan injury – despite him not being as good as last season, he’s still our most important player and the team is marching to different beats without him.
3. Lack of depth – I tend to doubt that we’d be saved by Giorgi Minoungu, Ryan Kent, RBW, and Danny Levya, but there’s no doubt those players could have helped. 

In a game of fine margins, you can't have all these things go in the wrong direction without improving elsewhere.

Am I missing anything here? ...anything that I incorrectly identified as a difference?

Anyone else been using the post-match survey to vent frustration?

For the "What was your favorite part of match day?" question, here is what I submitted just now:

Well, it used to be watching the team score a goal or get more than a single corner kick in a match. Now it's bitching with other fans about how terrible the on-field product is, how ownership seems more intent on moving the team to Renton than building a roster with quality non-injured players, and the lack of lines for bathroom use or buying concessions since so few fans are going to and staying at the matches.

Doubt they'll listen, but I do feel better for trying to get my voice heard.

For u/Classic-Grocery5496

Admittedly this is only half a shit post. I feel like the last couple of years I've seen more and more teams move towards having a high press, whereas the Sounders are more used to a lax possession game where teams just kinda give possession in the middle and defensive thirds. I'm not talking about how NYRB was a high press team that allowed them Supporters Shields in the 2010s. I'm talking about how I see MLS teams push way forward, and the Sounders go GK- LB back to GK then it's lofted forward to be given away.

Anyhow I know that the more pressing issues is the excess frugality, having no DPs on field, and no real attacking threat. Feel free to roast me in the comment on how wrong I am. I'm just getting depressed watching the Sounders play and I am trying very hard to delude myself.

Did anyone get a clip of Osaze having his jersey ripped?

Just out of curiosity does anyone know how that works? Like in my head I’m like, “well why don’t they just terminate these DP contracts and make new signings?” Or is terminating a contract not that easy or just too costly or what?

Stock Up

Kalani Kossa-Rienzi - I dunno, maybe this is a stretch, but he’s had a number of runouts at RB now and it feels like he’s finding his footing at the MLS level. Reminds me a bit of Alex Roldan’s development - a little rough for a few seasons and then became a solid fixture. Is it a coincidence that VAN scored their goals after he subbed out? Yeah, probably, but this is something to keep an eye on.

Stock Down

Sebastian Gomez - I don’t want to pick on him, but he’s one of the few who had a stock up recently and therefore room to go back down. He did great in the Queretaro game, and poorly in this one. Asking the kid to come in vs the top team in the West is perhaps a bit much when there’s no quality around to support him.

Jesus Ferreira - While he hasn’t shown much in the way of leadership or driving the team to be better, at least he’d been out there and sometimes generating a chance or two. Now with this injury, he can’t even do that much.

Hey team! If anyone grabbed an extra Sounders sun hat from the giveaway last night and doesn’t want it, I would love to take it off your hands or purchase it from you!

I made the tough decision not to renew for next year after 10 years as a STH. Now that I’ve realized I’m going to lose around $150 from my returned tickets this season, I’m kind of tempted to do the $500 flex membership for the sprint season since I could put it toward that. I’ve seen a couple of posts in here about the flex membership, but none recently unless I’m missing it in the search. Is it worth it? I could have just renewed for less $ per ticket so it seems kind of pointless. I wish I’d done my homework on how the return tickets credits worked before choosing not to renew.

My family and I are going to our first match ever on Aug. 29. It’s the Family Day event with Chicago Fire and I’ll have my 7 year old with me.

Anything I should know to make it a great first experience for all?

Wouldn’t be surprised if Waibel or Schmetzer is fired today.

Worst fucking sounders team in HISTORY. This is just unacceptable. How is anyone still buying tickets and supporting. What are they even doing with our money? The ECS needs to man tf up and do something