The Seattle Sounders are in a bad way right now, and not just because they lost to Portland on Sunday. Yes, that one stings like the dickens, a deeper bruise than others along this seven-game beating of a winless streak – but it must be seen in the broader context.
And reclaiming a better place along the continuum of “broader context” starts with getting realistic about things. Ground zero is acknowledging what you are. Right now.
In June of 2012, Seattle is a team perhaps not as deep as everyone thought; the obvious defensive struggles are providing plenty of evidence. The Sounders have allowed almost two goals a game during the seven-game winless spell (13 conceded).
Sounders boss Sigi Schmid laid it out for everyone to hear Sunday evening. If you ask me, this is the only way back, confronting problems, making hard choices … not talking about being unlucky or convincing yourself that you’re a “quality team” that just “made some mistakes” and such. Good teams win games. Period.
Instead, you put it down for everyone, and you hope they start picking it up.I don’t feel good about these series of games. The team in the locker room has to decide what team is the Seattle Sounders. Are they the Seattle Sounders that played the first seven games of the season or the Sounders that have played the last eight games of the season?
“They are at the crossroads where they have to make a decision which team they are.”
Some of the crossroads effect is finding your place on the map; finding which crossroad, exactly, you’ve arrived upon. For instance, quit looking at what players were. It’s tricky, I know, but what are they right now? We’re past 2009, you know?
Schmid didn’t make the right call in personnel Sunday, going with Jeff Parke and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado rather than Patrick Ianni (pictured) at center back, a costly choice.
Either way, the defense needs additional cover right now. Whatever roles injuries, new goalkeepers and offseason personnel choices played in a deteriorating defensive scene – and there are discussion points aplenty there, admittedly – those cows are out of the barn. It’s just time to list your assets and work with what you have.
So Seattle may need a tweaked approach, and that might mean players accepting adjusted roles or even different personnel for an altered system.
And then there’s Fredy Montero, who isn’t producing goals but is producing poor choices, like rushed free kicks at important times and rash moments of petulant behavior. Is there going to be accountability?
There’s plenty of time (the Sounders will reach the halfway pole this week) but frustration is becoming more apparent. Schmid and the team leaders have to get on top of this thing, right now – before that frustration becomes even more toxic.
