Thirty matches down, four to go.
Over the course of the long MLS season, early-season matches, trips and lineups feel like ages ago. It’s hard to believe the campaign that started with three losses also included a nine-match winning streak, but that’s the nature of this league.
The key to the Sounders’ success is found in its defensive shape – a 4-2-3-1 formation with two defensive midfielders sitting in front of smart, lumbering center backs and athletic fullbacks. Through 30 matches, the Sounders have used 20 different combinations of their goalkeeper/defenders/defensive midfielders, and the results are interesting.
| MATCH | DEFENSIVE PERSONNEL |
| LOSS, 0-1 | Frei; Delem, Torres, Alfaro, Nouhou; Svensson, Roldan |
| LOSS, 0-3 | Frei; Leerdam, Torres, Marshall, Nouhou; Svensson, Roldan |
| LOSS, 0-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Torres, Marshall, Francis; Svensson, Roldan |
| DRAW, 2-2 | Frei; McCrary, Torres, Marshall, Nouhou; Svensson, Roldan |
| WIN, 3-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Torres, Marshall, Nouhou; Svensson, Alonso |
| LOSS, 0-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Svensson, Nouhou; Alonso, Roldan |
| DRAW, 0-0 | Frei; Leerdam, Marshall, Kim, Nouhou; Alonso, Svensson |
| WIN, 2-1 | Frei; McCrary, Svensson, Marshall, Alfaro, Francis; Roldan, Delem |
| LOSS, 0-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Svensson, Nouhou; Roldan, Delem |
| LOSS, 0-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim Marshall, Nouhou; Roldan, Delem |
| LOSS, 0-2 | Frei; McCrary, Kim, Marshall, Nouhou; Roldan, Delem |
| WIN, 2-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Marshall, Kim, Nouhou; Roldan, Lodeiro |
| LOSS, 1-2 | Frei; McCrary, Kim, Marshall, Alfaro, Francis; Alonso, Roldan |
| DRAW, 1-1 | Frei; Roldan, Kim, Marshall, Nouhou; Alonso, Lodeiro |
| LOSS, 2-3 | Meredith; McCrary, Kim, Marshall, Francis; Alonso, Roldan |
| WIN, 2-1 | Frei; McCrary, Kim, Marshall, Francis; Roldan, Delem |
| DRAW, 0-0 | Frei; McCrary, Kim, Marshall, Nouhou; Roldan, Delem |
| DRAW, 1-1 | Frei; McCrary, Kim, Marshall, Nouhou; Roldan, Delem |
| WIN, 2-0 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Nouhou, Svensson, Roldan |
| WIN, 1-0 | Frei; McCrary, Torres, Kim, Nouhou; Alonso, Svensson |
| WIN, 3-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Nouhou; Alonso, Svensson |
| WIN, 2-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Nouhou; Alonso, Svensson |
| WIN, 2-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Smith; Alonso, Svensson |
| WIN, 5-0 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Nouhou; Alonso, Svensson |
| WIN, 1-0 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Smith; Alonso, Svensson |
| WIN, 3-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Smith; Alonso, Svensson |
| WIN, 2-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Smith; Alonso, Svensson |
| LOSS, 0-1 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Smith; Alonso, Svensson |
| LOSS, 0-3 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Torres, Smith; Alonso, Svensson |
| WIN, 4-0 | Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Nouhou; Alonso, Svensson |
With Stefan Frei at goalkeeper, Kelvin Leerdam, Kim Kee-hee, Chad Marshall, and Nouhou OR Brad Smith on the back line and Ozzie Alonso/Gustav Svensson in the defensive midfield, the Sounders are 8-1-1. The lone loss came at home to the Philadelphia Union, in which Marshall exited with a head injury at halftime.
Tied atop Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls in goals against average, the Sounders have made a collective effort to play team defense. Head Coach Brian Schmetzer offered up his thoughts on the team's defensive outputs.
“I think it’s a team effort," he said. "So, if the team believes that defense is important, that’s a good thing. We obviously have the creative players to score a few goals. So, if we can get the defending right, you don’t give up a goal, chances are you’re going to collect some points.”
Other tidbits:
- The Sounders are 1-3-0 with Marshall out of the starting lineup
- The Sounders are 9-2-1 with Alonso and Svensson paired in the defensive midfield
- In all 11 losses this season, the Sounders have had a different set of defensive personnel
- The most consecutive matches with the same defensive personnel was four: Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Smith; Alonso, Svensson (3-1-0)
- The Sounders didn’t repeat defensive personnel in consecutive matches until July: Frei; Leerdam, Kim, Marshall, Smith; Alonso, Svensson (0-0-2)
