It took until the final match of the season to secure the spot, but Sounders FC 2 did what was necessary to put itself in the USL postseason with a 3-2 victory over Austin Aztex last Thursday.
Since the win at home over the Aztex, S2’s path through the postseason is now clear, beginning with an opening match against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks on the road in the USL Western Conference Quarterfinals on Friday.
The Rave Green went 1-0-1 against the Switchbacks during the regular season.
“We aren’t looking at numbers right now, we’re looking at going there and getting a victory,” S2 Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson said. “We went there once and struggled with altitude, but we were able to get a tie. We played a decent game and we know what they’re all about.”
For the first time in nearly a month, S2 will not be missing any players due to suspension or card accumulation, giving Hendrickson the chance to play his preferred starting XI in the first round of the postseason.
In the most recent match between the two sides, S2 squeaked out a 3-2 victory with a brace from Myron Samuel, though Samuel suffered season-ending broken foot during the match.
His St. Vincent countryman, Oalex Anderson, has been a consistent choice up top is the likely choice for Hendrickson, but First Team players Darwin Jones and Vic Mansaray have also seen time in the position during the final stretch of the regular season.
Hendrickson could also lean on midfield anchor Sérgio Mota, who scored a goal in both matches against the Switchbacks this season.
Mota’s Switchbacks counterpart, Aaron King, also has a goal in both matches against S2, but the real point of concern could be Luke Vercollone, who has a team-high 14 goals and nine assists.
The S2 back line, meanwhile, combined for two goals against Austin a week ago, with centerback Nick Miele picking up a goal and an assist to put himself on the USL Team of the Week for the final week of the USL regular season.
Friday’s postseason match will be streamed on SoundersFC.com, with kickoff slated for 6:00 p.m. PT. There are two watch parties scheduled for the match, in the Atlantic Crossing Pub in Seattle and Odin Brewing Company in Tukwila. Both will be showing the match and offering drink specials for supporters and the first 25 fans to show up at each location will receive a special S2 giveaway upon entry.
