Now more than ever, a match win at home is crucial in MLS regular season play.
“This is the home stretch, and every game is huge, because it's going to come down to our position in the playoffs,” said center back Jackson Ragen.
The Seattle Sounders recognized exactly that, shutting out Sporting Kansas City 2-0 in their fourth to last match at Lumen Field on Sunday night.
“Super proud of those guys,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “It was a shame that we couldn't get the third one, but very pleased.”
The win was against a team who sits in the third to last position of the Western Conference standings, but it was the Sounders’ unity and persistent efforts on the pitch that ultimately led them to three points.
“You have to have all 11 guys on the pitch buy in until the very final whistle, and I think we did that,” said goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
The first telling moment of the match came on the defensive end when midfielder Cristian Roldan blocked a Kansas City shot off the goal line.
Then, came Ragen’s contribution on offense to give the lead to the Rave Green in the 19th minute after an initial save from goalkeeper Tim Melia put him in position to score off the rebound.
“We have threats from a lot of different areas, and that's what's brought success this season,” said midfielder Paul Rothrock. “I think having a lot of weapons going into the postseason is going to be crucial and also having a locker room full of guys that are pushing together.”
Rothrock topped it off with a one-time finish in the 40th minute, building off the momentum from Roldan’s thrilling clearance and Ragen’s game-winning goal.
“The more chances you create, the better the opportunities to score goals, so we're very pleased with the chance creation,” said Schmetzer. “I don't know the stats, but the eye test says we were pretty dangerous from both sides.”
The last time the Sounders played a regular season home match, they fell to LAFC 3-0. The team made sure that was not going to be the case on Sunday night.
Still, the Sounders were not completely satisfied with the 90-minute performance.
“I think us as a team could have been better,” said Rothrock. “That was the message from Brian at halftime and in the post-game…We've got to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
The Sounders side has five matches left, with the next two at home before the playoffs are in full swing.
“It's great to come out with a win from a game like this,” said Rothrock. “It sets us up for this home stand here to finish out strong and start making a really good run going into the [post] season.”
While the players have identified what needs improvement from their showing on Sunday, they are determined to carry the positives from the win into the remaining matches, beginning with Wednesday’s battle against the San Jose Earthquakes at Lumen Field (7:30 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360AM | TICKETS).
“[We have] to keep the momentum going, but one game at a time,” said Ragen. “Keep winning, and then keep that going in the playoffs.”
