The 2020 season was Seattle Sounders FC's twelfth season in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club soccer in the United States. It was the 37th season played by a professional team bearing the Sounders name, which had originated in 1974 with the first incarnation of the franchise. The team was under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his fourth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The team debuted a new primary jersey for the season, named "Forever Green", that adds wave-like stripes in various shades of green to the main Rave Green kit used since 2009. The jersey also incorporates three white stripes added for all MLS jerseys to reflect the league's 25th season along with the flag of Cascadia and an outline of Washington.[9][10] The Sounders retained their 2019 secondary jersey, named "Nightfall", a black-and-pink design that was inspired by a sunset at CenturyLink Field during a 2014 match.[11] The 2020 season also marked the second year of a sponsorship agreement with online retailer Zulily, who had their logo displayed on both jerseys.[10]WaFd Bank was announced as the team's first sleeve patch sponsor in July 2020.[12]
Summary
Roster moves
The club initially retained 19 players over the offseason and lost several significant players,[13] including winger Víctor Rodríguez, winner of the MLS Cup 2019 most valuable player award;[14] and starting defenders Román Torres and Kim Kee-hee.[13] Backup goalkeeper Bryan Meredith also left the Sounders after he was selected by Inter Miami CF in the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft.[15] At the start of training camp in early January, the Sounders had 21 signed first-team players and were still engaged in talks with several others, but they lacked replacements in defense and for Rodríguez. General manager Garth Lagerwey stated that the club had yet to make major roster decisions due to the ongoing negotiations between the league and the MLS Players Association over a new collective bargaining agreement, which would affect the salary cap. Schmetzer also led a scouting trip to Argentina in December 2019 as part of preparations for the season.[16]
On January 31, 2020, the Sounders announced that they had signed Brazilian midfielder João Paulo, on loan from Botafogo, to a Designated Player contract.[14] The club also signed defenders Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Miguel Ibarra, and Shane O'Neill to replace Torres, Kee-hee, and left-back Brad Smith, who returned to AFC Bournemouth following the end of his loan.[17] Existing midfielder Alex Roldán was also shifted to right-back and signed to a new contract after his option was initially declined during the offseason.[18] The team also added John Hutchinson and Henry Brauner as development coaches during preseason and retained most of their existing technical staff.[19]
The club opened their preseason training camp at Starfire Sports on January 14 amid snowy conditions. Several young, unsigned players were called up to the training camp, as well as members of the Seattle Sounders FC Academy and reserve team Tacoma Defiance; key members of the team, including Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan, were absent from the training camp due to international callups.[20][21] After four days, the Sounders traveled to Long Beach, California, to open a twelve-day training camp that would also include a pair of friendlies and other scrimmages.[22] The team were defeated 1–0 by Uruguay's Peñarol in their first friendly and won 3–2 against Loyola Marymount University a week later in an extended scrimmage.[23][24]
The Sounders returned to Seattle to play the Sacramento Republic FC of the second-division USL Championship on February 5 at CenturyLink Field. The hosts won 6–2 during the 117-minute match, which was divided between the first team for 72 minutes and a combination of reserves and trialists for the remaining 45 minutes.[25] The team departed the following day to begin a second travelling camp based in Mexico City as part of preparations for the CONCACAF Champions League.[26] In Mexico City, the Sounders played two friendlies on February 12 against local teams, drawing 2–2 with Atlético Zacatepec using most of their starting lineup and defeating the under-20 reserves for UNAM Pumas 2–1.[27][28] Midfielder and captain Nicolás Lodeiro was absent from part of the preseason camps while undergoing treatment for tendinitis in Uruguay and remained unavailable to begin the season.[29][30]
In the Champions League's round of 16, the club faced Honduran side C.D. Olimpia, who hosted the first leg in San Pedro Sula. The visiting Sounders took a 2–0 lead early in the second half with goals from João Paulo, making his debut for Seattle, and Jordan Morris; several yellow cards were issued by referee Juan Calderón during a scuffle that followed a controversial challenge by Justin Arboleda on goalkeeper Stefan Frei in the first half. Arboleda went on to score twice in the second half to complete a 2–2 draw for Olimpia.[31][32] The Sounders conceded early in the second leg, but goals from João Paulo and Cristian Roldan gave the hosts a 2–1 lead in the second half; a volleyed goal by Carlos Pineda in the 86th minute equalized the match's score at 2–2 and aggregate score at 4–4 with no away goals advantage. After a scoreless extra time, the Sounders lost 2–4 in the penalty shootout and were eliminated from the Champions League.[33]
March and COVID-19 suspension
Under the original 34-match regular season schedule, the Sounders would face each team in the Western Conference twice and play the remaining ten matches against teams from the Eastern Conference in 2020.[34] As the league had expanded to 26 teams, the now-unbalanced schedule would no longer have teams playing every other MLS team during the season; the Sounders were not expected to play against FC Cincinnati, Orlando City SC, and the Philadelphia Union during the 2020 regular season.[35] The team's first regular season match was played at CenturyLink Field on March 1 against the Chicago Fire, which the Sounders won 2–1 in front of 40,126 spectators. The hosts conceded early in the second half, but halftime substitute Jordan Morris scored two goals, the latter in stoppage time; he also had an earlier assist on a goal by Cristian Roldan that was ruled offside by the referee.[36]
The March 1 match was played amid a local outbreak of COVID-19, which had been detected in the Seattle metropolitan area in late January; the first U.S. death attributed to the disease and a state of emergency declared by Governor Jay Inslee were announced the day before the match.[37][38] The Sounders announced additional precautions, including the deployment of hand sanitizer stations at the stadium, that would carry over into the next match.[39] The second match, a 1–1 draw with the Columbus Crew on March 7, had an attendance of 33,080—the lowest for an MLS regular season game in Seattle since 2009.[40] A stadium concessions worker tested positive for COVID-19 after a Seattle Sea Dragons game, but public health authorities permitted the Sounders match to be held with full capacity.[38][41] The club remained in contact with local health officials over the following week and prepared several contingency plans to address the COVID-19 outbreak, including postponement or playing without spectators.[41][42]
The Sounders announced on March 11 that their next home match against FC Dallas, originally scheduled for March 21, would be postponed due to a statewide ban on large gatherings.[43] The following day, MLS suspended the season for a month due to the impact of the pandemic; the Sounders, who had been scheduled to fly to Houston for an away match, also canceled all operations until further notice.[44][45] The U.S. Open Cup was also postponed—and later canceled entirely along with the Campeones Cup, which the Sounders were scheduled to host on August 12.[46][47] The team began holding videoconference practice and conditioning sessions, as well as weekly chat sessions, over Zoom while preparing for the resumption of league activity.[48][49] Players were also shipped a "care package" that included a soccer ball, hand sanitizer, and basic exercise equipment.[50] Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer also announced a $500,000 investment into a club relief fund for businesses, workers, and non-profits in Seattle that were affected by the lack of matches at CenturyLink Field.[51]Season ticket holders were given the choice of a refund for the remaining home matches, a credit for future matches in 2020 or 2021, or an early renewal for 2021 using the 2020 season as credit.[52]
MLS permitted clubs to begin voluntary workouts and in-person sessions in early May with health and safety protocols in place.[53] The Sounders resumed individualized training sessions at Starfire Sports on May 18 with outdoor social distancing, limited use of indoor facilities, daily temperature and symptom screenings, and use of personal protective equipment.[54][55] The sessions resumed two weeks later than most MLS teams due to stricter local regulations, which also limited group training to passing balls between delineated areas.[56] Among the participants was Jordan Morris, who has type 1 diabetes and would have been at greater risk of complications from COVID-19.[57] Midfielder Harry Shipp, a seven-year league veteran who had been with the club since 2017, announced his retirement from professional soccer in June to pursue a business degree.[58]
During the same month, the league announced that the season would resume through the MLS is Back Tournament, a leaguewide competition that would be hosted behind closed doors the following month.[59] During the tournament, which was played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida, participating players and staff were isolated in a "bubble", wore masks and socially distanced except while playing, underwent frequent temperature checks and COVID-19 testing, and quarantined upon arrival.[60] Each player was assigned their own room, and each team was given an entire hotel floor; players and staff were not permitted to leave the "bubble" at the Walt Disney World Resort, which included access to restaurants and convention space.[61][62] A rising number of positive COVID-19 cases in Florida and among MLS players prompted the Emerald City Supporters to organize a small protest at the final Sounders training session before their flight to join the tournament.[63]
The Sounders were drawn into Group B along with FC Dallas, the San Jose Earthquakes, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC; the three group stage matches would count towards regular season standings, while the knockout round would not.[64] FC Dallas withdrew from the tournament upon arrival due to a COVID-19 outbreak in their squad and were replaced in the group by the Chicago Fire.[65] The Sounders played through the tournament without midfielder João Paulo due to a quad injury but saw the return of captain Nicolás Lodeiro.[66][67]
The team drew 0–0 with the Earthquakes in the opener, during which Frei made eight saves to preserve a shutout.[68] The team then lost 2–1 to the Fire during a match that required extra preparations for players due to the 9 a.m. start time, including a modified sleep schedule.[69][70] Seattle advanced to the knockout round by finishing second in Group B with four points; Morris earned a penalty kick and scored a goal as the team won 3–0 in their final group stage match against Vancouver, who lost goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau to a broken thumb in the second half.[71][72] The Sounders were eliminated in the round of 16 with a 4–1 loss to Los Angeles FC, who took advantage of a brace by Diego Rossi and several defensive mistakes.[73] Seattle's goal in the 75th minute was scored by Will Bruin, who was playing his first match in 13 months following an anterior cruciate ligament injury.[74]
Map of August–November regular season venues for the 2020 Sounders season
The Sounders returned from Orlando at the end of July and began preparing for the resumption of the regular season at home venues tentatively scheduled for the following month.[75] The remaining schedule was to be played against Western Conference teams in regional blocs to reduce travel and was released in several phases because it was uncertain if further matches could be played as planned.[76][77] Home matches at CenturyLink Field would remain behind closed doors due to state and local regulations with tarps over empty seats and recorded audio from previous matches to simulate a matchday environment for players and the television broadcast. Signs and banners from several supporters groups, including prominent social justice slogans, were also installed in the Brougham End.[78][79] The Cascadia Cup, contested by the Sounders alongside rivals Portland and Vancouver, was not awarded during the 2020 season following a decision by supporters groups to exclude matches without fans in attendance.[80][81] The club also announced a new broadcast contract with Amazon to simulcast locally televised matches on their Prime Video platform for residents of Washington state; the streaming deal had been negotiated in March, but its implementation was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[82]
The team traveled on August 23 to face the Portland Timbers, who had won the MLS is Back Tournament, and won 3–0 behind closed doors at Providence Park with two goals and an assist by Ruidíaz.[83] As part of a multi-sport strike by professional athletes in the United States to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin, the Sounders refused to play against the LA Galaxy. The away match was postponed as a result of the protest, which also affected other MLS matches.[84] In their first home match since March, Seattle defeated Los Angeles FC 3–1 using their full starting lineup and rose to second in the Western Conference. Ruidíaz scored from a volleyed strike in the eleventh minute which was followed by two goals in the second half by Morris scored a minute apart.[85] The Sounders traveled two days later to play Real Salt Lake, who were permitted to admit over 4,000 spectators into Rio Tinto Stadium, and took the lead twice through a penalty scored by Lodeiro and later a ]header by defender Yeimar Gómez Andrade for his first career MLS goal. Salt Lake equalized after each goal and earned a 2–2 draw with Seattle, who were using a rotated lineup to rest players.[86]
The Sounders returned to CenturyLink Field for a three-match home stand that would feature rematches against several recent opponents, beginning with the Portland Timbers. Seattle conceded early but found an equalizer through Kelvin Leerdam before halftime; however, a late goal by Felipe Mora gave Portland a 2–1 victory.[80] The second match, played under hazy conditions due to smoke from nearby wildfires, was a 7–1 win against the San Jose Earthquakes that set several records.[87] The Sounders became the fastest MLS team to score five goals, doing so in 33 minutes, and tied the record for most goals in the first half; the team also set a franchise record for the most goals scored in a single match.[88] Raúl Ruidíaz and Joevin Jones scored two goals each and also assisted on other goals scored by Jordan Morris, Leerdam, and João Paulo.[87] The Sounders then faced Los Angeles FC and took the lead in the first half through two penalty kicks converted by Lodeiro five minutes apart; one of the penalties was awarded following video review of a handball. Ruidíaz then added a strike in the 82nd minute to give the hosts a 3–0 victory and take them to first place in the Western Conference.[89]
The final two matches of September were played on the road and required same-day flights to Portland and Los Angeles. The Sounders signed two returning defenders, Brad Smith from free agency and Román Torres in a trade with Inter Miami CF, to add depth and options to rotate players for midweek matches.[90][91] The team lost 1–0 to the Timbers, who took an early lead through Yimmi Chará; Portland goalkeeper Steve Clark made six saves as the Sounders had a majority of possession and chances in the second half while unsuccessfully searching for an equalizer.[92] Ruidíaz was suspended for the following match by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for his reaction to a challenge by Pablo Bonilla during the Portland match.[93] A brace from Cristian Roldan and an additional goal by Jordan Morris helped the Sounders defeat the Galaxy 3–1 to maintain their place atop the conference heading into October.[94]
October and November
The Sounders played home matches at CenturyLink Field (renamed Lumen Field in November) without spectators for the rest of the 2020 season.
Three players—Ruidíaz, midfielder Gustav Svensson, and defender Xavier Arreaga—were called up to their national teams in October and were expected to miss up to five MLS matches due to a required ten-day quarantine period.[91][95] On October 3, the Sounders hosted Vancouver Whitecaps FC and were kept scoreless in the first half but won 3–1 through a trio of goals scored during a twelve-minute span in the second half. João Paulo, an own goal from Érik Godoy, and a Ruidíaz header contributed to the home side's victory, while the Whitecaps converted a penalty kick that was called for a foul committed by Yeimar Gómez Andrade; a red card was initially issued to Yeimar before it was rescinded through video review.[96] The Sounders won 2–1 in their next home match four days later against Real Salt Lake, with goals from Morris at close range and a Yeimar header off a free kick; Nouhou's own goal in the 68th minute was the only shot on target for the visitors.[97]
Four days later, the Sounders played away to Los Angeles FC for the first time in 2020 and lost 3–1 as both sides fielded lineups without players called up to national teams. Danny Musovski scored twice and assisted another goal for LAFC while Lodeiro converted a long-range free kick; the Sounders had 18 shots but were unable to finish most of their chances.[98][99] A home match against the Colorado Rapids on October 14 was initially postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Rapids squad; it was later canceled along with four other unplayed fixtures for Colorado.[100][101] Earlier that week, Ruidíaz tested positive for COVID-19 while with the Peru national team and was placed in quarantine with an unclear timeline for his return to Seattle.[102] The Sounders then faced the San Jose Earthquakes on the road and finished the match with a scoreless draw; both sides managed few chances to score in what was described as a "defensive battle" in contrast to the earlier 7–1 match, which had only one save from each goalkeeper.[103] In their fourth meeting of the season, Seattle and Portland played to a 1–1 draw at CenturyLink Field after several missed chances to score were followed by a late goal from Will Bruin in stoppage time.[104]
Several key players, including Ruidíaz and Svensson, returned from national team duty for a match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC that was played at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, due to travel restrictions imposed at the Canadian border. The Sounders were limited to one shot on goal in the first half but won 2–0 after Ruidíaz scored and assisted on a Lodeiro goal; the result also allowed the team to clinch their 12th consecutive berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs to maintain their league record.[105] The Sounders then traveled to play the Colorado Rapids on November 1 in the Denver area, their longest away trip of the season.[106] They lost 3–1, eliminating them from Supporters' Shield contention. Seattle had conceded first but Morris scored an equalizer in the 22nd minute; Colorado then scored two goals from long distance and shut down several attempts by the visitors in the second half.[107] Three days later, the Sounders earned a 1–1 draw with the LA Galaxy after Ruidíaz scored in stoppage time; the away fixture replaced the August match that had been postponed due to player protests.[108] Seattle played on Decision Day at home against the San Jose Earthquakes and scored four goals in the second half to earn a 4–1 victory. The Sounders finished the 2020 regular season as the second seed in the Western Conference behind Sporting Kansas City, as determined by points per game because teams did not play the same number of matches, and had only one loss at home.[109][110]
The 2020 playoffs began in late November after a 12-day break for international matches; MLS waived its quarantine requirement for players who returned on charter flights. The Sounders, playing at the newly renamed Lumen Field, opened the first round against Los Angeles FC, who lost four starting players after they tested positive for COVID-19 while playing for their national teams.[111] In the fifth match of the season between the two teams, the Sounders took a 1–0 lead at halftime from an early Lodeiro goal; the scoreline was preserved by Stefan Frei, who saved a penalty taken by Carlos Vela to keep a shutout. Ruidíaz and Morris, who were both involved in the first goal, each scored in the second half to give the hosts a 3–1 victory that mirrored the scoreline of the 2019 Western Conference Final between Seattle and LAFC.[110][112] In the Conference Semifinals, Sounders hosted sixth-seeded FC Dallas in their first meeting since the 2019 playoffs, and won 1–0.[106][113] The Sounders produced nine shots but were stymied by the Dallas defense for most of the match; defender Shane O'Neill scored the lone goal of the match, the second in his MLS career, from a header off a Lodeiro corner kick in the 49th minute.[106]
The Sounders then hosted the Western Conference Final on December 8 against fourth-seeded Minnesota United FC, who had defeated top-seeded Kansas City in an upset victory four days earlier.[114] Seattle clinched their fourth Western Conference championship with a 3–2 comeback victory that also extended their home winning streak in the playoffs to 15 matches.[115][116] Minnesota took a 2–0 lead through their star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso, who scored in the first half and assisted on Bakaye Dibassy's header in the 67th minute. Substitute forward Will Bruin scored in the 75th minute from a rebound on a Ruidíaz shot that had been blocked by a defender; he was then followed by Ruidíaz, who scored the equalizer in the 89th minute from a deflected corner kick. Defender Gustav Svensson, who had missed the first two playoff matches due to a positive COVID-19 test, scored the winning header in stoppage time off a Lodeiro corner kick.[115][117]
In their fourth MLS Cup final in five years, the Sounders traveled to face the Columbus Crew, the only conference semifinalist they had played earlier in the season.[113] The final was played in front of 1,500 spectators at Mapfre Stadium, which was expected to be permanently closed the following year.[118] Three Crew players—Darlington Nagbe, Pedro Santos, and Vito Wormgoor—were declared "medically not cleared to play" due to COVID-19, while Sounders defender Xavier Arreaga would remain home for the birth of his child.[119][120] The hosts scored twice from set-pieces within six minutes in the first half and another in the second—all involving midfielder Lucas Zelarayán—to defeat the Sounders 3–0.[121] Schmetzer made half-time substitutions to add attackers, but the team only forced two saves out of Columbus's goalkeeper and were denied a third MLS Cup championship.[122]
Source: MLS[123] Rules for classification: 1) points per game; 2) total wins per match played; 3) total goal differential per match played; 4) total goals scored per match played; 5) fewest disciplinary points per match played; 6) away goal differential per away match played; 7) away goals scored per away match played; 8) home goal differential per home match played; 9) home goals scored per home match played; 10) coin toss or drawing of lots. Notes:
Source: MLS[124] Rules for classification: 1) points per game; 2) total wins per match played; 3) total goal differential per match played; 4) total goals scored per match played; 5) fewest disciplinary points per match played; 6) away goal differential per away match played; 7) away goals scored per away match played; 8) home goal differential per home match played; 9) home goals scored per home match played; 10) coin toss or drawing of lots. (C) Champions; (M)MLS is Back Tournament champions Notes:
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 0 (behind closed doors) Referee: Allen Chapman
Note: Match was not eligible for Cascadia Cup due to lack of fans in attendance.[126] The MLS Disciplinary Committee issued a suspension to Raúl Ruidíaz on review of the match.[127]
Note: The match was initially postponed due to COVID-19 within the Rapids squad, but MLS later announced on October 29 that postponed matches with the Rapids would not be rescheduled.[100]
Note: Match played in Portland due to travel restrictions between Canada and the United States due to COVID-19. Match was not eligible for Cascadia Cup due to lack of fans in attendance.[126]
The MLS Cup Playoffs retained the single-elimination format that debuted in 2019 but was temporarily expanded to 18 teams—ten from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference as determined by points per game. A play-in round was added for the four lowest-ranked Eastern Conference entrants; the rest of the playoff matches were played between November 21 and December 12 with hosting determined by overall finish on the table.[129][130]
The Sounders were scheduled to enter the 2020 U.S. Open Cup in the round of 32 on May 19 or May 20 along with the twelve highest seeded teams as determined by the 2019 standings and participation in the CONCACAF Champions League.[131] The tournament was suspended by the United States Soccer Federation on March 13, 2020, and later canceled entirely on August 17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[46][132]
Note: The first three rounds were temporarily suspended on March 13, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[133] The 2020 tournament was canceled on August 17, 2020.[134]
As defending MLS Cup champions, the Sounders qualified to host the Campeones Cup, an exhibition match scheduled to be played on August 12 at CenturyLink Field. The opponent was to be the winner of the 2020 Campeón de Campeones, a Mexican super cup contested by the winners of the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura seasons.[135] The match was canceled on May 19, 2020, along with the MLS All-Star Game and Leagues Cup, to prevent fixture congestion for the restarted regular season during the COVID-19 pandemic.[47]
For the 2020 season, the Sounders were permitted a maximum of 30 signed players on the first team, of which 10 roster positions were designated for supplemental and reserve players.[138] A base salary cap of $4.9 million applied to the non-supplemental players with exceptions for the club's three designated players—João Paulo, Nicolás Lodeiro, and Raúl Ruidíaz—who each counted for a reduced amount.[139][140] The Sounders also had eight available international slots that were filled by players from outside the United States who did not have a green card;[141][142] the main roster at the start of the season had players who represented 13 nationalities.[143]
Roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad includes all players who had first team contracts or appearances during the 2020 season. Age listed for each player is calculated from December 12, 2020, the final matchday of the season.
A total of 27 players made at least one appearance for the Sounders during the 2020 season across all competitions.[147] Four players made appearances in all 29 of the team's matches: goalkeeper Stefan Frei, defender Nouhou Tolo, midfielder Cristian Roldan, and forward Jordan Morris.[148] Of them, Frei played all available minutes while Roldan had the most minutes of any outfield player: 1,890 minutes during the regular season and 630 minutes in other competitions.[147][148]Raúl Ruidíaz was the team's leading goalscorer in 2020 with 14 goals,[149] while captain Nicolás Lodeiro had the most assists at 13 in the regular season and playoffs.[150][151]
The MLS season had two transfer windows during which teams were able to register new players from outside of the league and those who required an International Transfer Certificate. The primary window from February 12 to May 5 was scheduled to be followed by the secondary window from July 7 to August 5;[153] due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the secondary window was split into a two-day window from July 6–7 for the MLS is Back Tournament and a longer window from August 12 to October 29 for the rest of the regular season. Rosters were finalized on October 21, the final day of the regular season.[154] Between the transfer windows, teams are allowed to sign free agents or other U.S.-based players, including those traded between MLS teams for other players, general allocation money, or various league slots.[138][155]
For transfers in, dates listed are when the Sounders officially signed the players to the roster. Transactions where only the rights to the players are acquired are not listed. For transfers out, dates listed are when the Sounders officially removed the players from the roster, not when they signed with another club. If a player later signed with another club, his new club will be noted, but the date listed here remains the one when he was officially removed from the Seattle Sounders FC roster.[156]
Draft picks were not automatically signed to the team roster. Only those who are signed to a contract were listed as transfers in. Only trades involving draft picks and executed after the start of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft are listed in the notes.
2020 MLS SuperDraft picks for Seattle Sounders FC[166]
Several analysts described the 2020 roster for the Sounders as the best in the team's history and able to compete for a potential championship;[5] they finished the regular season with the second-best goal differential in MLS and third-most goals scored.[192] During the playoffs, Brian Schmetzer said that they felt "like we've had three preseasons" due to disruptions in the schedule and that "just too many weird things that have happened and it's been tough."[5] Following the MLS Cup, which he described as "a failure", Schmetzer said he was "very proud" of the team's performance during the season.[193]The Seattle Times said that the Sounders "didn't play to [their] potential consistently until the postseason" and that the team's defense had "shown weakness" in the playoffs, which was exploited by Columbus.[194]
Following the end of the season, the Sounders closed their COVID-19 relief fund after it had raised and distributed $1.1 million in grants to 785 people and 134 businesses affected by the pandemic and lack of fan traffic for home matches.[195] During the offseason, Schmetzer signed a multi-year contract extension to remain as head coach, while sporting director and head scout Chris Henderson left the club to join Inter Miami CF.[196][197] The team also lost several veteran players after their contracts had expired and planned to use more homegrown and young players to replace them through the 2021 season.[198] Jordan Morris was loaned for six months to Welsh side Swansea City AFC in the EFL Championship, but he only played five matches before a second career anterior cruciate ligament injury in February 2021. Morris returned to Seattle for surgery and eight months of recovery, later appearing at the end of the regular season.[199]
The Sounders began the 2021 season with a 13-match unbeaten run and finished second in the Western Conference but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in a penalty shootout.[200] The club had also qualified for the 2021 Leagues Cup, a single-elimination tournament against clubs from Liga MX, as one of the top two teams in the 2020 MLS standings without a CONCACAF Champions League berth.[201] The Sounders advanced to the final, played in the Las Vegas area, and finished as runners-up to Mexico's Club León.[202] The 2021 season also saw the return of fans to Lumen Field for home matches, beginning with a reduced capacity of 7,000 in March and later increasing to normal capacity in July. Fans were required to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test to enter the stadium as part of state guidelines.[203] As of 2023[update], the 2020 season is the most recent MLS Cup appearance for the Sounders.[204]
Notes
^ abOnly two home matches—on March 1 and March 7—were played in front of fans; the Sounders played behind closed doors for the rest of the regular season and playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
^ abcdefghGroup stage matches during the MLS is Back Tournament were counted as part of the regular season standings, while knockout matches did not.[136]
^Positions for the MLS Team of the Week may differ from the player's listed position.
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