The 2020 Seattle Sounders FC season was the club's twelfth season in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier of professional soccer. The team was under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his fourth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders. Seattle were the reigning MLS Cup champions, having defeated Toronto FC 3–1 in the 2019 final at their home stadium, CenturyLink Field.[1]
Due to the expansion of the league and the resulting unbalanced schedule, the Sounders were scheduled to not play FC Cincinnati, Orlando City SC, and the Philadelphia Union,[4] although this schedule was later disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and most teams only played regional opponents for much of the season, resulting in many teams not playing each other at all, or not until meeting in the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.[5]
The second home match of the season, on March 7 against the Columbus Crew SC, had an attendance of 33,080—the lowest for an MLS regular season game in Sounders history. The match was played amid a local outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that had caused several deaths in the week prior.[6]
On October 27, the Sounders clinched their 12th consecutive appearance in the MLS Cup playoffs,[7] and on December 7, they won their 4th Western Conference Champion trophy.[8]
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of January 22, 2021.[9]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of January 22, 2021.
Source: MLS 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 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) Champion; (M)MLS is Back Tournament champions Notes:
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Allen Chapman
Note: Match will not be eligible for Cascadia Cup due to lack of fans in attendance.[10] The MLS Disciplinary Committee issued a suspension to Raúl Ruidíaz on review of the match.[11]
Note: While the match had been postponed due to COVID-19 within the Rapids squad it was announced on October 29th that postponed matches with the Rapids would not be rescheduled.[12]
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Fotis Bazakos
Note: Match played in Portland due to travel restrictions between Canada and USA due to COVID-19. Match will not be eligible for Cascadia Cup due to lack of fans in attendance.[10]
Note: The first three rounds were temporarily suspended on March 13, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic[14] The tournament was canceled for 2020 on August 17, 2020.[15]
For transfers in, dates listed are when Sounders FC 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 Sounders FC officially removed the players from its 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 Sounders FC roster.
Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. Only those who are signed to a contract will be listed as transfers in. Only trades involving draft picks and executed after the start of 2020 MLS SuperDraft will be listed in the notes.
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