10/1 - SEA vs SKC

Seattle Sounders vs Sporting Kansas City

In a rare Thursday night MLS match, the Sounders came from behind to beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1. It was a back and forth game where both teams had stretches of dominance. Seattle began the game well, but SKC took control of the rest of the half, culminating in an André Luiz goal in the 44th minute. It was a similar story in the second half, but with some key differences. Again, the Sounders started off very well. This time their early pressure amounted to a goal, with Sebastian Gomez scoring his first in MLS play. SKC, as in the first 45, grew into the second half. But they couldn't get past Andrew Thomas in net, and Seattle ended the match on the front foot. Cristian Roldan broke the deadlock in the 90th minute with a fortuitous bounce, giving the Sounders a third straight win. It was a tightly contested match between two teams that look much improved since the start of September.

It was an up and down performance from the Sounders. They showed moments reminiscent of their form last summer, when they were one of the best teams in the league - sustained spells of possession in their opponent's half, getting to the end line frequently, and creating some really good looks. But they were easy to play through at times, especially in the middle of the park. This comes down to a lack of consistency. Seattle haven't started the same midfield pairing in consecutive matches since the beginning of August - 13 matches ago. And it shows on the field, when the midfield gets stretched or leaves gaps. In this match, Peter Kingston lined up alongside Cristian Roldan in the engine room, just their second time doing so all year. They weren't able to get pressure on the ball, allowing SKC to circulate possession at ease. Thanks to Andrew Thomas, the vulnerable midfield ultimately didn't matter. Thomas continued his superb season, making 9 saves and 1.25 goals prevented. He faced some high quality chances but stood on his head to keep the Sounders in the game. Now that Seattle is finally getting healthy, Schmetzer will be able to institute some continuity in the middle of the field. This will help stabilize the Sounders out of possession.

For the second match in a row, Jordan Morris changed the game for the Sounders. On Thursday, it wasn't as a substitute, but by switching positions. At half time, Sebastian Gomez replaced Danny Musovski, pushing Morris to the 9. This made Seattle look much more dangerous in attack. In fact, it only took 6 minutes for Morris to set up the equalizer in a play that displayed not only his expert movement, but his strength as well. The importance of Morris' runs in behind can't be overstated for the Rave Green. It's hard to imagine Joveljic being displaced from his position up top, but with Morris' movement and recent productivity, the American has shown that he is a must have in Schmetzer's starting 11 going forward. Even without their big summer signing, Seattle have now won their last three matches. Granted, they were all at home against teams who have had difficult years, but to come out of this stretch with 9 out of 9 points is a hallmark of a playoff team. The Sounders have climbed up to 7th, just 3 points below LAFC with a game in hand. After a brutal summer, Seattle are looking poised to make another run in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Sporting Kansas City didn't look like a team that's been at the bottom of the league all year in this match. As has been the theme since André Luiz's arrival, Sporting was much more explosive in this one. They look to attack down the wide areas. In André Luiz and Calvin Harris, SKC has two dynamic wingers who can break down defenses with their 1v1 play. Both were incredibly dangerous in this match. Luiz is so good at attacking the backline at pace, and he has shown a willingness to cut inside on his left or take the ball down the line. The speed at which he carries the ball combined with the unpredictability of his movement makes it very hard to defend Luiz. Even against one of the best defenders in 1v1 situations in the league, Nouhou, André Luiz was able to make things happen for SKC. It wasn't just his technical quality on display in this one; his vision impressed as well. Multiple times Luiz drew players into him on the right flank and found teammates inside with beautiful passes. On the other side, Harris was arguably more of a threat against Seattle. He led the game with 4 shots on goal and created lots of danger coming in from the left. What enables these wingers to do their thing is getting the ball out wide to them quickly so they can attack into space. SKC's midfield was fantastic at doing exactly that in this one. 2026 Superdraft pick Kwaku Agyabeng's distribution was very good, switching the point of attack from one side to the other to release Sporting's most dangerous players. Agyabeng specializes in putting in tackles and winning the ball back, so the composure he showed on the ball against Seattle is very encouraging to see for Raphaël Wicky. Another reason SKC likes attacking down the wings is their commitment to getting numbers in the box. This primarily comes from Stephen Afrifa and Taylor Calheira, two more Superdraft products who have formed a strong partnership up top for Kansas City. Calheira occupies opposing center backs and attacks the areas where goals are scored. Afrifa can do this too, but he is at his most dangerous picking up withdrawn positions just behind Calheira. Operating in these pockets, he is able to combine with the wingers, make different runs in the box, or pick up loose balls. SKC's emphasis on attacking from wide areas has revolutionized their attack and made them a much more dangerous team.

Sitting 15 points behind the play-in game, SKC aren't going to make the playoffs. But the rest of the season is still very meaningful. As a club in the rebuilding phase, Sporting Kansas City are looking for which players will be the foundation of future versions of this team. André Luiz is undoubtedly one of them. SKC has played their best soccer of the season since the Brazilian made his first start, looking like a completely different team from the one that was historically bad to start the year. Young talents like Agyabeng and Calheira have showed well for themselves as they look to solidify a place in Wicky's plans. Other players will have to improve if they want to be a part of this club's future. When SKC made their substitutions with 15 minutes to go, the level noticeably dropped. The Sounders seized control of the game and found a late game winner. It shows that SKC has promising pieces but there is still work to do before they are competing for a playoff position.