Sounders look to end trend of early MLS playoff losses in 2026
SEATTLE – Goalkeepers aren’t supposed to score. Knowing that didn’t soothe the sting from the way last season ended for Sounders keeper Andrew Thomas.
He subbed on in the 89th minute for Stefan Frei in the decisive Game 3 playoff match against Minnesota United. With the score line knotted at three goals each, Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer opted to make a tactical move for the ensuing penalty shootout, Thomas demonstrating the past two seasons he’s better protecting the goal when facing shots from the spot.
Thomas saved two PKs and had the opportunity to win the series with his own attempt. The ball pinged off the cross bar, advancing Minnesota to the Western Conference semifinals.
“It’s still fairly raw,” Thomas said of last November’s 7-6 shootout loss at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minnesota. “There will be little moments where people run into me in the grocery store and say something positive and nice and you feel the support of the city. Even if it’s just in the moment to my face – I don’t know what they’re saying elsewhere – it’s comforting, for sure, to feel the quantity of messages and moments of support that I got.”
The abrupt ending laid bare an unwanted trend for the Sounders. Despite being able to perform well on international stages, the club hasn’t reached the championship final of its own league since losing to the Columbus Crew in the 2020 MLS Cup.
That championship match marked the club’s fourth MLS Cup appearance in five years, winning in 2016 and 2019. After the 2020 loss, the Sounders lost in the opening round in 2021. The team didn’t advance to the playoffs in 2022. They lost in the conference semifinals in 2023 and conference finals in 2024.
The Sounders are hopeful this is the season they return to the league title match. They’ll have to do so with primarily the same players as last year. They lead the 30-team league in returning a roster that played 90.6% of the minutes in 2025, according to data from American Soccer Analysis.
There will be a big change in the midfield because of the transfer of Obed Vargas to Spain’s Atlético Madrid this month. The All-Star totaled eight goals and 16 assists in 130 matches, across all competitions, since initially signing as a homegrown player in 2021.
“The players are the same,” Schmetzer said. “So, my message to the group, and this included Andrew and Stef, was what I think is gonna happen is that competition for starting spots – because we have a lot of good players – that’s what’s going to drive this particular version of the team.”
In discussing where the competition will be, Schmetzer practically rattled off the entire roster. Even Frei, who’s been the Sounders’ starting keeper since 2014, could lose his spot to Thomas.
Up top, Sounders forward Danny Musovski had a career-best year in netting 18 goals, through all competitions, to lead the team. Forward Jordan Morris is healthy after suffering hamstring and shoulder injuries last year.
And forward Osaze De Rosario is pushing both the veterans. He was signed in May from the club’s MLS Next Pro side Tacoma Defiance and scored five goals across all competitions, including the Leagues Cup game-winner in August.
The Sounders scored a club-record 90 goals overall in their record 51-match season (23-14-14). But Morris, De Rosario and Vargas were the other Sounders players who missed their attempts in the shootout against Minnesota.
“It was an eye-opener for the fans and the league,” De Rosario said of the impression from his rookie season. “They gave me the space, and I’ve got to take the territory now. So, this year is going to be a very big year. Definitely the breakout year was last year, this year is the year where I prove my worth.”
In the midfield, free agent signing Hassani Dotson could replace Vargas. But the Sounders also have Snyder Brunell, who was signed in August and scored in his debut match, and Nikola Petković, who’s on loan from Charlotte FC.
Sounders maestro Albert Rusnák could be usurped by Jesús Ferreira depending on the formation. On the wings, Paul Rothrock and Georgi Minoungou will be challenged by Paul Arriola and Pedro de la Vega, who are expected to return from knee injuries this season.
The defensive line could see the fewest changes but needs the biggest improvement. The Sounders struggled in set-piece defending and getting booked for fouls last year.
Schmetzer said Nouhou, Jackson Ragen, Yeimar and Alex Roldan are still his top picks. But he’s looking for Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, who signed in March 2025 after playing for Defiance, to break through.
The technical staff is even contemplating playing Rothrock in a wingback position to get the sparkplug on the field.
“We need to be back to our 2024 selves defensively with a little bit more attacking,” said Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan of when the team conceded an MLS-fewest 35 goals. “Transition is going to be really important for us … how can we delay attacks? That’s going to be a point of emphasis; buying time for guys to get back so we take less goals in transition.”
The Sounders like the way preseason training has progressed. The roster continuity meant the foundation is there and the bulk of the team understands what the technical staff wants.
Now it’s executing to get the team back to an MLS Cup.
The club opens the league schedule Sunday against the Colorado Rapids at Lumen Field.
“Everything we’re doing now is steering us in that direction, hopefully,” Thomas said. “We’re not saying that every morning, but it’s implicit in the standards that everyone is setting and the intensity of training sessions. Everyone is bought into that same outcome.”