The Sounders have MLS's best defense and a leading star in Jordan Morris, so why aren't more people talking about them as Cup contenders?

The Seattle Sounders enter the MLS postseason as one of the league’s hottest teams, unbeaten since August. With two MLS Cups, a CONCACAF Champions Cup, and coach Brian Schmetzer at the helm, plus star players like Jordan Morris, who matched his career-best in goal contributions, and Albert Rusnak enjoying a standout season, Seattle also boasted the league’s best defense. So why aren’t more people talking about the Sounders as serious contenders?

Heading into the postseason, the betting favorites for MLS Cup are – of course – Lionel Messi and Inter Miami at +150, followed by the LA Galaxy at +350, Columbus Crew at +650 and LAFC at +700. However, the team with the fifth-best odds at +1600, Seattle, are the dark-horse team that people are forgetting about. Seattle fans don't say its a Schmetzer fall without reason.

The Sounders' manager is one of few in MLS who knows how to navigate the end of a campaign to precision, and one of the few on the touchline who knows how to win in playoff soccer. While the higher profile teams like the two Los Angeles clubs are favorite to come out of the Western Conference, Seattle won't go down without a fight. In fact, they might just storm their way to MLS Cup. GOAL digs into how the Sounders might be the team to surprise everyone in this postseason.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowIMGANDirection from the defense

During the 2024 MLS season, the Sounders conceded just 35 goals in 34 matches. Essentially, they averaged just one goal from their opposition per game; an incredible achievement.

Messi and Miami, for context, conceded 14 more goals during their Supporters' Shield-winning season. Leading from the back, Seattle created a wall in front of their net that was nearly impenetrable. Only twice did they find themselves conceding three goals during the regular season, and never more than that.

The quartet of Alex Roldan, Yeimar Gomez, Jackson Ragen and Nouhou Tolo all played at least 27 games across the campaign, with Ragen leading the pack at 33 matches. He's also provided goal-contributions, too, scoring three times and recording one assist.

Every single one of their starting-four defenders learned to follow Schmetzer's direction, playing out of the back to maintain possession and progress the ball forward. In fact, they've followed it to such precision that each defender had a minimum of 84 percent pass completion percentage during the regular season.

It wasn't just the work of their four defenders, though. It was the wall in their net, otherwise known as Stefan Frei, too. Keeping 13 clean-sheets in 29 matches across the campaign, the Swiss shotstopper made 71 saves on the season while averaging a save percentage of 72.5 percent.

From the goalkeeper to the forwards, they played as a cohesive unit, which led to their regular-season success and defensive achievements.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMorris back on top

As good as Seattle's defense was in 2024, Morris staying healthy and in form was just as important on the other end of the pitch.

In fact, he had the highest scoring season of his professional career with 13 strikes, and tied his 2020 record of 18 goal-contributions. Speaking with GOAL earlier this year, Morris revealed that his confidence is higher than ever before in 2024. “I feel like I'm pretty much playing some of the best soccer in my career right now,” he shared, in a introspective conversation on his MLS and international career.

Morris led the Sounders in scoring across the regular season, while registering the most shots on target of any player. The 29-year-old also held the highest accurate-shooting-percentage of anyone on the roster at 47.8 percent, too.

A Seattle native, and a Sounder his entire professional career outside of four appearances on loan for Swansea, Morris left it all on the pitch during the regular season for the Western Conference side. However, he didn't do it alone. Perhaps the most surprising performer of their campaign came from right beneath him on the field, in Rusnak.

IMGANRusnak's emergence

Signed as a Designated Player ahead of the 2022 season, Rusnak had not quite lived up to the expectations of him in a Sounders kit. In two seasons, and 64 regular season matches, he recorded just 14-total goal-contributions, critically underperforming.

However, in 2024, something changed with the Slovakia international. He had a career best campaign, scoring 10 goals and recording 16 assists. His assist tally was especially impressive considering his previous high with Seattle was four assists and his career high was set in his rookie season with RSL with 14 in 2017.

Rusnak was statistically their best player in the final third, and it was not particularly close. He outperformed his expected goals (xG) of 7.45 while recording a 39.66 percent accurate shooting percentage from the No. 10 position.

Combining with Morris in their attack, along with the likes of young breakout star Paul Rothrock, and Argentine starlet Pedro De La Vega, they've created a formidable attack that runs opposite of their outstanding defense.

To bring it all together? A tactical mastermind, a serial winner, and a man who knows exactly what to do over the next six weeks.

AFPIt's Schmetzer season

Schmetzer is really, really good at what he does.

The postseason pressure and the expectations that come with it? It's like the first cup of coffee in the morning to him, he treats it like a routine part of his job and calmly guides his players through tense situations in the business end of the MLS season.

The Sounders manager has built his career up for moments like the playoffs. He crafted excellence with the club when they were a USL side in the early 2000s, and during their first six years as an MLS club, where he was an assistant, he helped them to four Open Cup titles and their first Supporters' Shield.

Now as manager who has been on the job since 2016, he's a winner.

In this game, having someone like that backing you on the pitch can be the difference between advancing or going home.

And now the Sounders will need that expertise against a grueling first round opponent.