When the Sounders defeated Toronto FC in the MLS Cup Final last year, it was a great surprise for many.
Not only on the day, where the Canadian club were certainly favoured, but for the Sounders to even have reached the final was a shock, even to their own fans. When the team fired Sigi Schmid halfway through last season after a tough start, the team sat outside of the playoff places.
Under Brian Schmetzer, the team caught fire. Nico Lodeiro, one of the team’s Designated Players and undoubtedly their best player, was an unstoppable attacking threat.