It is said that in soccer each pass forces the defense to readjust, potentially creating a new avenue for the attack. To some degree, that may overstate the value of long passing sequences. As analytics have evolved, we’ve learned that most goals — for instance — come from very short sequences.
The Seattle Sounders have shown both sides of that argument this year. Although they’ve held the possession advantage in all but one game — the 3-1 win over the Red Bulls — last Sunday’s game against the Galaxy was the first time they were able to turn all those completed passes into consistently dangerous scoring opportunities.