There were more than a couple of cliches for the Seattle Sounders to be wary of coming into Saturday’s matchup with the San Jose Earthquakes. First up is “new coach bump,” the Earthquakes having finally bit the bullet and ended their rocky marriage with the mercurial Matias Almeyda early last week. The saying goes that a new coach brings in new ideas, and players have a sense of relief and urgency, given the new coach isn’t necessarily married to keeping them around.
And of course the infamous “trap game,” with the Sounders casting one eye towards the next two Wednesdays, with history becoming, and the opportunity to be the first Major League Soccer team to lift a Champions League Trophy.