Interim Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer described the restorative balm of victory in the middle of last month, when his team was in the midst of a five-match unbeaten streak.
His squad had defeated Real Salt Lake the previous weekend at CenturyLink Field. They’d roll over rival Portland in the same stadium a few days later.
There was a sheen about them, a light-hearted glow that’d been missing for most of this season.
“They’ve been playing well and winning,” Schmetzer said. “Players get grumpy when they lose.”
Hence the rub following the first significant setback of the Schmetzer era, a 4-2 loss to the Timbers at Providence Park that could have been even worse.