With the addition of Raul Ruidiaz and numerous impact players back from injury and World Cup duty, the Sounders have embarked on their latest second half run. They'll put a five-game unbeaten streak on the line Sunday at home against New York City FC, the league's second best team.
Sounders principal owner Adrian Hanauer had his eyes glued to the pitch, watching newcomer Raul Ruidiaz and his suddenly resurgent teammates in a late week training session.
For Hanauer, a five-game unbeaten streak that has his team back on the fringes of playoff contention presents an interesting conundrum: Wanting the Sounders to qualify for a 10thstraight post-season while hoping to avoid the perception that Major League Soccer doesn’t matter before August.