dOnce a tournament the Seattle Sounders enjoyed dominating, the U.S. Open Cup currently occupies an unclear place among the team’s priorities. Head coach Brian Schmetzer maintains its importance, but will also field a lineup heavy on reserves and S2 call-ups in Wednesday’s fourth-round match against the Sacramento Republic.
Complicating things is the Sounders’ regular-season form, which has been abysmal. They’ve not scored in three straight and have been shut out an astounding eight times in 11 games. The list of injured and otherwise unavailable players remains long, which is a big reason why they signed six players from S2 to help bolster the roster.