While Seattle Sounders President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey wants to push back against calling the crop of U17s a Golden Generation, hoping to have repeatably good talent, the fact is the U17s that won the USSDA title are making a push into the professional ranks. Their coach is now the coach of Tacoma S2-be-named-Wednesday and the drive of the organization is that this group of talents can make the playoffs.
Lagerwey and Tacoma coach Chris Little have that belief for three reasons. Tacoma brought back more talents than ever before, their Academy kids signed to the team are fueling a surge in quality for two prime youth national team squads, and outgoing coach John Hutchinson convinced the organization to have greater numbers so that training in full-sided tactics would be possible on most days.