In so many ways, 2021 was a welcome relief. We got to attend games in person again, we watched the Seattle Sounders complete one of their best-ever regular seasons and we were treated to so many golazos that picking a favorite was reasonably divisive.

But it was obviously far from perfect. The Sounders battled injuries, lost a winnable Leagues Cup final and experienced their earliest ever exit from the MLS Playoffs.

The best thing about the end of the year, though, is looking ahead to the next. Here are a few things I’m hoping to see in 2022:

Real movement on a training facility

The Sounders have been talking about trying to upgrade their training facility since at least 2015 when it was mostly focused on improving Starfire for their “fan-owned” USL affiliate.