There were times when making the playoffs for an eighth straight season seemed like an implausibility. After the Seattle Sounders lost 3-0 to Sporting Kansas City — arguably the least inspired performance in franchise history — they found themselves 10 points out of the final playoff spot. Even in MLS where over half of the league makes the postseason, teams don’t dig out of holes that deep.
A week later following a 1-1 tie with the LA Galaxy, the Sounders’ playoff chances were pegged at 4.48 percent by SportsClubStats.com. Even people inside the team were admitting a healthy dose of doubt, as GM Garth Lagerwey said the reason they didn’t bring in a young TAM player was due the difficulty of the situation.