Last weekend, the Seattle Sounders dropped points, settling for a 2-2 home draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps. It was a tie that seems to have felt a bit like a loss for the Sounders.
The league-leading Seattle Sounders, yet to lose a game in league play, are a hungry side in pursuit of what appears to be making a legitimate run at the league’s most all-time points in a single season. They play at the Colorado Rapids on Sunday.
“I remind them that we don’t like to lose, sometimes we take draws as a loss, especially when we’re supposed to win. We also understand …that it’s MLS, and no game is ever easy. So I think the mood in the training has been good but it’s always good. I mean, they’re always, I loved listening to Stefan Cleveland,” Schmetzer told the media this week. “I mean, the locker room that the guys pushing themselves holding each other accountable. I think we’ve got that with this group. So I think training was good this week.”
On Saturday against the Whitecaps, the Sounders were down 2-1 until Jimmy Medranda equalized in the 71st minute. Against the Whitecaps, who have struggled this year in league play, it was disappointing to not emerge from home with three points.
As for their opponent this weekend, the Rapids are one of the surprises teams of MLS alongside fellow Western Conference side the Houston Dynamo. They come into this match 5-3-1 on 16 points and in fourth place in the Western Conference.
Coming into this weekend, the Seattle Sounders are 7-0-4 (25 points) and are one point ahead of the New England Revolution atop the league table. They have 10 points from three away matches this season.
And it is a busy time of the season for the Seattle Sounders, who have six matches in July and will lose several players to the upcoming CONCACAF Champions League. Schmetzer said that this run of matches will test his team’s depth as well as the development of the younger Homegrown players on the roster.
“You know that’s what we envision for some of our young guys are actually break through and become starters, you know, with some of the other guys, you know, do they get training with us and games at Defiance, I think there’s a path for each individual player,” Schmetzer said.
Follow Kristian Dyer of ‘MLS Multiplex’ on Twitter @KristianRDyer