On Sept. 25, the Seattle Sounders faced their biggest challenge yet under interim head coach Brian Schmetzer.
The Sounders had gone 1-1-1 on over their previous three matches and had an away date with the LA Galaxy, a team that hadn’t lost at StubHub Center all season. Seattle was still on the outside looking in at the playoffs and was desperate for a result.
What they got was more than they could have imagined.
The Sounders rolled to a 4-2 victory after conceding early to Robbie Keane and nearly going down 2-0 if not for a huge save by Stefan Frei. The Sounders showed a resiliency instilled in them by Schmetzer that carried them to three second-half goals and the most impressive three points of the season.
It was one thing for Seattle to take down Orlando City and Vancouver on the road, but going into Carson, Calif., and coming out with a convincing win stamped Schmetzer’s imprint on this team and exemplified the turnaround it had made since he took over as interim head coach in late July.
The result against LA was the second of four consecutive wins as the Sounders finished the regular season 5-1-2 and not only made the playoffs, but earned the right to host a Knockout Round game.
Had they lost to the Galaxy, there’s a legitimate chance the Sounders would not have made the playoffs. Instead, they entered the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs as one of the league’s hottest teams and are now 94 percent favorites to reach the Western Conference Finals.
