The Seattle Sounders finished 2016 as Major League Soccer’s No. 1 team, and that’s how they’re starting 2017.
MLSSoccer.com ranked the Sounders No. 1 in its weekly Power Rankings ahead of the league’s opening match on Friday.
“The team everyone loves to hate kept winning in the offseason, and buoyed by the Cup, they’re not going to start the season gently,” wrote senior editor Arielle Castillo.
The Sounders defeated Real Salt Lake on Decision Day to qualify for last season’s MLS Cup Playoffs before taking down Sporting Kansas City in the Knockout Round, Supporters’ Shield-winners FC Dallas in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Colorado Rapids in the Western Conference Championship and Toronto FC in the MLS Cup Final.
Seattle begins its title defense on Saturday on the road against the Houston Dynamo (5:30 p.m. PT | Matchcenter).
