ORLANDO — Ten straight seasons. Ten straight postseasons.
The Seattle Sounders clinched their 10th consecutive Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth on Wednesday with a 2-1 win at Orlando City SC. Seattle tied the LA Galaxy (1996-2005) for the longest consecutive playoff streak in Major League Soccer history.
“Congratulations to the Sounders organization for 10 years,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “That’s a hefty achievement, something we’re all obviously very proud of. I think Ozzie [Alonso], [Club Director of Goalkeeping] Tom [Dutra], myself might be the final holdouts, you never know, well [Owner] Adrian [Hanauer], I guess you could say that. It was good. The guys are in good spirits, we talked about that before the game. About not backing in, about not waiting for the other games tonight so, a big achievement for the club.”
The Sounders have stormed into the playoffs when just a few months ago they sat near the bottom of the Western Conference table. Buoyed by an MLS-record nine straight victories, and winners of 12 of the last 14, Seattle has not only clinched a postseason berth, but has also set itself up in prime position to earn a crucial home game.
The Sounders applaud traveling support after their win in Orlando | USA Today Sports
“I feel a little spoiled just being part of this organization and playing in the playoffs each year,” said midfielder Cristian Roldan. “You know it’s a difficult thing to do, this is a quality organization. We’re very proud of what we’re doing and hopefully we can continue this.”
Despite playing a team in Orlando City that set the MLS record for goals conceded in a single season on Wednesday, the Sounders still earned a hard-fought road win while shorthanded. Nicolás Lodeiro and Gustav Svensson hadn’t returned yet from international duty for Uruguay and Sweden, respectively. Raúl Ruidíaz was available on the bench on Wednesday, but he played a full 90 minutes for Peru in a friendly against the United States in Connecticut on Tuesday. All three should be available for selection on Sunday when the Sounders play their final road match of the year against the Houston Dynamo (2 p.m. PT; JOEtv, YouTube TV, Univision-Seattle, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM), a team Seattle just defeated 4-1 on Oct. 8 at CenturyLink Field.
“We wanted to clarify, to make sure that the team understood that we’re here to win this game, yes, but also, what can we do to be ready for a deep run in the playoffs?” said Schmetzer. “They gutted the performance out.
“I love the way our team is in the sense that they have a good mindset. At home, on the road, it doesn’t matter. They never quit.”
