The Seattle Sounders’ final regular-season home game, a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake, was supposed to be Zach’s Scott’s moment.
It was Zach Scott Day at CenturyLink Field, and he was honored pregame with the Golden Scarf for his longtime service for the club. Scott spent 15 years with the Sounders, dating back to the team's USL days, and will retire at the conclusion of this season.
Scott began the match against RSL on the bench and was ready to check in right before the final whistle, but he never got a chance. There was just no stoppage of play over the final minute or so.
That likely would have been the final appearance of Scott’s career.
But Roman Torres suddenly tweaked his hamstring before the first leg of the Sounders’ Western Conference Semifinals match against FC Dallas, and head coach Brian Schmetzer called upon Scott to start in Torres' absence.
And the veteran Scott logged one of his best performances of the season.
Scott and Chad Marshall anchored the defense at center back and helped Seattle shut out FCD 3-0 and take a commanding lead to Frisco, Texas, the following week for the second leg. The Sounders benefitted from Nicolas Lodeiro’s away goal — a huge advantage that Dallas couldn’t find in the first leg — to punch Seattle’s ticket to the Western Conference Championship.
Scott started in the second leg of the conference semifinals as well, but it was his inspired impromptu start against the Supporters’ Shield-winners that was the highlight of his season.
