Heading into the Seattle Sounders' recent three-match home stand, the club sat 13th in the West and in desparate need of points.
Following Thursday night's 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City at Lumen Field, the team has now won three straight and is unbeaten in their last eight matches.
“Nine points is really big for us at this moment, and every game seems like a playoff game,” said midfielder Cristian Roldan.
The Sounders' depth was on full display, with the combination of young players and veterans coming up big when the team needed them most.
Down by one to start the second half, long-time Sounder Jordan Morris bodied off his defender near the six yard box before laying the ball back to first-year Sebastian Gomez who one-timed it into the back of the net. Then in the 90th, a through ball from Morris found Roldan making a full-field sprint toward goal where he scored the game-winner.
Moments like these not only represent the perseverance and grit that are cornerstones of the club's culture, but also the well-roundedness of the roster. Gomez came in as a second half sub and made an immediate impact. Despite being tired, Roldan's mental and physical capacity powered him to give one last sprint to secure three crucial points in the closing minutes.
“This team has a lot of quality,” said Roldan. “The [big] names aren't probably like we once had, but we do have a lot of belief in some of these young guys coming up.”
Rather than playing supporting roles, players like defender Stuart Hawkins, midfielder Peter Kingston and Gomez have developed into significant contributors as the team climbs the table. From Hawkins locking down the backline as a consistent starter, Kingston’s ability to play multiple positions, to Gomez being a difference maker in the attack with two goals and four assists across all-comps this year, the young Sounders are proving they can make a difference.
Following Thursday’s match, Head Coach Brian Schmetzer specifically called out Gomez’s First Team rise over the last year.
“Seba has been pushing for playing time, [and] not by his words. He doesn't come into my office and say, ‘Hey, coach, I want to play.’ He's actually done that by the work he does in training and what you see on the field. So it's kudos to the kid.”
He continued: “At the beginning of the year, he was kind of there, and he was a nice kid, and you know, he's okay. But he's really skyrocketed into a really, really good attacking player.”
Gomez and the rest of the young players’ progression is a testament to the standard set by the established veterans and First Team staff. It's also another positive data point for the club's youth development pipeline. Beginning from the Academy, to Tacoma Defiance and the supporting front office that come with it, the Sounders are rooted in growth and ensuring quality players come through the system.
“Those guys down there doing a great job, and then the [players] are buying in, and so it takes a full organization to create this depth,” said Roldan. “And when we had injuries, it was important for those guys to get the experience that they did, and now we're seeing them impacting the game.”
