In March of this year, I returned to Lumen Field to watch a Sounders game for the first time since I was 11 years old. My best friend’s family decided it was time to get me back into it. Over the course of this year, I went to all but two home games and became more invested in the team than I had been even as a soccer obsessed fourth-grader growing up in Seattle. Last week, they were heartbreakingly knocked from the playoffs in the semifinals. However, with the way the season started off, you might not have expected them to make it this far.Â
On March 2nd, 2024, the Sounders kicked off their first home game of the season against Austin, ending in a 0-0 draw. As one of the few sports that can end in a draw, this is a fate that soccer fans are often subjected to. The next couple of games were a series of draws and losses for the Sounders. With losses from the team such as fan favorite Nico Lodeiro and an immediate injury from promising new hire Pedro De La Vega, the team didn’t seem to have a promising season ahead of them.Â
Of course, this did not waver fans’ loyalty. The Emerald City Supporter (ECS) section where fans lead chants and wave enormous flags while jumping up and down held strong through this rocky period. Somewhere around May, the way the team was doing began to shift. A huge cause of this was former sub and homegrown player Paul Rothrock who began to play more regularly while many of the players were injured. The more he played as a left winger, he worked his way up to a starting position as a new fan favorite. Paul grew up playing with Sounders defender Jackson Ragen and the pair were definitely stars of the season.Â
Taken out of the open cup and leagues cup near the end of the tournaments during the Olympics after a 4-0 win over the Pumas, the Sounders were back with a vengeance. With De La Vega back from injury and settling into the team and the best goalkeeper in the MLS on our side, they were on their way to making it into the playoffs. Georgi Minoungou also became a key player in the later season. With the Roldan brothers becoming the first brothers to play 200 matches with each other in MLS history and many of the homegrown players getting to play with who they looked up to as kids, it’s almost impossible not to root for this team.Â
With an easy slide into the playoffs, the Sounders beat out the Houston Dynamo in two games resulting in penalty kicks. In this same round of playoffs, surprises popped up all over. With Miami being beat out by Atlanta despite having Messi on their team and other top teams like Cincinnati and Columbus being knocked out in the first round, anything could happen.Â
Sounders fans held their breath on 11/23 as Seattle prepared to face off against LAFC, the best ranked team on the west. Seattle, while incredibly talented, seemed to find it impossible to beat LAFC this season. I witnessed two of these soul-crushing losses and although I wouldn’t admit it, I was terrified to see my team face them so close to the finals.Â
I gathered with my friend’s family with bated breath around their TV, clutching our green and blue scarves for the entire game. With Yeimar, Rothrock, Rusnak, and Nouhou out, it seemed like we wouldn’t have a shot. But with a never before seen lineup and a last minute goal from Jordan Morris, we did it. The living room erupted into tears of joy. Even though we were knocked out of the finals by LA Galaxy (why does this city have two teams? Who knows.) Considering where the team started off, I don’t think we could’ve asked for much more.
This season will be one I’ll always remember. There’s never any telling how a season will play out and that’s part of what makes soccer so beautiful. You can always root for the team that wins every game and gets a new coach every season, but where’s the fun in always knowing the outcome? Since elementary school, the Sounders have had a spot in my heart, and I can’t wait to see what the next season has in store.Â