The Spirit of the Sounders

When you think of the best franchises in Major League Soccer there are several that come to mind – especially in the modern era. The development and growth of this league means that every single team is just getting better and better, to the point where in a few years time, we think half of the league will be in a position to make a run for the MLS Cup.

In terms of the present day as well as the history books, though, we have to throw the Seattle Sounders out there as one of our all-around favourite teams. In addition to the fact that the city has accepted them as one of its own alongside the Seahawks, and the crazy part is that they’ve only officially been in existence for just over a decade.

Never give up

It’s a major testament to what they’ve been able to build at CenturyLink Field, and as reported by MLS Soccer, they’re the kind of team that you just know will never give up on a game even when all hope seems lost.

Seattle, who have had a pretty strong start to the season thus far, were coming off the back of their very first loss of the campaign. That can always be tricky especially if you’re a team that feel like you’re starting to hit your stride, and in this encounter against the San Jose Earthquakes, it certainly felt like things were on the verge of going from bad to worse.

San Jose came flying out of the blocks and really started to put the pressure on the Sounders, eventually racing into a two goal lead. They even hit the woodwork twice and seemed to showcase a growing confidence in their game, whereas Seattle just didn’t seem to have an answer for them, even at home.

Of course, we all know that this club doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘quit’ as they begun to fight back in ways that we’re seen all too many times over the years. They scored two goals in quick succession to bring the tie back to a level playing field, and while they weren’t quite able to edge themselves in front, this result is more of a story about just how effective they are at staying in the fight.

Hard work pays off

That’s the kind of trait you need in a league like the MLS, and as reported by Pro Soccer USA, that’s the kind of trait that gets you big money matches against some of Europe’s finest in the summer.

Seattle are set to go head to head with German giants Borussia Dortmund, in the kind of game that will really allow them to cement their status as one of the MLS’ most exciting and profitable teams. There’s a reason why they’ve been selected for this encounter, and there are about a million more as to why they’ve earned the opportunity.

Dortmund are one of the very best teams to watch in the game today and they also have one of the most loyal fanbases, which should make for quite an atmosphere when the teams meet. Beyond that, though, it’s just nice to see these kinds of opportunities being awarded to teams like Seattle.