Don't look now, but the Seattle Sounders are starting to look more like a team capable of making it out of the dog-eat-dog Western Conference and reaching the playoffs.
The Sounders picked up a second consecutive win this past weekend while extending their unbeaten run to three games by defeating Real Salt Lake, 2-1, at home at CenturyLink Field. The Saturday victory did not move Seattle out of ninth place in the west, but did see them get within five points of the final playoff spot currently held by the Portland Timbers.
The Sounders can further close that gap in the coming weeks, as they take on the Timbers not once, but twice before the end of the month. The first game between the Cascadia rivals comes on Sunday (9:30 pm ET; FS1 in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada) in Seattle, and the second meeting in Portland on Aug. 28 (5 pm ET; ESPN).
Coming out on top in those games would certainly boost the Sounders' chances of making the postseason after a nightmarish first five months to the campaign that saw the team part ways with Sigi Schmid, the only head coach they'd ever known in MLS. But there are other reasons for optimism in the Emerald City too. Here are three more reasons why the Sounders could make the playoffs this year:
Lodeiro already delivering
Three games, one goal, three assists.
It is early, but the initial returns from new Designated Player Nicolas Lodeiro are plenty encouraging. Lodeiro has shown in recent weeks the quality that made him such an impact player with South American giants Boca Juniors, and the skillful Uruguayan should only get better the more gets to know his new teammates.
Lodeiro's presence not only gives the Sounders the type of dangerous playmaker that can both score goals and set them up, but he should open things up for teammates like Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris as defenses attempt to shut him down. Seattle entered the year thinking about having a three-headed monster in their attack before Obafemi Martins' departure, but Lodeiro has brought those ideas back to life.
Torres return looming
While Lodeiro has instantly improved the Seattle attack, the defense should also get a boost in the near future.
Roman Torres is expected to make his way back to the field soon after resuming full training earlier this month, and the veteran central defender could be a major addition to the club's backline if he can quickly shake off the rust picked up from being on the sidelines for almost a full year with an ACL injury.
It might be easy to forget given how much has happened in the months since, but Torres was an absolute monster for Panama at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. His impressive performances helped Panama edge the US for third place in that tournament, and saw him land with the Sounders prior to the end of that year's summer transfer window.
Surely, there is chemistry to be gained with his Seattle teammates after making just four appearances last season, but his leadership, aerial ability on both sides of the ball, toughness, and skill should all help the Sounders as they try to make a late push for a playoff spot.
Friendly schedule down stretch
Something else that Seattle can look at in a positive light as they attempt to avoid missing the postseason for the first time is their remaining schedule. Sure, they have six of their last 11 games on the road, but the match-ups, for the most part, are favorable.
Aside from having a major chance to close the gap between them and sixth-placed Portland with a pair of games this month, Seattle have six games left against teams that are not currently in the playoff picture in their respective conferences. The Sounders take on the Vancouver Whitecaps twice, the Houston Dynamo twice, and Chicago Fire once, and those matches are certainly winnable should Seattle continue to build on their recent performances.
There are also some difficult showdowns on tap, including games vs. the LA Galaxy, FC Dallas, and Real Salt Lake, but the Sounders have demonstrated during the recent run of good form that they can compete with some of those sides and get victories.
