SEATTLE – Another MLS attendance record. Another US Open Cup. Another berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. All in the club’s second season.
By most measures, it was another successful season in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately for the Seattle Sounders, these accomplishments were overshadowed by another disappointing exit in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
For the second consecutive season, the Rave Green crashed out early in their search for the big prize: MLS Cup. This time, drawing the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first round of the playoffs proved to be the club’s downfall. Landon Donovan & Co. sent Sigi Schmid’s team packing after a 3-1 aggregate victory in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Despite a strong season that saw the club bounce back from a dreadful first 15 games, Schmid and general manager Adrian Hanauer are spending the offseason tweaking the roster as the Sounders seek to claim the league’s most prestigious prize. Here is the best and worst of Seattle’s 2010.
[inline_node:319884]Best moment of the year
Sure, a second consecutive US Open Cup is a worthy prize by itself. But the joy from the Oct. 5 final came not from the triumph itself, but the way it was delivered. Sanna Nyassi, who had scored his first MLS regular-season goal just days earlier, broke through for two more goals in the 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew. It was an unexpected contribution from a well-liked player who had struggled to find his rhythm as a Sounder.
Worst moment
Known colloquially as the “Refund Game,” Seattle’s biggest rivals came into Qwest Field on May 8 and delivered a 4-0 spanking Sounders fans had never seen before. A Kasey Keller error opened the floodgates for the four Galaxy goals, an embarrassment sufficient to prompt the club’s front office to credit renewing season-ticket holders for the price of one game in 2011.
Best goal
Competing in three competitions, the Sounders produced several worthy candidates for Goal of the Year, with Leo Gonzalez and Steve Zakuani supplying twin volleys against New England, Fredy Montero’s turning of Eddie Robinson and Roger Levesque’s diving header against D.C. United coming to mind. But in terms of utter joy, Michael Fucito’s injury-time winner against Kansas City on April 17 stands out. Although it was early in the season, the unexpected nature of the goal sent the Qwest Field crowd into hysterics.
WATCH: Fucito scores in injury time for winner
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Best save
Even after 20-plus seasons as a professional, Keller still has the ability to pull off the spectacular, as he showed in stoppage time of that same Week 4 match against Kansas City. As KC’s Chance Myers thundered into the penalty area, Keller turned Myers’ right-footed shot around the outside post. The save, which preserved a 1-0 victory, showed top-class reaction time and technique. For his work, Keller was awarded the NAPA Save of the Year as voted on by the fans.
WATCH: Keller's Save of the Year on KC's Myers
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Team MVP: Fredy Montero
With all credit due to Zakuani, the MVP has to be the Colombian star. When the club found itself in the midseason doldrums, Montero carried the Sounders through. After a two-goal game against Chicago, Montero’s 19 combined goals and assists accounted for 76 percent of the team’s total output. Although he didn’t score again after the month of August, his contributions until that point warrant the award.
Best newcomer: Jeff Parke
Although Álvaro Fernández and Blaise Nkufo both joined the mix as Designated Players and made contributions, neither stood out in their half-season of duty. Therefore, the award goes to defender Parke. It took a couple games for the veteran MLSer to find his feet, but when he did, he stabilized the back line with a rock-solid partnership with Patrick Ianni. With Jhon Kennedy Hurtado set to return from injury in 2011, the Sounders are looking at an intense three-way battle for two starting spots.
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