Seattle Sounders FC: Three hopes, one fear

The big fear: That Schmetzer’s magic might have run out for this season.

When Brian Schmetzer took the Sounders job in July of this year the task seemed rather simple: play the kids and get to the end of the season without any injuries. The Sounders looked like they were done and dusted and were so far down in the standings that even the most ardent supporter were looking forward to next season. It is certainly understandable and not a knock against the team or the supporters. It is just an acknowledgment as to how bad things were.

But Schmetzer pulled off one of the coaching jobs of a lifetime, going 8-2-4 down the stretch to capture a playoff spot and a playoff match. Considering that the club would also go on to lose Dempsey and had to integrate Lodeiro (not always the easiest task with Designated Players) it proves that he is the right man for the job both in the interim and long-term. Schmetzer has been involved with Seattle soccer in one form or another since 1980 and deserves to be their full-time head coach.

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• Seattle Sounders made the right decision to shut down Clint Dempsey
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Schmetzer’s magic certainly hasn’t run out in getting the best results out of this club for the future. But one has to wonder how much more this club can take on in a season. They have already had to do more than their opponents to get to this point because of the hole that they are in one has to wonder how much gas this team has in the tank.

Perhaps it goes back to the original question started at the beginning of this piece: if they finish short of the Cup will this be seen as a successful season? Playing with zero expectations for the last three months has really lifted this club. If they can play like they have nothing to lose then they may finally reach their goal. But if they play like Sounders teams in seasons past then not even Schmetzer can save them.