In the entire MLS history, no team had ever begun the season with an unbeaten record of 13 consecutive games.
That was until last Wednesday on July 7th, 2021 when Seattle Sounders shattered the record when they trampling Houston Dynamo FC by 2 goals to nil at Lumen Field in their midweek Western Conference match.
The victory meant that Seattle Sounders moved their record to 8 wins, 0 losses, and 5 draws, which is a new unbeaten runs record at the start of an MLS campaign.
Seattle Sounders Top Form on Wednesday
From the start of the game, Seattle Sounders showed no signs of letting go of their winning streak on Wednesday. The night’s goals were scored by Seattle’s Kelyn Rowe and Raul Ruidiaz. Rowe struck Houston Dynamo’s net to earn Seattle their first goal of the match in the 62nd minute.
It just happened to be his first MLS goal since 2018. It was a perfectly executed goal after Alex Roldan sent an accurate cross that that met Rowe at the right point and the right time to place an easy score.
The second and last goal of the night came from Ruidiaz in the second half of stoppage time. Just like Rowe, Ruidiaz simply sent home a well-executed cross from Brad Smith to confirm Seattle’s 13-match unbeaten record.
So far, Seattle has beaten Houston in the last 8 matches, which is also another record of the longest winning streak against a single opponent. The 13-match unbeaten record means that Seattle has broken the tie held with LA Galaxy for their 1996 and 2010 streak marks as well as Kansas City (2000) and Real Salt Lake (2014) streak marks.
According to Brian Schmetzer, Seattle Sounder’s coach, in the days leading to the game, the team had done its best to focus less on the unbeaten streak and more on simply winning the match.
However, while speaking on a post-game video, the coach, acknowledged the sheer magnitude and significance of the milestone record. He called it an impressive record and couldn’t hold back the fact that the entire team was proud of their accomplishment.
The coach further stated that his goal was for the team to perform well by playing up to their best potential because after all, they have been winning more games than those they lost in previous seasons.
“At some point,” coach Schmetzer admitted, “The streak is going to end but we are glad that it didn’t happen tonight in front of a loud crowd.” It was indeed a great evening for Seattle Sounders fans too.
Going Strong Despite Injuries and Absences
The most remarkable thing about Seattle’s winning streak is their resilience. The team has managed to keep the winning streak going despite the many injuries and absences they have suffered along the way.
For instance, some of the team’s regular players including Nicolas Lodeiro, Cristian Roldan, Will Bruin, Stefan Frei, Shane O’Neill, Nouhou, and Jordy Delem were missing from last Wednesday’s squad.
Seattle’s performance will still be tested in the coming matches especially since Lodeiro and Frei are still nursing long-term injuries and Cristian Roldan is away with the US national team in preparation for the Concacaf Gold Cup. However, Seattle is still in top form and confident of maintaining the winning streak in the next 5 to 10 matches.
